Hearing From God – Beware of “Prophet Zedekiah”
- “Now Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage.
2 Some years later he went down to see Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him and urged him to attack Ramoth Gilead. 3 Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?”
Jehoshaphat replied, “I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will join you in the war.” 4 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First seek the counsel of the Lord.”
5 So the king of Israel brought together the prophets—four hundred men—and asked them, “Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I not?”
“Go,” they answered, “for God will give it into the king’s hand.”
6 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?”
7 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”
“The king should not say such a thing,” Jehoshaphat replied.
8 So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”
9 Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them.
10 Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns, and he declared, “This is what the Lord says: ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.’”
11 All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. “Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious,” they said, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”
12 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.”
13 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what my God says.”
14 When he arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I not?”
“Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for they will be given into your hand.”
15 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
16 Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’”
17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?”
18 Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing on his right and on his left.
19 And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’
“One suggested this, and another that. 20 Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’
“‘By what means?’ the Lord asked.
21 “‘I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said.
“‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’
22 “So now the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you.”
23 Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. “Which way did the spirit from the Lord go when he went from me to speak to you?” he asked.
24 Micaiah replied, “You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room.”
25 The king of Israel then ordered, “Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king’s son,
26 and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.’”
27 Micaiah declared, “If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Mark my words, all you people!” 2 Chron.18:1-27 (GNB)
You have the right as a child of God to hear from God and to say so. There are many people who might think they have the prerogatives over other believers to hear God. God has the right to speak to any person he wishes to; denying God this right and denying other believers this privilege is out of place and a negation which has grievous consequences
“Prophet Zedekiah” will have none of that and can go all length to insist on his superiority. Beware of “prophet Zedekiahs” of this age.
This article is also published in http://www.gracefulvoice.com
How Can I Reach People With The Good News? – Be Part of This
There are many unheard testimonies and victory songs that can bless many people all over the world. There are many gospel work that are unknown, unappreciated and unsupported. You can share them through this space to many people all over the world.
Your story might be the “arm of the Lord” stretched out to reach someone out there; your article or song can bless millions of people now and in years to come. You can contact me with the materials (it will be edited – if need be; but I strongly encourage you to edit your work properly). Obsence, hate, attacks and such things are not allowed.
Good articles, testimonies, studies etc, may be published in a newsletter with due acknowledgement. (The purpose is to connect with people in fellowship and probably in partnership). You can contact me through this email:gracefulvoiceinc@gmail.com
We shall not be liable for any write up and we might not publish all articles. Adverts (banners and text) might attract a small fee)
Be part of this and give your work a push. We need only free articles only at the moment.
Grace be upon you.
Beginning with God
I want to sincerely appreciate everyone who follows my blogs and all those who visited. You are amazing and your company has added value to me. Thank you so much; I wish you a happy New Year. May the favour of The Lord be your portion this year.
I believe that the year 2014 has many things in stock for many people and the best thing to do is to let God go with you in your journey through the year. In Psalm 24:1-2, the scripture states that the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world and the people that live in it. That is to say, God is in charge. It is wisdom to begin the year with him. He knows the end from the beginning and he is willing to help all those who wants him to. (See Jer.33:3). Let God help you.
Take some time off your busy schedule to pray and connect with God. You will be glad you did.
Build up your faith through the study of the word of God. Your faith really depends on what you know about God.
Build a healthy relationship with God this year. Do you know him in a personal way? That matters a lot. It is not what you do for God but who you are with him that matters most.
Determine to put your faith to action. If you act on God’s leading, you will enjoy big breakthrough in many things.
Do your business with diligence. Give people value for their money; be fair at all times.
Stay away from evil.
Be in fellowship. Take time to praise and worship God. Doing it with other Christians is greatly encouraged.
God bless you, see you soon.
Nelson Mandela’s South Africa
South Africa in recent times has become the focus of the whole world with the recent illness of Dr. Nelson Mandela, one time President of South Africa. It is great that Mandela has lived long to see South Africa as a free country for all South Africans. The question now is what does Mandela means to South Africa and Africans and indeed the world.
