Time and season are not equal. Time and season are not the same. Each time and season are unique. Nothing stays forever. Only God is the same all the time. Hebrews 13:8 says: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today and forever.” The year is ending; your dreams may not have come to fruition, but the Lord wants you to know that no matter how bad it seems or look – never give up! Others may, but don’t.

The man ‘Mephobosheth’ stands out as: exterminator of shame that is of idols; remover of that which brings dishonour. I pray for you today that God will raise you as one who will take away reproach in your family and generation in Jesus’ name.

Shame can come in form of sickness, limitation, frustration, being abandoned, protracted pain, rejection, poverty; marital crises or children disappointment. But hear this! No matter the shame; no matter the reason for the shame, the power of God is taking it away in Jesus Christ’s name.

The Life Of Mephibosheth — Born Into Greatness Is Not Enough (2 Samuel 4:4)

Mephibosheth, the son of Prince Jonathan, was the grandson of King Saul. The possible future king of Israel. At his fifth birthday, everything changed. Not by what he did or could control, but by something that was never his fault or within his control. I pray for you now: whatever that is waiting for you at a particular time in life, to frustrate your destiny to be uprooted in Jesus’ name.

At his fifth year, his father and his grandfather that represents his hope, his future, his life both died on the same day, at the same place and time on Mount Gilboa.

Any location, junction in this month where the devil is waiting to rob you, and waste your hope, your future, your peace, your joy may the Lord arise and go ahead of you— down to the locations, every evil waiting for you at any place be shattered by fire.

The Power Of Evil News (2 SAM. 4:4)

The Bible says that the righteous will not fear bad news (Psalm 112:6-7).

How to handle evil news (Psalm 27:1-14).
• Nobody is immune from bad news.
• Accept the news, do not resist it.
• Do not try to avoid hearing it, allow your brain to digest it, process it.
• Do not try to avoid everything or anything that reminds you of the news, it is dangerous.
• Do not let the news weigh you down.
• You cannot stop or control what happens to you, but sure you can control what happens in you.
• Accept it as a passing phase. Don’t try to gain sympathy.
The news of the death of Saul and Jonathan the grandfather and father of Mephibosheth made the nurse taking care of Mephibosheth to be careless; the child fell and his future crashed. As a parent think of this: Has your child fallen and become crippled? The power of God is not crippled; He can set the child free and bring restoration.

How To Handle Life Mistake
Always know that anybody can make mistake. Do you agree?
A well-organised mind amid stressful disorganised, overloaded schedule, lack of fund or circumstances can make a mistake. Whenever you make a mistake do this:
• Figure why you made the mistake – never you excuse your mistake or transfer the blame.
• Try to track the pattern – never be too hard on yourself.
• Always prepare your mind, and self before any task.
• Take your time to do every and anything, avoid rush.
• Take time to double check – always look back to know how good you are progressing.
• Avoid multi-tasking yourself unnecessarily.
• Do not allow your environment to determine your reaction, be in charge always.

Crippled By Another Man’s Mistake
There are several ways people are crippled today.
Mentally, Spiritually, Academically, Financially, Physically, Socially, Maritally. Every power from your past, present or future on the mission to cripple you, may they catch fire in Jesus name. This cripple situation did not allow this young Gem live life to its maximum potential and calling.
Are you living below your potential – resurrection is on the way.
I declare may you come alive!

How To Bounce Back From Fall Back And Failure
• Believe you can make it.
• Do not see yourself as a failure – that you failed does not make you a failure.
• Speak to yourself the same way, you would have spoken to another friend in that condition.
• Be open to assistance
• See failure as a path to success.
• Remember that the failure is temporary.
• Take time to care for your soul, health and spirit.
• Always remember that the Lord said: “I will be with you,” (Gen. 46:4, 26:3, 31:3, 1kings 11:38, Ex. 3:12, 2Corinth. 13:11, Psalm 91:15, Ex. 4:12,15).
• Beloved in Christ, you are not alone.
• Maintain your service and relationship with God – Psalm 91:1
• Accept everything with joy – see good in every situation

Dealing With The Spirit Of Ziba (2 Samuel 16:1-4, 2 Samuel 19:24-30)
At the death of King Saul and Prince Jonathan, a servant called Ziba became the caretaker of Saul’s estate; but he did what every other selfish man will do:
• Ziba used the treasure of the house of Saul to gain relevance as against his master.
• Ziba lied against the master, to make people to prefer him to his master.
• Ziba took advantage of the weakness of the master.

