Why we fall in the first place

We are talking Bounce Back in this month of June, but we wouldn't be talking about a Bounce back if there wasn't a falling, or some backsliding at a point in time. Isn't it rather surprising that Solomon writes that, the righteous falls seven times yet rises again? The righteous still have the tendency to fall.

Adam was 100 yards of perfection. He was in God's image, had unlimited power and authority, had unrestricted access to the very presence of God and had a lovely wife too. Yet, in the midst of this great power he fell to a simple temptation of eating a fruit of a tree which God hadn't commanded them to.

I've meditated on the happenings in Genesis 3 and the real reason why we experience a fall in our lives. *What the enemy does is to try to disassociate us from fellowship with God, even if its for a moment*. He does it by cleverly excusing the truth, or trivializing the impact of that truth even if disobeyed. When the enemy succeeds in doing this, then he has got you. You become open to his lies.

*Imagine this scenario

_Ben is in a room with two sisters. He has very strong feelings for one. Though he is a brother in church, over time he has had fantasies about this lady (let's call her Sandra). As the enemy would have it, the other lady leaves later on and Ben is left with Sandra. They have mutual feelings for one another. This presents the perfect opportunity for them to act out. The thoughts come "Ben, why don't you just touch Sandra. Profess your love to her." The thoughts continues, "Don't worry even if you sin, God will forgive you. Don't you remember that Jesus said 70*7 times. Now imagine if men should forgive themselves that much, how much more God?"_

He begins to rationalize it. At this point of giving logical thought to a revelation that is clear in scripture, we loose the battle and the fall starts from there.

The fall into sin is never sudden, it is always gradual.

Whenever you start rationalizing a clear injunction from scripture, know that the enemy has got you in his palms.

When the enemy comes with his rhetorics, rebuke him with the Word of God. The word of God is true, the foundation of God stands sure. What God calls sin is sin, light can never look like darkness neither can darkness look like light.

Have you been boxed into a corner by the enemy? Have you taken certain steps you now regret?

Know where you fell, know where your axe head has fallen. In that same place, God will open up an opportunity for restoration.

Tomorrow we talk more (Series starts tomorrow June 1 Happy New month in advance)...

*Prayer:

Lord, help me to find where I've missed and find my path back to you in Jesus Name.

*Oluwatobi Adesanya
Daily Dealings Youth Devotional

Bounce Back

I attended LYD (Live Your Dreams) 4 last year and Dr. Cosmos Maduka  (CEO, Coscharis Motors) shared extensively with us about his life story. The interviewer asked him at some point to share his story on the loss of about N22B. He had stood as the guarantor for someone and in the end certain events took place which led to him coughing up that huge sum since he stood as collateral to the person (s) involved. He was able to bounce back from that huge setback and his business still thrives today.

Now,

Do you know that in much the same way man lost a lot when he fell into the gimmicks and tricks of the devil? As a matter of fact, we lost more than N22B in that mistake that Adam made, we lost the whole of humanity to the cold and evil hands of the devil and his little toy -sin.

People have often asked (certainly you've heard it too) questions like:

_"If God knows everything why did He plant the tree of the knowledge of Good and evil?"_

God know that Adam will eat the fruit and fall into sin, why didn't He stop him from eating the fruit?"

...and the list is endless. People come up with speculations and answers which may not really be valid...

Can I say something here?

Nothing can catch God by surprise. He knows EVERYTHING. Nothing can be hidden from the knowledge of God. Everything (past, present, and future) is like an open book before him.

The most important thing regarding this questions and others is the fact that God has a plan for your restoration. In my words, God has a BOUNCE BACK plan to bring you back to Himself.

Though God was angry and displeased with the actions of man, he made a statement after he had cursed the ground, the serpent and the woman, which revealed that God had something up his sleeves all along.

Do you know what it is?

I call it the BOUNCE BACK PLAN.

So, friends, have you backslid, have you lost track with God, have you missed having those deep fellowship you've always longed for?

