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‎“Make sure you set fire to their carved gods. Don’t get greedy for the veneer of silver and gold on them and take it for yourselves—you’ll get trapped by it for sure. God hates it; it’s an abomination to God, your God. And don’t dare bring one of these abominations home or you’ll end up just like it, burned up as a holy destruction. No: It is forbidden! Hate it. Abominate it. Destroy it and preserve God’s holiness.”
‎— Deuteronomy 7:25-26 (MSG)
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‎What does it mean to preserve God’s holiness? Simply put, it means intentionally keeping God’s do’s and don’ts. No one can achieve this by the flesh; it is only possible through the help of the Holy Spirit. When we intentionally protect, honor, and set apart the nature God has placed within our spirit, maintaining that clean posture within us, we are preserving His holiness.
‎Asking for help through prayers to walk in holiness, gladdens God’s heart and such prayers are answered speedily.
‎To walk in holiness can also be defined as keeping ourselves pure in thought and action according to the Word of God—which serves as the manual and blueprint for our lives.
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‎In this context, the Israelites were commanded to keep and preserve the instructions given to them as they entered the Promised Land. Similarly, what instructions are we being given as we enter a new level? Every new level brings its own battles, which require specific instructions to navigate. Abiding by these instructions is another form of preserving God’s holiness.
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‎Furthermore, as promotion comes, we are warned not to partake in existing worldly patterns or worship other gods. This means we must not exalt material things, affluence, or fame above God, nor should we spend excessive time on the internet at the expense of studying and meditating on His Word (as discussed in our previous message: ARE YOU LIVING BY THE RULES? — PT 2). Bringing these strange acts of worship into our personal spaces will ultimately affect our families negatively.
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‎There is a natural tendency for us to acquire and aspire for more, especially as we step into a new level. We are warned not to be greedy and must therefore be careful not to go overboard or join the crowd in compromising our values for material gain, chasing worldly validation, or indulging in wasteful extravagance. Instead, we must preserve God’s holiness inside of us at all times.
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‎Shalom 🕊️
‎Bimpe Lawal
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“You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. ”
‎Deuteronomy 6:16 ESV.
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‎What does it mean to test God? It simply means to provoke Him or doubt His Word or promises for our lives. To provoke means to deliberately make someone angry. So, when we provoke God, we are deliberately making Him angry. Provocation could come in the form of speech or actions (which are the results of our decisions).
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‎Several times Jesus warned us not to put the Lord our God to the test, by deliberately provoking or making Him angry. The Word of God says we should guard our hearts with all diligence for out of it flow the issues of life. A lot happens in our hearts before it is either played out as an action or spoken as a speech. By so doing, we must weigh every activity in the form of decisions before acting or speaking, for it can make or mar our relationship with God.
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‎When we don’t guard our speech or actions either towards God or Man, we are damaging the strength of the relationship. The Israelites spoke and acted against God several times in the wilderness, which ultimately delayed their progress in life. Likewise, any unguarded speech or actions towards a destiny helper or friend could deter us from achieving success with them.
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‎Ultimately, our relationship with God and the people He places in our lives requires intentionality, reverence, and faith. When we second-guess God’s promises or act out of impatience, we end up spinning our wheels in our own spiritual wilderness. To avoid testing God, we must choose to rely fully on His timing and trust His character, even when the path ahead seems uncertain. By guarding our hearts today, we ensure that our words and actions build a bridge toward our destiny rather than a wall that blocks our progress. Let us, therefore, walk in obedience and absolute trust, knowing that He who promised is always faithful.
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‎Shalom 🕊️
‎Bimpe Lawal
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‎In Deuteronomy 5:23, God revealed His glory and greatness by speaking to the children of Israel from the midst of the fire. The people marveled that human beings could hear the voice of the living God and still remain alive.
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‎While God does not typically communicate through such terrifying manifestations today, He still speaks to us constantly. Instead of an external fire, He guides us through His Spirit—as an inner knowing within our hearts—as well as through His Word, dreams, visions, and the lived experiences of others (you can read the topic LOVE on our previous posts to explore more ways God communicates).
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‎What a privilege it is to enjoy this peaceful intimacy with God today. As a clear contrast to the fear the Israelites felt,God speaks to us every second, but are we truly willing and able to hear Him? The responsibility lies with us to discern His voice in every situation, learn from it, and live it out.
