Revelation versus Repetition

I want us to look at the way we start or do new things. And I want us to focus on ministry.

How do we start new ministries and churches? How do we venture into new territories? How do we break away from abusive spiritual relationships? How do we do God’s work in new frontiers?

Is ours a protest movement or a pursuit for God? Are we fighting to prove that God is still using us or are we seeking greater revelation to enable us live more obedient lives? Are we looking for worldly approval and acknowledgement or does a nod from heaven satisfy us?

Over the years I have observed a common trait about break away churches, ministries and groups. They will start so different from their ‘parent’ group because they are rebelling from the authority it exerted on them. But eventually they slowly start taking the character of the ‘parent’ they had rebelled from and disown almost everything they had pursued in the protest.

A case in point is the charismatic movement.

In the 70s and 80s hymns and hymnals were treated as clear evidence of lack of spirituality. It was the same with an order of service. Priestly collars and vestments were anathema. And there were many other such things.

The other day I was in a function where there were hundreds of pastors and bishops of charismatic churches.

You would not be mistaken if you thought it was an assembly of mainstream clergy. From the robes to the bishopric colors to the staffs to the collars there was no difference at all with how mainstream clergy are robed.

It got me thinking. Why do protest movements end up becoming like the places they left? Why does a protester not create something completely different from what he left in disgust?

The reason is the difference between revelation and repetition or protest.

You see only revelation produces original things. This is because God will never duplicate anything people have done. He always starts things afresh. All His revelations are new. You see, the One who created everything we see and even can’t from nothing does not need any existing thing to do something new.

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 43:19)

Doing something because you are fed up with what is can never offer something new, only a pretense of it. And you can be certain that God is not the originator of it.

I once was called to start a ministry by a church. After some time the leadership realized that I was more conscious about God’s orders than I was about their self serving agenda. We disagreed again and again because they were more for the visibility of their church in the ministry than they were of its impact of the ministry. Worse still we disagreed on the direction God was giving me as it did not serve the self importance of the same leaders. The fact that it was transforming many was not enough to convince them of its importance or relevance.

They therefore killed the ministry, destroying everything I had spent years building. They did not even replace me as they ought to have done as they probably feared my influence on whoever would have replaced me.

It was a heartbreaking experience.

I therefore decided to start a similar ministry that would not be subject to a church structure. I wrote the constitution and laid down as much of its structure as I could before seeking registration.

But God stopped me from seeking registration, leading me instead to start Restore Hope Ministries, an empowerment ministry whose target is the disadvantaged. Even its registration went very smoothly.

Then He got me into the writing ministry that I enjoy as I see smiles from people who had been on the wilderness for so long finding the fulfillment of their vision after my helping them publish their book. And the greatest fulfillment comes from realizing that there is nobody doing the ministry I am doing, at least in the way I am doing it.

It was as God gave me this message that I got to understand why He did not allow me to start the ministry that church killed. Though it was a valid desire borne of a great (even urgent) need, it could have been impossible to operate that ministry without thinking about the disappointment and trying to show the church how ‘foolish’ they had been to kill it. It could have been an unconscious thing, but powerful all the same. I would gradually have started pursuing what I had fought against when I was doing ministry, visibility.

But revelation is different. In it God will give precise orders consistent with His purpose. They will also be tailored to His design and order for your creation, meaning that there will be no competition or ill feeling against people doing a similar thing. What is considered competition without revelation becomes partnership because God’s orders are the ones being sought and pursued.

Interesting enough God has been opening several doors on the ministry He had forbidden me to start. From consultation to helping set up to doing it the doors continue opening. But now I do not have any backward glance as I minister, something I know would have been impossible had I started it then.

Are you doing ministry because someone is enjoying immense support as he is doing it or because God is ordering you to do it? Are you pursuing a particular line of ministry because the person who first did it grew a mountain from a molehill of a congregation or is it an order God has given you?

A case in point is the way ‘praise and worship’ (whatever it is) is done. All distinctions have been demolished so that people enjoy it. First is a couple of fast paced danceable choruses that yield to very slow songs that lead to some semblance of reflective prayer. You will find the same whether you go to an extremely charismatic or dogmatically mainstream group.

The sad part in it is that there is no originality. All songs are copied from others who appear more worship conscious or seem to hit the musical notes better than we do. Authentic worship has disappeared; all because someone somewhere started something that was apparently too attractive to ignore.

