Divine Encounters

Day 300 Reading: Revelation 1:1 - Revelation 22:21 I remember reading the Book of Revelation for the first time as a teenager. It filled me with awe and also left me with questions. It also placed in me a hunger and desire to go to Heaven. This one book in the Bible that many fear reading. Ask many Christians and they will tell you that Revelation fills them with trepidation. Human beings fear death and thinking of the ever after is an issue. The Book of Revelation paints not just a graphic photo of the afterlife but also gives a detailed account of what will happen to all in those days. Here are my few lessons from this awesome Book. Jesus is watching every believer and knows where one's heart is . The first three chapters are opened not just by the encounter John the Apostle has on the island of Patmos but also the admonishments he is given to give as a warning to every church. I am challenged by God's desire for me to overcome in every situation and that He has a ...

Day 298 Reading: 1 John, 2 John, 3 John We live in a world that is craving for love. Many are looking for love and looking in all the wrong places. The world is fuelled by a lust that many have mistaken as love. The devil has disguised his offering of lust and camouflaged it as love. We see it every day presented and served to us in many different forms. What many don't understand is that the devil's offering is presented to the world with an icing that covers the contents of what is laid on the plate offering from the enemy. Paul writing to the Corinthians warned them that the enemy does camouflage as an angel of light 2 Corinthians 11:14. The result of consuming what the enemy has served us is that our hearts have been dulled and many of us have shifted from having our moral compass guided by the Bible to become humanistic in our morality. Compromising doesn't begin with a big sin, but with a subtle shift of the heart from loving God wholly to having a mixtur...

Day 274 Reading: Acts 21:1 - Acts 28:31 We live in a world where influencers are critical to brands. For any brand to become famous it must allow influencers to help advocate for it. Few people are known to have influenced the Kingdom of God like Paul. Paul was an influencer who propagated the cause of the Kingdom. The Book of Acts records how the gospel spread from Jerusalem to the known world. We the believers of today are continuing to write the chapters of the Book of Acts. God has not stopped moving on earth and His Kingdom is advancing more than ever. What lessons have I learnt from the Book of Acts? Be willing to proclaim the gospel to everyone. Many times we are unable to preach the gospel to high ranking people. Don't be arrogant and forget that we all are in need of salvation and the status of man should not be a hindrance.  The power of God is needed for the salvation of mankind. Miracles are not to puff the preacher up but to magnify God and thus dr...

Day 269 Reading: John 18:1 - John 21:25 God sent His Son on a mission. From the Garden of Eden God had announced His plan for man's redemption. In Egypt, the children of Israel had enacted the Passover meal which led to their freedom. Jesus in dying on the Cross became our Passover. In the law of Moses, the Passover was prescribed as one of the most important feasts during which the children of Israel remembered the Lord's deliverance when the angel of death passed over the houses of the children of Israel.  Matthew in His gospel pointed out that the prophecy of Isaiah that the Messiah would take on our sins, sicknesses, guilt and punishment Matthew 8:17 . Jesus become our Passover and thus He is the Lamb of God slain for you and I. Sickness has no right over you. Jesus took it all. I love what one bishop says, ‘I shouldn’t take back what Jesus has already taken away from me.’ When this reality dawned on me, I said goodbye to sickness. Earlier this year I kept figh...

Day 268 Reading: John 16:1 - John 17:26 Your sorrow will be turned into joy! John while writing his gospel only recounts 7 miracles that Jesus did. John reveals to us the most of the instructions and teachings that Jesus gave after the Last Supper. As I have read the gospels I have become more convinced that Jesus came to turn sorrow into joy. Each encounter with Jesus was one where He changed lives. Jesus told the disciples that He would be sending the Holy Spirit to help, guide, teach, and comfort them. As I read today's passage I began to meditate on the miracles of Jesus. I pray the Holy Spirit will breathe on each miracle and bring joy into your life as you read. Jesus turning the water into wine John 2:1-11 . In life, we find ourselves at junctions where everything has run out. Jesus demonstrated that He was bringing a new taste to life and that the latter would be greater than the former. Jesus has the answers to man's disappointments.  The healing of a sic...

Day 267 Reading: John 13:1 - John 15:27 The gospels record very many different sayings of Jesus. From the parables to truth declarations He made, Jesus introduces the Kingdom of God in a very personal way. He not only teaches us about the Kingdom but also exemplified life in the Kingdom. The gospel of John records 7 miracles of Jesus and 7 times where Jesus said I am. Today I just want to focus on the 7 I am statements. I am the Bread of Life John 6:35 . Jesus had fed 5000 men and the crowd went looking for Him the following day. Remember that the children of Israel in walking from Egypt to Canaan were fed with manna. Jesus in declaring that He is the Bread of Life was announcing that we should hunger for Him more than manna or the miraculous supply that they had encountered the day before. I am the Light of this world John 8:12 . We live in dark times where many are turning to anything in seeking for direction. Jesus announced that He is the Light of the world. In every...

