Receive Strength 3

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

The very many and very dry bones in the valley speaks of despair and hopelessness experienced by the children of Israel. But when God instructed the prophet Ezekiel to prophesy and breathe His life, power and strength into the very many dry bones in the valley- valley representing the nadir of hopelessness and dry bones representing in the valley representing utter despair and hopelessness; yet these same bones became a mighty army that rose out of the valley.

You also can become a mighty army if only you take on the strength of the Lord offered freely to you today by the Holy Spirit.

The Bible records that Judas and Silas (prophets in the early Church who were sent to the Church in Antioch) exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words. This implies that they spoke words which kindled hope and life and comfort and divine direction to the brethren. Like the prophet Isaiah, these New Testament also had the tongue of the learned (Isaiah Chapter 50 verses 4 to 5) and therefore spoke to the people in words and possibly tones taught by the Holy Spirit. Please read Malachi Chapter 2 verse 7. That probably explains why the brethren were strengthened.   Their words, definitely prophetic  brought edification, exhortation and comfort to the brethren as instructed by Scriptures in 1^st Corinthians Chapter 14 verses 3 to 5, 12, 19, 26; 2^nd Corinthians Chapter 13 verse 10, Ephesians Chapter 4 verses 11 to 16, 1^st Timothy 1 verse 3 and 1^st Thessalonians Chapter 5 verse 11. Words which inspire faith and also strengthen faith in keeping with the injunction of Scriptures to edify rather than condemn are words which bring strength to people. Please read Romans Chapter 10 verse 15, 14 verse 19, 15 verses 1 to 2,  Isaiah Chapters 52 verses 7 to 9, 61 verses 1 to 4, Luke Chapter 4 verses 17 to 19, Ephesians Chapter 4 verses 29 to 32, Colossians Chapter 4 verse 6.

Receive Strength 2

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

In Acts Chapter 3 verses 1 to 9, and 16,  note verse 7, the Bible records that the feet and ankle bones of the lame man received strength and the man who had never walked from birth leaped up, stood and walked and entered the temple with Peter and John, walking, leaping and praising God.

Beloved, God is awesome. This man was daily laid at the gate of the temple called Beautiful to ask for alms. So close to the temple yet he had never been inside of the temple. Daily, he saw people go into the temple to transact real business with God, worship God, ask God for forgiveness, cleansing, healing, deliverance, provision, promotion, wealth, favor, children, peace in their personal, family, community and national lives; academic excellence and prowess, military prowess and success, you name it; yet he had never seen the inside of the temple. He had never come close to transacting business with God yet God was so near, was with him, sitting by and with him all the time, waiting for him to transact quality business, real business with God but Mr. Lame from birth knew and understood only one business; unfortunately the business which did not move him from point A to B; but kept him stuck in a spot where he daily lived on and at the mercy of those whose hearts responded to his daily pleas for alms.

He lived for and on the mercy and compassion of people – without alms; he could probably never survive simply because there was no strength in his feet and ankle bones. His entire life was subject to the mercy and compassion of humans and knowing that humans are sometimes subject to fickle mindedness and vindictiveness, the man’s daily bread was not always guaranteed. So his mental processes were always fixated on alms; let someone bless me with, please forgive my choice of words – peanuts to go through today. That is just all that I need today. After all, I will be back here tomorrow and someone will give me what I need tomorrow.

Pathetic and tragic is the fact that his mental processes could not rise beyond asking for alms on a daily basis to survive each day. But all that came to an abrupt end when God through Jesus Christ working through the Holy Spirit in the Apostle Peter intervened in the situation.