Or look at some of the programs churches have been swallowed into like the purpose driven movement. They are popular simply because the originator is the pastor of a mega church, probably nothing else. The fact that he is shady on the gay agenda and has even invited homosexuals to hold an event in his church is not enough to challenge pastors to rethink that strategy they have adopted to the extent that some have changed church constitutions to fit in.

Look also at sermons. It appears as if all the preachers go through the same preaching school. A few times I am surprised by a blind beggar preaching so animatedly as a preparation for his begging mission. It appears very inspired until you realize that he is just a very good copy of the sermons he hears, needing no creativity at all. Most sermons have the same flow, end and expectation that you wonder how someone can talk about what God is saying yet you hear it from most pulpits and even radio and TV preachers in an almost identical way.

‘Thus says the Lord’ has been cheapened by the way ‘successful’ preachers are copied by aspiring preachers just because they have packed pews without caring to know where the inspiration is gotten from. Yet we know that some have bought that ‘anointing’ from the dark forces, some even having to consistently defile virgins and break marriages to maintain it. Yet we still copy them.

The absence of any preaching dealing with responsible Christian living and growth is the pointer that maybe all that preaching does not proceed from God, however inspiring it may appear. The lack of any preaching against sin even in the presence of rampant immorality clearly shows us that it can never proceed from heaven.

It appears as if worldly success is all one needs to be given leadership in church. A very rich thief has a greater chance at becoming a deacon than a poor man who has walked with God all his life. A prostitute has a higher chance of being the lead singer (called worship leader) than a housewife who decided that raising children was more obedient to God than remaining on Caesar’s payroll.

Why is that? I dare say that we are more interested in aping worldly success than in seeking heavenly revelation.

Let me talk as a writer of several books. I would be more attractive to churches if I have on my belt a million books sold than what I do; printing and giving books out for free. And that will not depend on the spiritual quality or relevance of what is written. A person who has sold a million copies of spiritual trash will find it easier to get an invitation to speak to a church gathering than one whose message is so deep that one has to go into adequate spiritual preparation before venturing to read or listen to it.

Why is that? The reason is simple. We are more inclined to the world and its standards than God and His revelation.

We forget that Jesus did not say that by their crowds, volumes and quantity we shall know them.

You see, according to spiritual standards, a person in a very remote village who has never travelled more than 50 km from where he was born but has through his words and deeds shared the Gospel to everyone who has passed through his village may be a better evangelist than the one who preaches to millions but has to water down the Gospel to get all those statistics (responses).

An office messenger who is the destination of anybody and everybody where he works and stays when they have a crisis for prayer and a word of encouragement is a more fruitful pastor than the mega church pastor who blocks problem characters from seeing him.

And a person or family that moves house to take the Gospel to a neighboring and hostile enemy tribe might be a more responsive missionary than the one who imports his first world conveniences to the mission field and even refuses to move from places electricity is guaranteed.

But it boils down to something I always say; it depends on the marking scheme you operate under. And that marking scheme will depend on whether you are pursuing a revelation or doing what everybody else is doing.

Doing things the way they have always been done can be a very easy indicator of a walk in the flesh, a walk without revelation.

But it is important to realize that it is been very difficult to break through the way things have always been done.

Why had Christ to call people who had been raised in gentile nations (Barnabas and Paul) to spearhead outreach to the gentiles? Why had He to shift the centre of the evangelization agenda from Jerusalem to Antioch?

You see the apostles, despite having walked with Christ as He ministered were bound to their Jewish upbringing and prejudices (the way things are always done). And we clearly see that when Peter is led to take the Gospel to the gentiles. We see how apologetic he becomes when confronted by the others. And even after Acts 15 we still find him having issues with gentiles in Galatians 2: 12.

But history tells us that they were finally able to deal with their bias as we are told most, probably all of the apostles died outside Israel. They were able to finally accept their calling to include gentiles.

Incidentally I think this is the problem Jonah also had.

Is there a solution? You may be wondering.

There certainly is. Only that it requires a greater commitment to our call. We must seek something greater than a politically friendly way of obedience. We must decide to delve farther than borderline obedience. We must seek to know beyond what is acceptable to most or even all. We must overlook convenience and popularity to pursue that call.

And we must pray for revelation before we pray open those doors.