Again Who Was Ziba? (2Samuel 9:1-13)

He was crafty, cunning and pretended to be loyal, but was dangerous. Any man using your weakness to rob you; will soon be exposed. Ziba was only known as ‘a servant of the house of Saul.’ Everyone misrepresenting you before your helpers, May God expose them in Jesus’ name!

Ziba was like a ferry boat (2 Sam. 19:17). There are a lot of servants who do not represent their masters, but themselves. They only represent their selfishness, their ego, their stomach, their deception; all they do is to betray and gain relevance, but the Lord will expose them. In your restoration, be careful. It is tougher up than it is down. He that is fallen fears no fall. When you are up, it requires high level of carefulness, be meticulous, be mindful, be watchful, be purposeful because you are ‘seen as full.’

In Life Good Name Is Not Enough (2 Samuel 4:4)
The name Judas – means – the praised one, but you know the story.
Iscariot – Man of city or federation (Man of Kerioth) – The praised man of Kerioth.
Michal – Who is like God? She would have produced the heir to the throne of Israel, but was childless (2 Sam. 6:23) for speaking against David.
Jezebel – means chaste, but made her name to be synonymous to craftiness, maliciousness, revengeful, cruel, seductiveness, instigation of evil and persecution, among others.

You must live a good life to have a good name. One day David, the King, remembered the house of Saul for good because of Jonathan. I pray that the good seeds of yesterday will speak for you today and your generation to come. Whatever we do today has a way to come back to us in future. Therefore, never play with your relationship with God in the place of prayer, neglecting it have left many wounded.

Debt List

Romans 13:8-14 Reads: “Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9: For this, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10: Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. 11: And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12: The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13: Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14: But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Man by nature is created for responsibility. He takes care of things; He is among everything a caregiver and a keeper of things. This is a time for stock taking; the year is far gone: how true were you to your promises and vows; how true were you to your responsibilities in the office and at home; how true were your services to God and humanity; how selfless did you relate with those above and beneath you?

In Genesis 2:8; 15: (And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; and the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates. And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.”

The Man by creation is supposed to come to a place that is good and make it better; come to a place that is better and bring out the best out of it; come to a place that is bad and make it good. His calling is a calling to fruitfulness, multiplication, replenishment, dominion, subduing – means being in charge.

God is calling upon the man to be in charge of every situation. When man fails in fulfilling that responsibility towards nature, he becomes a debtor. Man is like the mountain of the Lord’s house, ordained in Isaiah 2:2ff to be above every other. All nations are supposed to come to it. People are supposed to know God through him.

God’s word is supposed to be learnt through him. He is to judge among nations. A judge is a man that keeps and maintain peace and equity. Make others realise their error. He is to rebuke people, through him people should change their weapon of war – beat their swords into agricultural tool. (See Isaiah 2:4). When man is not doing this, he is owing God and nature.

Ask yourself: “How many persons are my owing?” How long is my indebted list (credit list)? How many persons have me in their debt list? Today, you can begin to erase your name from those list.

Hear The Word Of God
Romans 13:8: “Owe no man anything, but to love one another.” Loving others fulfills the Law. Your duty is to play your own role as expected (Read verse 7). Whatever you are expected to do for anybody, do it. This is love.

If you love your neighbour, you will not hurt him/her. You will work no ill to him/her.
Working ill to one’s neighbour means: destroying your neighbour; plotting evil against your neighbour; making your neighbour emotionally and psychologically sick.

Everything We Do Have Consequence
• Prov. 6:16-19 – God hates false witness; it is abomination to Him.
• Prov. 19:59 (God will punish false witnesses).
• A false witness belongs to the family of the devil – John 8:44.
• It is a great evil – Deut. 19:15-21..
• Consequences of evil: Matt. 24:36-44, Rev. 21:8.

Conclusion: Are you guilty? Repent and be coveted; 1Jn. 2:4, 1Jn. 4:1.

• The Ven. Stephen Wolemonwu, Rector, The Ibru International Ecumenical Centre Agbarha-Otor