1 Corinthians 2:9-12 J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)
9-10a But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him’. But God has, through the Spirit, let us share his secret.
10b-12 For nothing is hidden from the Spirit, not even the deep wisdom of God. For who could really understand a man’s inmost thoughts except the spirit of the man himself? How much less could anyone understand the thoughts of God except the very Spirit of God? And the marvellous thing is this, that we now receive not the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God himself, so that we can actually understand something of God’s generosity towards us.
God always generously moves in the life of His children, born-again sons and daughters to prepare us for what He had prepared for us and our complete obedience (yieldedness to the Holy Spirit) is required for us to be truly prepared by God for what He had prepared for us.
God is a Faithful Father. He is a loving and a Good God. He wants the best for us and prepares us the best so we can be ready for the future He desires for us. God however does not impose His plans and purposes on His sons and daughters rather He gives us the opportunity in our maturity of understanding of Him and by the allowance of the self-will He gave us to respond to Him willingly, with obedience and with love.
To the extent we decide to be obedient to God…to that extent can we enjoy God. To the extent that we genuinely love and have a revelation of who He is to us to the same extent can we truly obey His commandments.
1 John 5:2-5 J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)
2-5 The test of the genuineness of our love for God’s family lies in this question—do we love God himself and do we obey his commands? For loving God means obeying his commands, and these commands of his are not burdensome, for God’s “heredity” within us will always conquer the world outside us. In fact, this faith of ours is the only way in which the world has been conquered. For who could ever be said to conquer the world, in the true sense, except the man who really believes that Jesus is God’s Son?
Our obedient response as a demonstration of our genuine love for God is also a confirmation that we are from God and for God. The affirmation of our Divine heritage activated by being born-again through Christ Jesus and the revelation and manifestation of our Divine heredity is an empowerment from God to be a conqueror in this world.
The obedience to the commandments of God are for us a Divine advantage. The perfect obedience of the word of God brings us into an extraordinary advantage. If we would respond to the will and purpose of God we would enter into a Divine arrangement to prosper us beyond our biggest imagination.
I want us to have a look at such a Divine arrangement that brought a man into a Divine superabundance and how his partial obedience almost cost him a loss of what God had prepared for him to have and enjoy.
Luke 5:1-3 King James Version (KJV)
And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,
2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.
Afterwards Jesus gave very clear instructions to Simon and let’s see how well he responded to those instructions:
Luke 5: 4-5 King James Version (KJV)
4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
What were the instructions:
– Launch out into the deep
– Let down your nets
And what was Simon’s response:
– *We have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing*.
Which was to mean that;
1. They had done everything humanly possible as master-fishermen.
2. That what Jesus was suggesting that they do is probably going to end up as wasted effort.
– *Nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net*.
Which was to say that;
That I Simon know very well what I know, but I will out of respect for You (Jesus) do what you have asked. If peradventure there is any fish to surface at all a single net would do the trick. Let’s not raise our expectations to high Sir. Letting down many nets and catching few fish would be an embarrassment to me and probably to You too Jesus.
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How many times have we in our bid to avoid embarrassment or to save face outrightly refused to obey Divine instructions or partially obeyed (remaining within the scope of our personal comfort)?
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Jesus had a Divine arrangement to bless Simon but the actualisation of that Divine plan was connected to Simon’s extent of obedience and yieldedness.
God looks for opportunities to bless us and it is to our greatest benefit if we would yield fully and not allow our limited human understanding stand in the way of the workings of Divine wisdom of the Ancient of days.
Luke 5: 6-8 KJV
6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.
7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
So we can say Simon and his crew lauched out into deep…and we read that he had done as he said he would do, not what Jesus asked him to do with regards letting down nets.
So, after Simon let down the net, fishes (different types, shapes and sizes of fishes) were caught in the net in such a large quantity that the net begin to break or tear. He realized the lack of capacity he had and called out for additional human help…the additional human help also reached it’s limit as it is written that the 2 boats began to sink.
For the sake of delivering this message to as many as God wills I will share the 3 understanding of this event that I Divinely recieved:
1. Jesus was preparing Simon for what He had prepared for him by instructing him to let down his nets. Simon let down a net. This partial obedience meant that Simon was not ready enough and so lacked the capacity to recieve what was his from the Lord. What was meant to be a great blessing for Simon could have become a great loss if not for the help of the other boat.
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Are there things that God meant for us to have and to own but has brought other people’s involvement because of full disobedience or partial obedience?
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2. The other way we could view this scenario is that Jesus knowing fully the heart of men as he knows my heart and yours. Permitted such a mighty blessing beyond a Single net’s capacity to give Simon the revelation that would set him on the course of his Divine destiny. This was surely a great and significant event in the life of Simon and when he would gone astray in the future after Jesus was crucified. At the resurrection of Jesus when He went about revealing Himself to His disciples, in the reveal to Simon Peter a similar scenery was played out again:
John 21:4-12 King James Version (KJV)
4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.
6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.
8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.
9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.
10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.
11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.
12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
3. Remember that there were 2 boats on the shore and Jesus chose Simon’s. However the blessing that would come to the 2nd boat was from the blessing that is to come upon Simon’s boat the chosen boat. The sharing of the blessing by the 2nd boat is in the overflow of the first boat.
When God blesses us His children He does it in a way that it runs-over…so that others can enjoy of it. God blesses us to become a blessing unto many.
Luke 6:38 King James Version (KJV)
38a Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom…
Psalm 23:5
King James Version (KJV)
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Let us pray;
Father Lord God I am decided to yield in obedience to all your instructions with full obedience. Lord thank you for preparing me as You do for all that you have prepared for me. Thank you Lord for blessing me to be a blessing. You anoint my head with oil and my cup overflows. In the Mighty Name of Jesus I pray. Amen!
Salvation Hour:
Are You Genuinely Saved?
It is very true that…there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved [for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation].”
ACTS 4:12 AMP
Salvation through Christ Jesus is free but you must make the decision to receive it.
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 NLT
…If you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation.
ROMANS 10:9-10 AMP
Now pray this prayer meaningfully if you are willing: “Lord Jesus, for too long I’ve kept You out of my life. I know that I am a sinner and that I cannot save myself. No longer will I close the door when I hear You knocking. By faith I gratefully receive Your gift of salvation. I am ready to trust You as my Lord and Savior. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for coming to earth. I believe You are the Son of God who died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead on the third day. Thank You for bearing my sins and giving me the gift of eternal life. I believe Your words are true. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus, and be my Saviour. Amen”.
Congratulations if you’ve just said that prayer and I joyously welcome you to the higher life in Christ Jesus. You are now on the path of your divine destiny and your God given dreams are very possible.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
(2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV)
If you do not have a bible believing Church that you know God brought you into, and that you are faithfully attending then please join us today at http://www.lifeoasisinternationalchurch.org
Do well to complete the first-timers form on the pop-up screen and an ordained minister will get in touch with you ASAP.
There is so much more about life for a child of God, there is so much more that the Spirit of God will yet reveal to you.
Glory be to God!
The Message Bearer
Mr. Ayodeji Bella
corneliusbella 
Thank you
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