Are you being abused and mistreated where you are ministering? Pray. Are you feeling strangled and drained by a minister who does nothing yet earns everything from your ministry? Pray. You might need to leave those abusive relationships but not to start your own thing.

Most of the pastors I know who ran off to start churches because they were being abused or exploited became worse abusers. That is why it is important to pray for the direction you should take.

Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. (Luke 10:2)

God shows us the need so that we can pray for Him to provide a solution, not so that we can provide it. It is as we are praying that He can enjoin us to His strategy of offering that solution. And He reserves the right to the strategy and our place in it.

So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. (Luke 17:10)

Finally

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:21 – 23)

It is what we do in obedience that is rewarded. Everything else is judged, even trashed (1 Corinthians 3: 15).

Curiosity vs Information

Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise (Deuteronomy 12:30)

I feel constrained to share on this topic at this time as I continue to see a lot of information being shared about the ‘other world’. There are DVDs on anything from the Illuminati to witchcraft to secret societies being made and sold all over, and that by ‘brethren’.

I remember in the 80s when a book was produced by a person who had defected from the other side sharing his experiences. At that time there was so much fear and suspicion in churches due to the leakage he gave about the tactics they used even to distract attention in the worship service.

 A crying toddler raised the antenna of every member as there had to be an agent who caused it. A visitor to church had to be screened secretly to ensure that he was not an agent.

I remember one day around that time leading a students’ Bible Study in church. As usual those BSs have visitors from the campuses. I don’t remember the topic but it was a hot one as it called on very passionate discussions. But as you know the Bible is very central there. Well, among the visitors was this young man who knew his Bible a little better than even some members of the study. As we discussed we would insist that any position one advocates must be supported by scripture. And this particular young man was good in that aspect.

After the study a member of the BS called me aside and ‘informed’ me that the young man was an agent. When I asked her to substantiate she used his knowledge of the Bible as the reason she was convinced so. But he did not use scripture wrongly and was even in tune with the study itself. Her problem was that he was supporting the side she was not in. I had to take her through the scriptures to show her that the Bible has the guidelines as to who represents the devil.

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success (Joshua 1:8)

It is interesting that God never asks us to understand the other side. He never gave His people any allowance to even interact with people who even leaned to the other side. We are supposed to know God so much that we have no allowance to even be tempted to know anything on the other side. And that is why a witch was killed immediately. The same happened with the homosexual, the prostitute, the adulterer, the idol worshipper etc. He was not threatened to order such. He realized that we do not need to know anything about the other side to recognize them.

Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. (2Corinthians 2:11)

Bankers do not study fake currency to recognize it. They are so exposed to the real that any slight touch of anything not real stands out so fast, almost by instinct.

God knows that our curiosity many times will cause us to lean so close to the edge that sometimes we could tip over. Curiosity killed the cat, so we say. But instead of another cat being dissuaded by that statement from being over inquisitive, she asked, ‘what did the cat want to know?’ Many times we are like that.

There are people who have gone to prostitutes to minister but finally became their customers. There are people who have gone to witness in bars and became drunkards. Understanding a prostitute or drunkard is not what will help you bring them to Christ. Christ changed prostitutes and extortionists simply by knowing and doing God’s will. It is His love that draws people to Him, not understanding them. And we will be wise to remember that.

We are supposed to soak ourselves with the scriptures that any slight diversion will be evident without even peering. Jesus said that we will know them by their fruit, not by having an inquisition. Our search to know so much can make us to want to venture a little further than is useful and get sucked into the system itself. We are supposed to know God intimately to refute the wiles of the enemy, not know the wiles enough to able to reason with them.

We know the devil is happy when we fall into two errors; ignoring him altogether and being obsessed with him. Both of them will have the same effect on us. Ignoring him will give him a lot of leeway into our lives as we will deny the evidence of evil that we see. Being obsessed with him might be even more disastrous as we will stop everything to ‘deal’ with him, something he gets excited about as he will then lead us to a wild goose chase as he has many personalities and ‘agents’. 

I always remember a wildlife documentary I saw when I worked at the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation long ago. Lions were hunting and we were being shown several tactics they use. The one I remember as if I have just watched it is when a big male went and stood on a hill overlooking a herd of gazelles with the wind behind him. The gazelles smelt the lion then saw him at a distance. Of course they were terrified. But he was not very near. So they all cocked their ears and stopped everything to see his next move. The other lions just came and picked their game easily as they were all stuck to the one they could see and smell.

