Pastor Muve

Just read... Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 The Message Bible 1. There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth: 2-8 A right time for birth and another for death, A right time to plant and another to reap, A right time to kill and another to heal, A right time to destroy and another to construct, A right time to cry and another to laugh, A right time to lament and another to cheer, A right time to make love and another to abstain, A right time to embrace and another to part, A right time to search and another to count your losses, A right time to hold on and another to let go, A right time to rip out and another to mend, A right time to shut up and another to speak up, A right time to love and another to hate, A right time to wage war and another to make peace. 9-13 But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does? I’ve had a good look at what God has given us to do—busywork, mostly. True, God made everything beautiful in its...

Theme: Isaiah 43:18-21 interpreted in relation to  Salvation. (Pt 11) Sub Theme: All will Honour God Anchor Text: Isaiah 43:20 The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. Based on our anchor text, we discover that the reason the beast of the field, dragons and the owls would honour God was because He gave waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Like we have established already that the Holy Spirit is the One who causes waters in the wilderness (salvation) and rivers to flow in the desert (Holy Spirit baptism). These creatures mentioned weren't physical rather they were spiritual entities. They were the demonic forces that try to oppose God's rule on Earth. And in order for God to establish His authority, He needs to make use of human entities as well. So Jesus gave His disciples a glimpse of how this is to work even though the Ho...

Theme: Isaiah 43:18-21 interpreted in relation to  Salvation. (Pt 10) Sub Theme: All will Honour God Anchor Text: Isaiah 43:20 43:20 The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. 'The beasts of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls.' This was God speaking and as awesome and powerful as that may sound it certainly raises a question. "Was God so interested in these strange creatures honouring Him?" Come on; beast of the field, dragons and owls don't seem like the best kind of creatures that God should be wanting honour from. In fact looking at that sentence alone, it seems not to follow the thought pattern that has been flowing through the  passage. The way it was so abruptly inserted into the passage, the next sentence was like trying to explain why it was put there in the first place for it not to seem our of place. ...

Theme: Isaiah 43:18-21 interpreted in relation to  Salvation. (Pt 9) Sub Theme: Rivers in the Desert (pt 6) Anchor Text: Isaiah 43:18&19 Reference Text: John 7:37-39 [37]In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. [38]He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. [39](But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) Now that we understand that there are depths in Christ so vast for us to fully comprehend just as Romans 11:33 puts it: "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" Since this is the case, how then do we access these depths? The answer is the Holy Spirit. The desire to know God more like Paul prayed in Phil...

Theme: Isaiah 43:18-21 interpreted in relation to  Salvation. (Pt 8) Sub Theme: Rivers in the Desert (pt 5) Anchor Text: Isaiah 43:18&19 Reference Text: John 7:37-39 [37]In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. [38]He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. [39](But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) The Samaritan woman at the well received a well of Living Water but that wasn't the peak. Salvation you need to understand is not a one time experience. Salvation is a daily walk with God. Therefore as a man grows in Christ daily, He experiences deeper dimensions of salvation. The purpose of salvation is not to get us saved from sin, death and hell. The purpose of salvation is to make us filled with the...

Theme: Isaiah 43:18-21 interpreted in relation to  Salvation. (Pt 7) Sub Theme: Rivers in the Desert (pt 4) Anchor Text: Isaiah 43:18&19 Sub Text: John 4:13-15 [13]Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: [14]But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. [15]The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. Salvation when received initially doesn't start out as rivers that can overflow deserts. In this conversation with the Samaritan woman, Jesus showed us how it starts. When you receive the Living Water of Christ, what  you receive is a well of water on your inside. This allows you entry into everlasting life. A Well of water is a sort of reservoir. In order to get anything out of it, you need something to draw with. New believers ...