‎God truly uses diverse methods to reach us. For instance, during a meeting I attended some time ago, a half-empty bottle was placed on the table, and we were asked: “How is God speaking to you through this bottle?” We received five or six completely different answers with each offering a fresh perspective on how God can use everyday objects to speak to us—if only we are quiet enough to listen.
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‎Ultimately, God’s voice is not absent; but our attention often is. Tuning into His constant broadcast requires intentionality. To begin discerning God’s voice, start by intentionally silencing the noise around you—even for just five minutes. Look at the ordinary things in your room, open your heart to the Holy Spirit, and ask what He wants to reveal to you. When we quiet our surroundings, we amplify His voice.
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‎Shalom 🕊️
‎Bimpe Lawal
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‎Like the Israelites, we are warned not to make carved images in the form of any figure in form of a human being, any animal on earth, in the air or in the sea to worship them. Neither should we look up to the sun, moon, stars or all the host of heaven to worship and serve them. (Deut 4 vs 15-19)
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‎Our LORD is a jealous God: hence we must be careful not to fall into idolatry. It is incredibly easy to do so, especially in this modern age. 
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‎By definition, modern-day idolatry in Christianity is the shifting of ultimate trust, worth and devotion away from God onto created things. While ancient idolatry involved bowing to physical statues or golden calves.
‎Modern idolatry is more subtle as it often disguises itself as normal pursuits, comfort, or good things that usurp or takes God’s supreme place in our heart. Let’s pause for a minute and ask: what are those things competing for or already consuming the attention we owe to God?
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‎Such forms of modern idolatry are:
‎• Comfort and Security: It is organizing our life entirely around ease, safety, and financial stability while viewing God as a tool to maintain that lifestyle.
‎• Control and Self-Reliance: is obsessing over managing future outcomes, career/business success or personal status, effectively making oneself or one’s achievements the master of life.
‎• Technology and Distractions: This is allowing smartphones, social media, and digital consumption to consume time, attention, and mental space once reserved for prayer and word study.
‎• Approval and Celebrity Culture: This is seeking human validation, social influence, or placing Christian leaders and public figures on pedestals rather than focusing on Christ.
‎• Materialism and Greed: Is accumulating wealth and possessions to build personal ego or security, which Apostle Paul explicitly equates with idolatry in Colossians 3:5. 
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‎These and many more are some of the common forms of modern day idolatry. We are therefore urged to live by and keep the general and personal rules and regulations set by God – both for us as the body of Christ and as individuals. We must abstain from every form of idolatry so that it may go well with us and our generations.
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‎PRAYER
‎Father, I repent of materialism, greed and seeking human validation. Forgive me for placing my leader, spouse or children above Christ and for spending hours on social media instead of in prayers and Word study. I repent of obsessing over career achievements, personal status and viewing You (God) as a tool rather than loving you genuinely. Cleanse me in Jesus name. (Amen)
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‎Shalom 🕊️
‎Bimpe Lawal
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‎Like Samson, John the Baptist, Samuel, Daniel and the Rechabites -just to mention a few – we are all given rules and regulations to follow by God in order to guide us and use us as His vessels in possessing and maintaining the new phases of our lives.
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‎In the same vein, God gives us rules and regulations to run with in life especially at the entry point into another phase or level.
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‎Which leads me to ask: what rule and regulation has the LORD given you to run with, either in the past or presently? Are you still running with it? For some it’s abstinence from wine: for others, it’s to fellowship with God at a particular time, while for others, it’s abstinence from a particular food, and others have strict restrictions varying in different areas. Whatever the rule and regulation is, we are instructed not to add to it nor subtract from it, instead we are to keep it and run with it for our personal growth and development.
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‎In keeping and practicing any of these rules and regulations, we become wise and gain understanding – which are valuable treasures no one can acquire by human strength. Everyone tends to love and lean toward that one person that listens to them when they are corrected. So it is with our Heavenly Father: His love for a consciously obedient child is far greater than the one who is disobedient or partially obedient to Him. Hence, if we haven’t been diligent with the rule and regulation ,there’s still time for repentance.
