Romans 9:19-20: “Thou wilt say then unto me, why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 20: Nay, but O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus?”
God’s power is a two-edged sword, cutting in either sides depending on the purpose and plan of God. He is a merciful God, but at the same time a consuming fire. God is the creator of the heaven and earth and everything therein including human beings. He made human beings in His own image and likeness. As the creator and owner of everything, He rightly demands total obedience and undivided service from His creatures. In all standards, He hates any form of challenge of His power and disobedience to His instructions. God is highly principled and strict in His relationship with His creatures, especially man. His standard is that whosoever renders unalloyed service will be highly blessed; on the contrary one who risks his life and challenges the creator will be damned sooner or later. There are no two ways about it.
The historic Christian book called the Holy Bible is awash with records of God’s glory; His blessings, service and destruction based on foolish resistance and disobedient to His word.
In reference to the people who resisted and challenged His power, Pharaoh, the ancient king of Egypt readily comes to mind. It will be recalled that the Israelites, the people of God, and the apple of God’s eyes went down to Egypt in search of food. Their brother, Joseph, was highly placed in Egypt as the governor, they were honoured and respected until the Pharaoh who did not know Joseph mounted the throne. They became slaves and used for forced free-labour. They cried to God and when God heard their prayers, He came to deliver them, using Moses and Aaron, but Pharaoh resisted God’s power saying in Exodus 9:19-20: “And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, thus saith the Lord God of Israel, let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. 2: And Pharaoh said, who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go. 3: And they said, the God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword. 4: And the King of Egypt said unto them, wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? Get you unto your burdens. 5: And Pharaoh said, behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens. 6: And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, 7: Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.”
For a human being that God created to say he does not know the Lord God and will not obey His words, has openly drawn a battle line with the Lord. So, God unleashed His anger on the Egyptians, visiting them by turning their water into blood. There was no water for them to drink, cook with or even bathe. He attacked them using lies, frogs and even locusts that ate up every green leaf in their farmlands. There were a total of 10 plaques culminating in the killing of every firstborn son in Egypt. With this, Pharaoh was forced torelease the Israelites to Egypt.
Pharaoh later changed his mind and pursued the Israelites, but he and his soldiers were drowned in the Red Sea. The Bible reports in Exodus 14:22-27 says: “And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. 23: And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24: And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians. 25: And took off their chariot wheels, that they drove them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lordfighteth for them against the Egyptians. 26: And the Lord said unto Moses, stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. 27: And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.”
Herod Agripa, historically known as Herod, the Great, was troubled at the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. For the fact that he wanted the next king to come from his family, when he heard that the messiah was born, but not from his family, he planned to thwart God’s plan. In attempt to kill the child, Jesus Christ, he (Herod) killed all children from two years down to a day old. He persecuted the disciples of Jesus Christ in many ways, but could not stop God’s plan. In his pride, worms ate him up, while still alive.
According to Acts 12:13, which says: “And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. 22: And the people gave a shout, saying, it is the voice of a god, and not of a man. 23: And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. 24: But the word of God grew and multiplied.” That was his mysterious end and that of his wicked acts.
In the Mede Persian Kingdom where the Israelites were carried to as hostages of war, a Jew named Mordecai was serving in the King’s Palace. It is not the tradition of the Jews to bow to man. They only bow to God their creator. There was a highly placed king’s official called Haman. Whenever Haman entered the palace the security men at the gate would bow to him, but Mordecai would not. Haman hated Mordecai for not doing this.
The hatred of one man made Haman to abhor the entire Jews in the kingdom to the extent that he planned to wipe out the entire ethnic group. The Jews, the Israelites, are people of God and whosoever touches them has troubled the apple of God’s eyes. The table, however, turned against Haman and he was eventually hanged in the gallows he dug to hang Mordecai
In your wildest imagination never challenge or resist God’s power rather serve Him, worship and adore Him and you will experience the blessings of God. The Bible is awash with examples of people who God has blessed greatly, as result of their loyalty to him. Abraham served God and he was blessed in all things as recorded in Genesis 24:1: “And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.”
Job feared and respected God. The Bible introduced him as the richest man in the east. The devil attacked him and he lost everything including seven children in one day. He later became sick with boils all over his body,but he maintained that he would see the Lord even if his body were full of sores. With God’s intervention allhe hadlost were restored to the extent thatthe wealth of his later days was greater than what he had earlier. This is God for you. Nobody has served God in honest and sincerity of purpose and remained the same. Therefore, give your life to the service of our Lord Jesus Christ, evangelise the world, honour and fear God at all times and He will bless you and your life will never remain the same. There will always be remarkable changes in your life and at the end of life on earth, you will meet and reignwith our Lord Jesus Christ forever.
Testimony Of The Lord’s Doing
Wow! After 18 Years Of Barrenness, God Gave Couple Six Children
Psalm 126v1-2 says: “When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.” 2: Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing…”
God of Chosen, the wonder working God, who specialises in the impossibilities, waded into the case of Brother Augustine and Sister Veronica’s marriage. For 18 years, the couple had no child. They cried, wailed, fasted, prayed, visited several places, including different hospitals, among others, yet all efforts proved abortive until God remembered them and turned their captivity around for good.
Brother Augustine, who testified alongside his wife, Sister Veronica, and the six children, worship at Ilufe branch of the church. Recounting how it all started in 2019, Brother Augustine noted that God visited their marriage with a bouncing baby girl after 18 years of barrenness.
“While the barrenness lasted, it was not a palatable experience. We came to service here one day, and after service that fateful day, l went to the car park and was about to go when one of the Pastors at Isashi, then, came to me and said, ‘brother, you have prayed, fasted and done everything needed, but one thing remained…’ I asked him what was it? He said there was a crusade coming up at Isashi, that he wanted me to take charge and sponsor the construction of the pulpit where God’s servant would stand and minister. I was happy when I heard that. The next morning he called and communicated the cost of the pulpit and l transferred the money through my wife. As soon as the money was transferred, the Pastor went into fervent prayers for the family that sponsored the pulpit. That fateful evening, my wife went to the crusade ground to see how things were going and coincidentally, our General Overseer was there.
“The Branch Pastor told the General Overseer that the pulpit was sponsored by a particular family and the General Overseer asked whether the family was around, quickly the Pastor called my wife and our General Overseer pointed his finger on her fore-head, prayed and cancelled the yoke of barrenness. After that encounter and crusade, my wife took in and gave birth to my first son — Dominion, praise the Lord!”
He continued: “Then the second pregnancy was my little girl — Joy, then our third pregnancy was twin boys (Destiny and Divine).
We are here, again, to testify that the good Lord has done it again by blessing my marriage with another set of twins (Promise and Success). The God of Chosen is very great, praise the Lord!
“We are here today to return all the glory, honour, adoration and exaltation to Him and to say, Lord, it is enough, thank you for the glorious things you have done. I pray for the General Overseer that he will finish well, heaven and earth will rejoice on his behalf. The world will give thanks to God because of him…Amen!” Brother Augustine added.