I think that the legacy of this great leader lies in vision, sacrifice, determination for the good of all South Africans and a large heart to aspire for the good of all in a world where self-centredness, manipulation and corruption is flattered . Mandela will not live in the flesh forever, though this may be hard for his loved ones to bear, but his ideals can.
For Mandela it had been a rough ride for many years but it had all come to this; honour! There will be many things that will be said about this great leader; it will be foolish to assume that everyone will say good things about him but the tribute of the lives impressed by his actions cannot be wished away. The inspiration that comes out of his life is there for anyone to pick up and run with.
So what next? Will Mandela’s South Africa live on? Will South Africans enjoy true life of vision, sacrifice and freedom for all? South Africans will answer not in word but action.
The Cost of Running Small Businesses Online
This is a simple diagram known as a Business Object Model. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Online business has come to stay and will only get better. It is not a hidden enterprise anymore; many governments are catching up with this “gold mine”. Many big companies are realising that the online business model can no longer be ignored or despised. Many of them actually have eBay stores.
It is however unfortunate that many people who are starting up their business with online business model are still having negative complexes. I have read extensive articles that put smear on online businesses; according to the writers the process is slow and profits are far in between. There are family members and friends who keep wondering why you have chosen to do business especially online instead of getting a job and working for someone else. Well, if you are acquainted with business ventures, you must have been aware that no business is a walk-over when you are starting out. It is only in a dream that success takes place before work; and it is only bogus business-promoters that tell you that you don’t have to do anything but sit in an easy-chair on a beach, with your car packed on top of the sea waves – if you believe that then, frustration will soon become your sleeping partner.
Online business may cost less in setting up but it is actually all involving in managing, promotion and sustenance. It takes time and money to promote your online website and if you use other people’s platform, you pay listing fee and a sales-percentage after your item is sold; and it can sum to something substantial. All these are still relatively small when compared with offline stores; besides your reach is wider and your audience unlimited. The cost of running online business model comes in bits, so it is less burdensome. You can equally shop around to use cost effective ways of doing your business.
Using the outsourcing services can be of big help. There are a lot to do in setting up online business; these include building websites and hosting it, advertisement, e-commerce, record-keeping among others. Initially you may not bother with most of the things you need to do but you must note that if you really want to keep your business and grow it, you will need to think and work on the essential things. You may find the book “How much is your business worth?” helpful. You can also find Elance, an outsourcing site useful. Elance is safe and you are in charge of who to hire to do your job. You don’t have to retain the experts; they are there when you need them.
When promoting your business you need to be very careful about who does it for you. I had experiences with companies that promised so much but delivered very little. Most of the people who speak for them are sales persons who knew little about what they are selling. It is important to make notes of your discussions with them so that you can refer to it if there is any need to. Most of the time, you may be required to agree to a 6 months contract; be careful about this.
Pay per click is a good way to promote your business however, make sure you have great products that can bring return on investment (ROI), if you don’t, you will lose money for nothing – most of them are faster than you think. Many people who click are not interested in buying anything; they belong to “get paid to click” groups and get a percentage of the cut. In other words they are induced to click for reward. Google Adwords is notable pay-per-click venture. Their exposure and integrity are much better and you are not tied to any rubbish that you can’t get away from. You must take time to understand how it works else, your campaign can be stopped and your site banned.
You need patience and doggedness to succeed in business whether offline or online. Be confident of yourself and be proud of what you are doing. Work hard and you will reap a good profit sooner or later.
This article is also published in http://www.funfreelancewriting.com
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- Why PPC For Small Business Is A Preferred Model (smallbusinessmavericks.com)
- Guidelines To Starting An Online Business-The Fundamentals (blogpronews.wordpress.com)
- Online Business Idea: Online English Tutoring (noobpreneur.com)
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It’s A New Day – Step Up!
For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. Songs 2:11-13. (KJV)
The season is telling the story of changing times – The Winter is going – The Spring is almost here. IT IS A NEW DAY!
The end of the quote says “Come away”.
Your season of affliction, uncertainty, confinement, limitation, depression, sickness, worries, fear, stress, dryness and what have you, is ending. It is a new day!