I believe this is what these materials may end up producing.

Do we know that there are rich men involved in devil worship? The Bible is plain. Otherwise why did Jesus say it is very hard for the rich to inherit eternal life? Why did James appear to speak so roughly about the rich?

We know there are pastors who use witchcraft to perform miracles, who use beer and drugs to ‘perform’ on the pulpit. Must we know them? I don’t think so. We are supposed to know Christ above all. We are supposed to investigate the scriptures like the Bereans of Acts 17.

I brought DVDs about the connection between hip hop and demons (The Truth behind Hip Hop DVDs). Many people credit me with that. But I want to stress that I more or less stumbled on them on a mission to Uganda and felt that the church needs to know that some of the things they are doing and some of the dances and songs they are allowing have demonic links. But if that drove someone from reading and studying the Bible, I would be the first one to repent. That was and still is information. The pastor making them and the materials clearly point to Christ.

The inquisitions were the result of being so fixated on the devil (heresy) that we stopped living the Christian life as we hounded him from one corner to another, a thing he doesn’t mind. In fact he encourages as it leads us to fight him using carnal weapons, eventually turning it around to fight those who are living right as they will not follow us into our exclusive witch hunts. 

I get a lot of information. As a minister I need to know quite a bit. But I know that if the information I am looking for is taking me away from the word of God it is not useful information as it is diverting my attention from knowing and worshipping God. My primary purpose as a minister is knowing God and making Him known. 

Let us not be ensnared by the devil by looking to know what he or his servants are doing.

May we be fixated only by Christ and His word.

For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified (1Corinthians 2:2)

What is your primary pursuit? Are you determined to trash all information that does not lead you to know God?

Blessing, to Taste or to Take

We will look at God’s blessing and its reach. But I especially want us to look at people who were in so close a proximity with it that it could have been theirs yet were unable to access it.

Abraham was blessed. That is what God called him for.

And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 12:3)

Lot, his nephew, was able to taste that blessing. That was the reason he followed him. But I think he did not realize what he was following, or he could not have trashed it when the opportunity arose.

I think Lot followed his uncle because he offered better prospects. He thought Abraham was after a better deal, a greener pasture. No wonder he could not resist the allure of the land he saw.

And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. (Genesis 13:10)

We see the same with Hagar. She thought that she was brought only to provide an heir of all Abraham possessed. No wonder she started despising Sarah when she conceived. That is the reason we see her son trying to harass Isaac. They lost their position but later got the wealth they were after.

But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country. (Genesis 25:6)

The blessing remained with Isaac.

We see the same with Esau whose life revolved around work and wealth. He never sought to know why Isaac was the way he was. He thought accessing and increasing his father’s wealth was all that mattered. That is why a birthright was of no importance to him when faced with hunger pangs as it did not threaten that wealth.

He follows the externals when looking for wives, again overlooking his heritage. He realizes too late the blunder he made and even sought to rectify it in the same way (Genesis 28: 8, 9).

Jacob was different. We do not know much about his industry. But we know his desire for the blessing. He buys his brother off his birthright because it was worth much more than the privilege of the firstborn as far as property was concerned. The blessing in that birthright was worth much more than Esau could imagine because it was a spiritual thing.

Even running away from his wounded and bleeding brother had to be accompanied by a blessing. That is why we see him looking for a valid reason to flee, thus connecting squarely with his father’s heart (Genesis 27: 46). I will get a wife that you approve of (Genesis 28: 1).

The other blessings were gotten craftily but this one was got in a way that must have given joy in Isaac’s heart. Jacob had finally chosen to perpetuate Abraham’s blessing.

We see the same thing when he is faced with his conniving uncle. For Jacob it is blessing at all cost. He hides his effort and craftiness in God so that Laban had no reason to think otherwise of him but someone who was really desirous of God.

When faced by an angel we do not see anything different. He pleads only for the blessing instead of the protection he was in dire need of then.

He faces his brother and we see the same thing. And that is where we see how different they were. Esau is still thinking of wealth (I have more than enough) but Jacob is still looking for his blessing and finally gets it even from his brother.

It is no wonder then that God finally connects with Him and links him and his posterity with the blessing of Abraham.