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‎It takes a whole lot of discipline to follow these rules. From experience,  though it wasn’t easy initially -because flesh will always contest against the Spirit and I’m not there yet, as growth is continuous – once you are persistent and diligent on the journey, you’ll overcome the urge to be laid back. A good soldier does not take his eyes off the mission and people assigned under his authority. In the same vein, both our biological and spiritual children are our responsibilities, whom we must pray for, encourage according to scripture, teach on how to hear from God, teach on how to shine their light in places of darkness and guide and advise according to God’s Word so as not to build up any form of idolatry in their lives. Because it’s our duty to share the rules we are running with, with them.
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‎Prayer: Father, help me to be committed to the rule or guardrail you have put in place in my life, for I acknowledge they are there to improve my life and family as a whole in Jesus name Amen.
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‎Shalom 🕊️
‎Bimpe Lawal
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‎In Deuteronomy chapter 3 certain events took place that could have been avoided had the leader been observant enough. Og, the king of Bashan, refused to learn from Sihon’s defeat, which ultimately led to his own destruction.
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‎Someone once told me that she loves to learn from those who have already navigated major life experiences. I quite agree with her, because what better way is there to learn? It is much faster – because a journey of many months or years becomes a narrative shared in just minutes or hours. Indeed, experience, they say, is truly the best teacher in life whether for the victim or listener. Events sometimes happen in other people’s lives, so that we can learn from them and avoid similar pitfalls.
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‎The Lord  declared he had given the Israelites the land to possess (Deut. 3 vs 18). What victory has been handed over to you that the enemy is just raging over? Step forward and take hold of it now! in Jesus name. What mountains have you successfully surmounted in the past? Remember to thank God for that and go forward to possess another and another and another…… for your inheritance is endless. If God has given you victory before, He is ready to do it again and He’ll do it again and again!
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‎Every mountain or challenge has foundational factors required for its resolution. Yes, the strategies may change but the basic factors still remain the same. They include::
‎- Acknowledging the sovereignty of God over the situation
‎- Prayer to God
‎- Faith in God
‎- Meditation on God’s Word
‎- Obedience to God
‎- Patience
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‎No challenge looks surmountable initially, we are therefore encouraged to brace ourselves and apply these core principles to overcome any obstacle, just as we have surmounted them in the past.
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‎Shalom 🕊️
‎Bimpe Lawal
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‎In Life, we come in contact with different types of people along side their baggage.  While some are road blockers, some are access givers and others are set in place to display God’s glory. Whichever way it plays out, we must come into contact with them as catalysts for our personal growth and divine purpose.
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‎We sometimes spend months or years on a particular phase in life, whether consciously or unconsciously, such was the case of the Israelites (Deut. 2 vs 14). From personal experience, when faced with delays or limitations, the best thing to do is to identify that there’s a limitation and seek God for clarity.
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‎In all cases, we are told what to do – Whether to wait (because He wants to remould us and make us better), or repent of a particular sin like the Israelites and face the consequences, or because whatever is being asked for is not good for us at that moment, or it could be an attack from the enemy simply because we don’t know our authority in Christ (by not using the right Word of God to address the delay). In all cases, we have no power to determine the expiration date of the phase.
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‎In any of these phases, forgiveness is essential as a condition for advancement. ‘Forgive us oh Lord, as we forgive others‘ –Matt. 6 vs 12 (paraphrased). We must be quick to forgive others in order to advance or grow. Other hindrances to growth include offence, jealousy, gossip, destroying other people, strife etc.
‎Learning to yield to God (which never comes easy) will prevent us from yielding to any of these vices and pave the way for us to advance .
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‎Another essential factor is Trust. Trusting God, breaks down the wall of pride (the mindset of ‘I know what to do’ or ‘I can do it by myself‘). It means having to lean on Him for instructions, guidance and provision. Guardrails will be given in the form of cautions. This is all part of the ingredients required to mature us. Note that cautions were given not to meddle with the Moabites and Ammonites (Deut. 2 vs 16-19)  Sometimes, God gives and preserves outward blessings for wicked men, but He always has better things in store for His children.
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‎Another factor is contentment, we will be tested by this. Are we within the boundaries of God’s Word and instructions? Because it is very easy to go beyond the borderline due to the distraction of pleasing the flesh and not wanting to endure. There are other essential factors such as faith, love, submission or humility amongst others but they are not mentioned in this context.