The quote says “Arise”. Make up your mind to arise.
Believe in God; believe his word; believe in “yourself”; arise. You may need to change what you think and the confession of your mouth. Don’t wait for stock market forecast to change, don’t wait until the News change from it negative stance, don’t wait for politicians to stop fighting each other, stop waiting for approval from men; step out in faith. Tell yourself “I can make it” and mean it.
You owe yourself a duty to try to change whatever challenges you’re faced with. A least convince yourself that you tried. The only regret there is for those who refused to try.
You have a purpose on earth. You might need to try something new – what we are fashioned out for is rarely outside of us. Most times people fail because they have not looked inward; most people are desirous to be someone else; to be what other people desire. I dare you to arise and trust God. “Take your new beginning and put a smile on God’s face.”
Related articles
- For our vines have tender grapes… (dobianchi.com)
- For the coldest day of the year thus far… (johnriner.org)
- Notes on Mark 11:22- Boyace Van Harlan Jr., PhD (imageinme.wordpress.com)
Jobs: – Get to work in a couple of hours!
You can start working in a couple of hours – true.
I am putting my integrity on the line to do give you this information but I really don’t mind for as long as someone is helped by this action.
You are just about 2 -3 clicks from finding jobs to do if you are really keen on working.
Click here to get started.
You are going this far because that is the only way I can get you to where you need to be.
It is up to you now. The sky could be your limit.
YOU DON’T NEED TO PAY ME FOR THIS.
Related articles
- 25 Common Job Interview Questions Asked (christianpf.com)
- More wives bring home more of the bacon (lifeinc.today.msnbc.msn.com)
- What is the process of accepting a job offer? (career-advice.monster.co.uk)
How you can get to your next level !
We all can advance to the next level. Whatever you have achieved in life, there is always a next level; it could be doing the exercises that you have put off, it could be reading that book you have left halfway, it could be reading your email messages or cutting down the time spent on Facebook instead of studying for your exams. It could be doing what you preach or avoiding the pitfall you are prone to and many more other things.
“How you can get to your next level !” is not about competing with anybody; it is about doing what you know is the right thing to do but which you, for one reason or the other, have failed to do. These things are capable of making a lot of difference in your health, relationships, family, job, business, community and the world at large. You need to exert upon yourself, task yourself, and take the pain to take action on the things you know.
It is applying the principles you know that produce results and bring rewards. Don’t live out your life without daring to act on the things you know. Don’t be afraid to fail. Failure has paralysed a lot of people; the false idea about perfection has limited many people from doing the things they ought to do.
“A little more effort can make a lot of difference in your quest for success.” Don’t give up, don’t quit trying no matter the challenges you are facing. Success is around the corner.
Quote: – Students’ Calendar, Students’ Union; Federal School of Surveying Oyo. 1989/90
How are you Egypt?
The world has recently witnessed uninhabited demonstrations, brutal destruction of lives and properties and over throw of leadership in Egypt, Libya and Algeria; there are still uprising in Egypt and I feel like asking how Egypt is fairing.
I don’t think that the problem in Egypt is about who rules Egypt as much as “how does the Egyptians want to be governed?”
Anyone that wants to see the progress of the people in these troubled parts of the world particularly in Africa must look beyond the surface. People who come to leadership other than through a legitimate democratic means will not want to relinquish power through a peaceful means.
People who pose as mind readers and the ultimate rulers who know what the people think and need (and of cause, nobody else knows) and have the magic wand to provide those needs will never see beyond their nose. They are ready to silence opposition, berate and crush criticisms, no matter how constructive, and are insensitive to the point of allowing the killing of the lives they are supposed to protect.
I feel it is time for the Egyptians to sit down and discuss the way forward; that is how they want to be governed and state in the document the qualities of those who should aspire to such responsibilities and for how long anyone should assume such responsibilities. That is the only way to make anything out of the “revolution”. It should be clearly stated and available for anyone to read and it should be stated what violation of such document should mean. If there should be further protests, it should be in defence of that document.
writenwod 