Do you realize that Gehazi was closer to the prophetic anointing than was Elisha? Why do I say so. Elisha was known only as the one who poured water on Elijah (1 Kings 3:11) whereas Gehazi was closely involved in Elisha’s ministry, even being given assignments and sent on errands. Yet who inherited the prophetic? Elisha. Why? He craved the prophetic inheritance from his master whereas Gehazi pursued gain.

And it is very probable he became very rich as we see him conversing with a king (2Kings 8) but only as a commentator to the prophetic.

Judas was very strategically placed as the treasurer of the King of kings yet lost out when the kingdom came into play.

And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. (Luke 10: 41, 42)

What is a blessing to you? Is it the wealth and material blessings or is it first spiritual favor with the Creator of the universe?

Are you like Lot who left the blessing for the greener pastures because they were more visible?

Are you like Hagar and her son who are fighting even today for the visible instead of the spiritual?

Are you like Esau who is so focused on the here and now instead of the eternal?

Are you in ministry like Martha who is so focused on service that she overlooks fellowship with the one she served?

The sad reality is that in these days most preachers and teachers operate in the Lot and Esau reality of blessing. Someone is blessed when they are overflowing with earthly and earth bound matter. We thus find testimonies that enrich being those that are talking about increase in the material sense; acquisitions, promotions, travel etc. Very little, if any, effort is placed in developing spiritual stature and potency. And very little emphasis is placed in the pursuit of the purely spiritual. Yet

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. (1Corinthians 15:50)

I believe that is the wave the antichrist will ride to prominence. You see focusing on the visible will make one lose contact with the eternal as happened with these we have studied.

A miracle in the flesh will be interpreted as a miracle in the spiritual whereas the spiritual will look beyond the visible to the deeper reality. That is the only way someone will be able to distinguish between Proverbs 22:4 and Luke 4:6. It is the only way healing and miracles from witchcraft can be exposed.

And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. (Revelation 13: 12 – 14)

The essence of the blessed is the differentiation between the blessing and the Blesser. The blessed will always choose the Blesser and reject the blessing when it comes to that as it must one time or the other.

A case in point is Abraham. When given the choice between the promise (Isaac) and God’s order, he leaves no doubt as to his preference. And we see the same with Job.

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. (Job 13:15)

Is that what your pastor preaches or even infers in his preaching? Do we hear testimonies of victory in demotions and sackings? Do we hold victory parties after being dispossessed or disadvantaged because of our faith? Do we gladly endure persecution for our faith? Do we even have that expectation at the back of our minds? Yet what did Christ promise?

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

And that is why we see the disciples holding a victory service after they are released from detention in Acts 4.

And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. (Acts 5:41)

They were content to walk with the Blesser irrespective of the direction the blessing took.

King Saul was the exact opposite. Though he had held the blessing in his hands, he became too preoccupied with it to the extent that he lost contact with its source. When push came to shove he trashed the Blesser to maintain a hold of the blessing, forgetting that the source determined the continuity of the blessing.

We see the same with Balaam who for the reward lost touch with God who had given him the status that made him to be sought far and wide. And it was the same with Judas who was entrusted with the finances of the King of kings grasping after them and losing touch with the King. Compare that with Peter.

Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. (John 6:68)

So much different from the majority of followers

Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. (John 6:26)

That is the distinction I am talking about.

There is nothing inherently wrong with new jobs and promotions and visas and houses and cars. They become the problem when we become fixated on them at the expense of growing our relationship with God. They actually become idols when we define our potency and depth of our relationship with God using them. What do I mean? I know someone is asking.

I am blessed because I got two promotions last week. I am blessed because I got the car of my dreams recently. I am blessed because I bought a house the other day.

You see Abraham was blessed when he obeyed God and left all his security and relationships to go to a land he was to be shown. He was not cursed all the time he had not received the son of promise. Do we realize that the Promised Land was got over six hundred years later? By then even Isaac and Jacob were long dead. Yet they were all walking in the blessing. Job was not under the curse when his faith was being tested. Joseph was not cursed when he was thrown in the pit and prison. In fact he was thrown there because of the blessing he carried. Persecution is many times driven or activated by the blessing we carry.

Could you be feeling unblessed because the ministry God has called you is not as flowery or does not attract as much favor or support as others? Are you getting discouraged because your evangelism does not attract as many decisions or support as other evangelists? Do you wonder why your Christian life has to always attract opposition?