Day 266 Reading: John 10:1 - John 12:50 While growing up my brother and I enjoyed going to visit my grandparents. One of my grandparents kept sheep. My brother and I loved running towards the sheep and playing with the fur. Sheep are obedient animals. My grandfather also kept goats. The goats would be a nuisance going to the tea plantation while the sheep maintained course. Many times Jesus while speaking refers to believers who follow Him as sheep. In Matthew 25 Jesus when speaking of the last days mentioned that there are sheep and goat nations which will be separated. A day is coming where the Shepherd will separate the sheep from the goats. Jesus introduced Himself as the Good Shepherd who cares for His sheep.  Lazarus was a friend of Jesus who definitely understood and saw Jesus as the Good Shepherd. His sisters had entertained Jesus, the Good Shepherd many a time. When Lazarus fell ill the sisters notified Jesus expecting Him to come over and heal His friend. Je...

Day 264 Reading: John 6: 1 - John 7:53 The Word is able to reveal to us our failings and weaknesses. The Word also reveals our hope and the promises we have in God. I don't read the Word because I'm bored or have nothing. I prioritise to read the Word daily because it is Life. I need the Word of God in every arena of my life. Whilst reading through the gospels I have been struck by how much the people sought for Jesus.  One particular occasion the people sought for Jesus after the miracle where He supernaturally fed 5000 men. When they found him after going to great lengths to look for Him they were rebuked. I was a startled because these people really looked for Jesus. he wasn't where they were fed or nearby. He was across the seas. They got on boats and crossed to where He was. That showed initiative and drive to be near Jesus. They were determined to be near Him yet they didn't receive a welcome but a rebuke. As I meditated on this I began to ask mys...

Day 263 Reading: John 4:1 - John 5:47 Imagine Jesus walking up to you and asking you to give Him a drink? Stunned am sure you would be. The Samaritan woman responds back to Him asking why He was speaking to her seeing that Jews didn't talk to the Samaritans. Jesus was a barrier breaker. He didn't look at someone's background, beliefs, sexuality to talk to them. He didn't entertain sin but He related to them and gave them life. In the course of the conversation, Jesus tells the lady to go call her husband. Before He could give her the Living Water Jesus needed to deal with a particular issue. You see Jesus and the Samaritan Woman were talking about life for water is a life-giving source. 70% of the human body is water. Who or what gives you life is the crux of this conversation. Many today may look at this lady and be in shock at her turnover of spouses, however, may I suggest to you that in life many of us are suffering from the same plague. As I thought ab...

Day 262 Reading: John 1:1 - John 3:36 God has a great plan for you and me. Your circumstances may not appear so, however, let me assure you that God is still on the throne and has not given up. The days we are living in are dark days with sin abounding more than ever. We find today many are challenging the accepted biblical views that have characterised behaviour for generations. As I write this blog, on the news today I heard of a gentleman whose gone to court to request that his date of birth be changed by 20 years.  This world is changing! The Book of John begins in a manner very similar to Genesis. John declares that the Word was in the beginning and makes it clear that there can be no beginning without the Word of God. Any beginning you desire must begin with the Word. When the Word speaks the heavens and the earth move to accomplish the spoken Word. John reveals that the Word of God became flesh. May I encourage you to know that even today God desires that you se...

Happy new month!! I woke up excited that I was privileged to see another new day and for that matter the beginning of a new month. It may be just another day but I woke up with a knowing within myself that I was standing at the door of a new season in my life. One day Jesus stood in front of a man who lay on a bed waiting for an angel to stir the waters and instructed him to rise up and walk John 5:1-8 . You are only one instruction away from a new season. More importantly, you and I can experience an encounter with God and see a turnaround of our fortunes. As I prepared in the morning, I kept hearing that this month will be a new beginning.  Maybe the past has been tough;maybe you didn't see any movement or change in your circumstances; I have news for you. A new season of glory lies ahead of you. No record is in the bible of this man praying or calling on Jesus to resolve his case. May this month bring unexpected miracles of joy in your direction. Have your ears open to ...

Things just seem to be getting tougher a friend said to me recently. As they said this I perceived within their words that they were on the verge of giving up. Many times as we go through life we face difficulties that seem to challenge every belief we hold on to. As I sat and reviewed my life, the year so far, the days ahead it became clear to me that I needed to buckle up and resolve that no matter what the battle or how tough life looks I will hold on to my faith in God and not quit. Looking through the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11 we see people who obtained the promises given by God and each one of them persevered even when all looked lost. Abraham and Sarah waited for 25 years before they held their son. David overcame Goliath by holding on to the faith that Goliath was not bigger than God, and he had no right to terrorise the children of Israel.  My simple encouragement to you this week is don't quit. Reading through Hebrews 11, I was encouraged to stand firm and abso...