Theme: Isaiah 43:18-21 interpreted in relation to  Salvation. (Pt 6) Sub Theme: Rivers in the Desert (pt 3) Anchor Text: Isaiah 43:18&19 Reference Text: John 4:7-15 Some of us are familiar with the story in John 4:7-15. This story bears similarities with that in Genesis 24:17-24 when Abraham's servant went in search of a wife for Isaac. (That's another discussion for another day) What we discover here in the book of John is that Jesus initiates this conversation. He asked her to give him water to drink. This is very vital because if you don't recognize your spiritual condition, it becomes difficult for you to desire salvation. Since she felt she had water to give, she felt fine, she felt she even could deny the Master the water he sought for without knowing she was actually dry. The same goes for those still without Christ. Jesus therefore had to make her see her dry state that was lacking the water that makes deserts full of rivers. He stated that He had l...

Theme: Isaiah 43:18-21 interpreted in relation to  Salvation. (Pt 5) Sub Theme: Rivers in the Desert (pt 2) Anchor Text: Isaiah 43:18 43:18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. Before we continue our discourse let's look at a discussion between Jesus and a woman. John 4:7-15 [7]There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. [8](For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) [9]Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. [10]Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee ...

Theme: Isaiah 43:18-21 interpreted in relation to  Salvation. (Pt 4) Sub Theme: Rivers in the Desert Anchor Text: Isaiah 43:18 43:18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. Isaiah went on to state that God will make rivers in the desert. Was this just a figure of speech or was God ready to change the balance of things in nature? True enough God gave the Israelites water while they roamed the desert on their way to the promised land but did He intend to make it a common occurence? The answer is yes! Let's look at what Jesus said in Matthew 12:43 "When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none." What is of particular interest to us in this discussion is that phrase: "through dry places". The Benson Commentar...

Theme: Isaiah 43:18-21 interpreted in relation to  Salvation. (Pt 3) Sub Theme: A New Thing (pt 2) Anchor Text: Isaiah 43:18 43:18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. 2 Corinthians 5:17 [17]Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. We can easily notice the parallel between these scriptures. Both mention the doing away of the old and replacing with the new. Christ came to give us newness of life. The old system and pattern set up after the fall of amn needed to be done away with. In order to do that man had to forget that system entirely. That mode of operation needed to be discarded and forgotten. However, this wasn't possible if the old still remained. It needed a complete overhaul. This is what Christ...

Theme: Isaiah 43:18-21 interpreted in relation to  Salvation. (Pt 2) Sub Theme: A New Thing Anchor Text: Isaiah 43:18 43:18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. The 1st verse of this chapter in Isaiah speaks of redemption. We know very well that whatever redemption the Israelites encountered wasn't complete. The elements within the chapter reveal certain things that weren't common in the Old Covenant before Jesus coming to become man. Verse 8 records: 'Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.' Question here is how can someone be blind yet have eyes? How can one be deaf yet have ears? This was a statement to describe a healing process. Careful study of the entire scriptures before Jesus coming in the flesh reveals that no one healed the blind or...

Theme: Isaiah 43:18-21 interpreted in relation to  Salvation. Anchor Text: Isaiah 43:18 43:18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. 43:20 The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. 43:21 This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise. The canonical scriptures the BIBLE is like a tapestry that has been knitly woven together. Despite the time difference in the time of writing of the individual books that make up this great book, we see perfect alignment and agreement. We can only conclude that the Author is an Authority that has existed throughout the ages and is not just the mortal men who penned down these Words. If it were just men, the...

Theme: He hasn't written you off Mark 16:7 New Living Translation Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.” It's a normal human nature for us to want give up because our results did not meet up with the desired intention we had at heart and even spoke about. It is very easy for us to feel that we've failed when we miss the mark; when we do not meet up to the standard God has set for us or the expectations of people around us. Peter felt that way. He had denied Jesus not once but thrice despite his bold words that he won't leave the Master even if others did. Yet when push came to shove, he succumbed. You might have also made lofty yet sincere promises to God concerning your service to Him. You might have told yourself and God that you won't fall into the same kind of temptation anymore and you meant it sincerely yet you did. I just came to t...