Are you doing what God has called you? Are you faithfully pursuing the call God has placed on you? Are you carefully listening to and following His orders as you live your Christian life? Is your relationship with God consistent with the revelation God has in His word?

Then do not depend on the externals. You are walking in your blessing. The harvest of your righteousness is on its way in the visible. Do not be swayed by the visibility seekers to trash your hope in God. Or have you forgotten that we walk by faith and not by sight? Read Hebrews 11 to get what I mean.

Are those blessings you enjoy inconsistent with a life of holiness? Do you explain away sin as you walk in those blessings? Do you depend on a person (preacher, prophet) to get your word? Do you wonder the difference between sin and moral weakness, sin and character flaws? Are you offended when someone tells you that there is something higher than that blessings you are swimming in? Are you content only in the blessings?

You could be transforming the blessing into a curse. Or it may be a curse you are enjoying.

One aspect of a blessing is in its overflow. If your blessing is constrained to your immediate circles, it is probable that it is not a blessing from above. God’s blessings reflect His nature. Again look at the blessed people in the scriptures to get what I mean. Read Job 31 for a start.

A case in point is Jacob and Laban. Jacob found his uncle with a very small flock, small enough that the shepherd was his youngest daughter. Then enter Jacob, the blessed, and the same flock explodes in size. He is in no doubt that it was Jacob who was instrumental to that increase (Genesis 30: 27 – 30).

But he develops ideas, I think because it was not his blessing; it was Jacob’s overflow getting to him. He starts feeling bad that Jacob’s flock was also increasing, which is what exposed him as poor since in my experience the really rich (blessed) strive to spread their wealth abroad.

The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth. (Psalm 37:21)

He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not. (Proverbs 21:26)

He wants to grasp the whole blessing. He even forgets that Jacob was the source of all that blessing. But that is the description of the poor; they are never content and must grab other people’s blessing.

It is not surprising that Laban disappears from the divine narrative since God had to personally step in the picture to rescue Jacob from him. Again we see someone who was so close to the blessing that he could have possessed it losing it through his desire to hoard all of it to himself.

Envy and jealousy are traits of those who will see the blessing passing them by. A blessing makes the recipient secure, not in the blessing but in its source. That is why the blessed are not stingy, selfish or envious. They are only concerned with God, the source of their blessing.

And that is why they will be content whatever situation they are at like Paul said in Philippians 4: 11, 12. No wonder they could worship in prison, even in shackles after a flogging in Acts 16. They get their security from a healthy relationship with God. You can take all their ‘blessing’ and they will still remain blessed because you have not touched on their relationship with the source like we see with Job.

How do we maintain that relationship?

We first establish it by responding to His call since He is the one who makes the invitation. We can see that from Abraham to the disciples. And we know that He already made the invitation when He died on the cross for our salvation. Romans 10, among many other scriptures, deal with that invitation.

The second is deciding that we will do EVERYTHING He asks us to do exactly as He asks without asking questions. This is because we realize that He is God and we can trust Him since He knows better than our finite minds. And He loves us better than we can ever imagine.

The best way to do that is to immerse ourselves in His revelation. We are to make His revelation the primary pursuit of our life as we see with the blessed of the past. We are to forget even the blessing for our pursuit of God, the source of that blessing. Whether the blessing comes or not should be none of our concerns because God ALONE is sufficient.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)

We will then be able to rest in Him.

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)

That revelation is His word, the Bible that we are to immerse ourselves to its study as it is the only source of untainted revelation from God, the source of all true and valid blessings.

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. (Joshua 1:8)

Do not give others the right to read and understand for you. God expects us to devote ourselves to read, study and meditate on His word for our lives to be aligned to His blessing.

Why is the Bible so important for a blessed life?

And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live. (Deuteronomy 8:3)

There is no shortcut or alternative for it. We must dedicate our best effort on it.

(That is the reason we help people to read the Bible through providing reading plans.

It first demystifies the Bible and makes us realize that we can read it for ourselves as opposed to allowing others to read it for us. It also gives us a manageable plan to be able to read it in one year, even yearly for consistent spiritual nurture.

For those who would require one you can get it on this blog. I could also e-mail you if you so desire. You can get a hard copy if you are in Nairobi, Kenya.

Check our FB page (The Bible Club House) for an interactive forum of people using the plans.)