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‎At the set time of advancement, the Lord will give wisdom to know what to do, courage and boldness to take possession and favor to get to the desired destination. Just because, God said it, it doesn’t mean it will automatically come to pass, we still need to contend for the promises and instructions as soldiers of Christ. it is expected that, we still have to work for it.
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‎Though we may be kept waiting long for deliverance and enlargement, it will come at last. For happy are those whom Jesus has delivered from the wrath to come. To them He has given His Spirit, hence, their inheritance cannot be affected by changes in earthly possessions or the shaking of kingdoms.
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‎Shalom 🕊️
‎Bimpe Lawal
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‎In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses emphasized he lacked the capacity to bear the heavy burden of the Israelites’ complaints and problems alone, especially since they had grown immensely in number. His experience reflects a timeless truth, any leader who attempts to guide others without involving God will inevitably find the task too burdensome. Recognizing this limitation, Moses asked them to choose wise, understanding and knowledgeable men from amongst their tribes as leaders.(Deut 1 vs 13)
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‎Since then, the same approach has remained relevant across all spheres of life – where selection of leadership takes place.
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‎A leader’s performance is profoundly shaped by the people’s selection process. An exceptional leader is often the product of a discerning choice, whereas poor leadership stems from a flawed selection process.
‎Ultimately, the decision usually is in the hands of the people or the general public (such as voters in a democratic election, committee on a board or governing body appointed to choose a leader on behalf of a larger group).
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‎In every sphere of life, the quality of governance and direction is directly tied to the discernment of those who hold the power to choose. You may ask – What qualities must these choosers possess? – to make the right decision, they must possess the ability to discern Godly wisdom, alongside understanding and knowledge of the task (just to mention a few) in the candidates they are appointing, for this is very essential to any group, society or nation. For any leadership that lacks these qualities as a core, is bound to collapse.
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‎To truly understand these qualities, we must look to their spiritual foundations and search if it’s rooted in God – this car only be revealed to us divinely.
‎-  they must possess Godly wisdom, means they’ll have to have a deeper union with Christ – for wisdom is centered on him (Col 2 vs 3).
‎- To seek understanding is to gain insight and instructions into the task from God(Prov 4 v 1 & 7).
‎- And to seek knowledge is to possess the ability to discern the timing of events revealed by God through their intimacy with Christ. That is knowing what to do per time concerning every situation.
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‎Beyond these foundational traits, other qualities of a good leader highlighted are vision alignment with God and bravery to archive excellence in the long-run even when faced with a common challenge despite the uncertainty which may not be in sink with the ideology of the people at inception.
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‎In conclusion, when a leader possesses these qualities, he’s in alignment with God’s will thereby responding accurately to what God is doing per time. In essence, he won’t be out of season with God. Ultimately, the choices made by those leaders in authority – whether wrong or right will inevitably dictate the progress, trajectory and destiny of the families,societies,organizatios and nations they serve.
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‎Shalom 🕊️
‎Bimpe Lawal
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‎Turn and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all their neighbors in the Arabah, in the hill country and in the lowland and in the Negeb and by the seacoast, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates. (Deuteronomy 1:7 ESV).
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‎In this scripture, God highlighted 6 distinct territories that He commanded the Israelites to possess. Relating this to our personal lives, we can dive into each space to understand what it represents for us today:
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‎  – The mountain of the Amorites been mentioned here denotes the people of God possessing their homes. Remember, permanent sheltering was their major challenge – hence, acquiring these spaces served as a major breakthrough for them. Rhetorical question:- what major challenge are we facing in this season of our life’s?  The Almighty God is commanding us to take charge and possess that which He has given unto us in Jesus name.
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‎- The second place they were asked to possess is the neighbouring places in the plain. This is basically imploring us not to be contained but to expand in possessing the treasures He has placed near us (in form of human relationships or capital, natural treasures, business opportunities etc) We need to recognize and develop these treasures that are placed around us.
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‎  –  To go in and possess the mountains and the low lands – every new level has its difficult and easy places. Just because something is difficult doesn’t mean God is not in it and just because it is easy doesn’t mean He is in it either. On this new level, seeking God’s consent for every decision should be our core focus, hence His approval gives us the courage and boldness to step forward. 