The result of sin is always devastating. Jeremiah in his Lamentations revelaed the consequences of sin. He lamented and asked for a frsh start in the 5th chapter. One truth about God is that His love, Mercy and compassion outweighs His judgment. There is always pardon... Just read through the Lamentations of God's prophet and feel the pain he felt for His people which was a result of their sins. It would help us realize the predicament those still in the world are and it would remind us from whence we were picked out from. Lamentations 5 The Message (MSG) Give Us a Fresh Start 5 1-22 “Remember, God, all we’ve been through.     Study our plight, the black mark we’ve made in history. Our precious land has been given to outsiders,     our homes to strangers. Orphans we are, not a father in sight,     and our mothers no better than widows. We have to pay to drink our own water.     Even our firewood comes at a price. We’re nothing but...

*Theme:* *No Child Gets Left Behind* Matthew 18:2-5 Message Bible 2-5 For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, “I’m telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you’re not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God’s kingdom. The 2014 movie 'Left Behind' which starred Nicolas Cage, is a mabout the rapture. In the movie, one theme that was prevalent is the fact that all the children around the world 'vanished'. The nursery beds in the hospital were all empty. Leaving behind just the wrapping shawls and the cloths of these babies. Older children who were with their parents or guardians in the mall, planes and all over the cities also 'vanished' leaving behind their cloths and belongings and in some cases left them in their parent's arms as they got rap...

Theme: Ranking in God's Kingdom Matthew 18:1-7 Message Bible 1. At about the same time, the disciples came to Jesus asking, “Who gets the highest rank in God’s kingdom?” 2-5 For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, “I’m telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you’re not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God’s kingdom. The disciples of Jesus raised up an issue that is common in every society of man throughout history. They wanted to know who amongst  them.would be ranked the higehest in God's Kingdom. The knew the Kingdom was at hand for that was the Master's message. The only thing the Master didn't tell them was who will be at the helm of each sector and ministry in the kingdom. The fact that they were His closest disciples meant they should be the o...

*Theme:* *Never Stop Praying* *Anchor Texts:* Colossians 4:2 Amplified Bible _[2]Be earnest and unwearied and steadfast in your prayer [life], being [both] alert and intent in [your praying] with thanksgiving._ A lot has and can be said about prayer. Today however, I'll only dwell on the need to be consistent in prayers. Let's think of prayer as a bloodline that connects you to the Divine nature of God. It is necessary that the life from above keeps flowing into you. However, when there is an interfence, that Divine Life stops flowing inside of you. When Divine Life stops flowing into a child of God, carnality takes over. It's our constant connection that keeps our carnality in check. So Paul said to the Colossians in order to get rid of carnality, you need to be earnest about your prayer life. Be steadfast in it no matter how tired you might be, continue in it. If you're sensing carnality taking over you, then you need to check if the bloodline is still ...

*Theme:* The value of positive counsel *Anchor Texts:*  Proverbs 11:14 _Without wise leadership, a nation falls;     there is safety in having many advisers._ Proverbs 15:31 _If you listen to constructive criticism,     you will be at home among the wise._ The succession of each generation lies in the hands of counsellors. And by counsellors I don't mean those who have that as a tiltle or a profession, but rather those who are concerned and interested in equipping the next generation with vital wisdom they require in any aspect of life.   The truth is when counsellors are absent things go bad. In most cases when evil is to befall a blessing or a nation, counsel is withdrawn or a person chooses wrong counsel.  The scripture is filled with typical examples of of such. Even our contemporary time proves same.  Among some of such examples in the Bible where the failure to choose the right cousnel proved fatal were ...

Theme: Right Approach to God's Word (part 4) Anchor Text: Jeremiah 15:16 [16]Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts. _Continued from the last post_ 4. *You must end up with joy in your heart* Now, when you continue praying in tongues, there's also a climax you must experience that will attest to the fact that you've secured victory. And that's what we call 'Joy in the Holy Spirit' The natural state of a child of God ought to be joy. So whenever we get a rhema and hagah on it, it reverts us back to that default mode of joy. Joy is a necessity in the kingdom. The more you approach the Word rightly, the more Joy you get. Joy is not based on what you have on your outside, rather it is based on what you have on your inside. Joy gives you to capacity to lay hold on your promised blessings. So when next you hagah in tongues, stay at it until ...