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‎- To go in and possess the south and seacoast of the territory:  since the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it (Psalm 24 vs 1), God has made it possible for us to inherit everything on earth (Gen 1 vs 26 ), including the sea and its hidden wealth. This includes resources such as Food, Jewelry, Medicine, Oil and Natural gas, Sea salt, Copper, Cobalt, Waves harnessed to generate Electricity amongst others. We should pray for wisdom to harness and transform these resources for the benefit of all mankind.
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‎- The Land of the Canaanites: For a believer, entering Canaan is to attain a state of divine rest, which serves as our ultimate spiritual destination. However, the rest is not attained by human strength, but is given by God at His own will. In this state, battles are silenced, while abundance, peace, blessings, love, glory and all other goodness of God radiates through our lives showing to all that the Lord Himself has given us rest.
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‎- To possess the Euphrates river is to possess other or similar sources of food not found in the sea, to explore building materials, paper materials, boat materials and maximizing other opportunities generated by the rivers in our territories.
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‎In conclusion, there are countless blessings laying in and around us. To see and harness these opportunities as we move, we must ask for Godly wisdom and knowledge to deploy these resources effectively, both as a group (nation, family, congregation) or individually. For in every challenge lies in an opportunity waiting to be harnessed. Go forth in the might of the Lord, occupy, expand and flourish exceedingly. There are numerous blessings and opportunities waiting for you and I.
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‎Shalom 🕊️
‎Bimpe Lawal
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‎The Israelites had reached the end of their wilderness experience of 40years and were at a critical transitioning point in Deut.1 vs 6- 7 – where God instructed them to move forward having stayed in the wilderness for so long.
‎’A wilderness experience’ means so many things to so many people. However, no matter how you define it or how long it lasts – whether 10 years or just 2 months – know this: when God speaks, that season must come to an end.
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This births critical questions on what God is saying about our current wilderness experience – Is He telling us to build more faith, obey His leading, exercise more patience, or is it finally time to move forward? Many people will prefer the latter, but honestly speaking, there’s no use eating a half baked bread. If you are not yet matured enough, you will still need to stay where you are.
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‎Obviously the Israelites at this point had become grown and more matured, hence, launching into new territories was not an issue for God because He could trust them to handle His blessings adequately at a higher level.
‎Relating this to this present age, can you be trusted with the very breakthrough you’re asking for? Will pride set in when you finally receive or acquire it? Will you be selfish with it or be generous with it? Will you still be faithful with God when you receive the breakthrough? And will you use it for the good of all when you get it or are promoted? When God says we’ve been on a certain position, condition or phase of life for too long, it is not because He takes pleasure in our stagnation. No, It ultimately depends on our willingness to build our faith ( by trusting Him and His Word as faithful), obey His instructions, and patiently wait on His timing. The sooner we yield to this process, the faster and smoother our transition becomes

‎There’s a wise Yoruba proverb that says, “You can only be afraid of the sender of the message and not the receiver of the message”. In this spiritual journey, God is the Sender and the enemy is the receiver. What seems impossible to ‘Man’ is never impossible for God. Therefore, what territories, sectors, milestone, training, skill etc is God commanding you and I to take? 
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‎Yes, taking possession of new territories can be deeply uncomfortable because growth demands stretching. It is our obedience that births a bittersweet experience which ultimately yields an unexplainable joy once we reach the finish line.
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‎If God decides to release a territory, skill, project or something to us, it is because of His unfailing mercy and a recognition of our growth. We can not arm twist Him with our emotions, neither can we bribe Him to work on our terms. Ultimately, everything works at His sovereign will and  perfect timing. One thing for sure is that the earth is the Lord’s and it’s fullness thereof (Psalm 24 vs 1), and so are His promises to us- they never Everything, we ask for will be released to us in due time according to His will.
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‎Faith, Obedience and Patience are the 3 major currencies the Israelites transacted in with God, because He can’t be manipulated neither can He be influenced to do our biding, everything must align with His divine will. So, when He mentioned it was time to move in verse 6, it was truly in their best interest to move.  
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‎Like the Israelites, is it your time to move? Are you willing to exercise your faith, obey and wait or move when prompted despite the uncertainty ahead of you? Gird yourself with these 3 pieces of armor and move forward. Don’t be terrified of the threats of the enemy; instead move forward knowing that you have the greater one working inside of you.
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‎Shalom 🕊️
‎Bimpe Lawal
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