Never feel there's no hope for you.

If you've fallen, I want to let you know that there is a BOUNCE BACK PLAN up God's sleeve to get you back to Himself.

In the month of June, we will be exploring the theme BOUNCE BACK.

....Stay Tuned for more.

Much love,

Oluwatobi Adesanya
For Daily Dealings Youth Devotional

You need to be overflowing

Scripture says that "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh" (Matthew 12:34) Jesus said again "a good man out of the GOOD TREASURE of his heart bringeth forth that which is good" (Luke 6:45). This means that whatever we see manifest in the physical is a product not of scarcity, but of the abundance of what you carry on the inside.

As a visionary, your cup has to be running over. This means that you must desire an abundance of revelation, insight and knowledge of the Word and the areas of life God wants you to find expression. It takes a man or woman loaded with content to truly be able to impact the lives of those God has called them to.

You need to be fed till you are filled till overflowing, then and only then can you dish out freely to everyone.

With God, there is always abundance. Scripture says "they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:17). Another scripture says "At thy right hand, there are pleasures forevermore" (Psalm 16:11).... That's the God we serve.

Are you filled or empty? Let God fill you today.

Prayer:

Lord, fill me up till I'm overflowing with your presence, your word and the necessary knowledge and insight I need to accomplish your vision for my life in Jesus Name.

Oluwatobi Adesanya
For Daily Dealings Youth Devotional

Vision is just like Faith

This morning, I began to meditate briefly on the concept of vision. I realized after muttering for a while that Vision is just like faith. Scripture tells us, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." I soon saw that that is what vision is exactly. In other words, we can say- Vision is the SUBSTANCE of THINGS hoped for, the EVIDENCE of THINGS not seen.

What God has shown you about your future is your SUBSTANCE, it is your EVIDENCE for a great life to come. This is why the devil wants to ruin the lives of many youths, it is not because of the present, he is afraid of what each one is carrying for the future. This is why the devil specializes in keeping a lot of people in the dark as regards their purpose. A blind man on the road to destiny will never get anywhere.

Friends, if you've found your SUBSTANCE, your EVIDENCE, protect it by all means. Why do you think the devil was so keen on killing baby Jesus? he wasn't scared about him as a baby, he was scared about the SUBSTANCE (The Salvation of mankind) He was carrying for the days to come.

If you haven't found your vision, ask God tonight. Scripture says "Call unto me and I will answer and shew thee great and mighty things thou knowest not" - Jeremiah 33:3

Prayer:

Lord, show me my own substance and let me not trade it for anything in the world. Help me Lord in Jesus name.

Oluwatobi Adesanya
For Daily Dealings Youth Devotional

The Mantle of Responsibility

Mantles are symbols of the anointing. We see how the mantle was used in dividing the river Jordan for Elisha after Elijah had been raptured into heaven.

There is a different kind of mantle I want to talk about here. It's what I call The Mantle of Responsibility. We must get to the point where we take our assignments on earth seriously and choose to make it a MUST. Jesus said while here "I MUST do the works of Him that sent me..." He said somewhere else "I MUST preach the gospel in other cities also..." These words connote responsibility.

There's really nothing God can do for you and I until you and I choose to be responsible. In the beginning, when God created the heaven and the earth, scripture records that there was no rain on the earth. Why? Because there was no man to till the ground. In other words, there was no man to take responsibility for the cultivation of the plants. God didn't send rain until the time of Noah (that was the first ever record of rain).

Friends, until God sees that you are willing to take responsibility for the dream He has laid in your heart, then He will not be committed to showing Himself in your life.

Your vision will speak only if you are willing to walk by faith.

Prayer:

Lord, I desire to see results in my life, therefore, I choose to take responsibility for the vision/the dreams that you have placed in my heart in Jesus Name.

Oluwatobi Adesanya
For Daily Dealings Youth Devotional

Vision Transforms People

I remember Pastor Sam Adeyemi sharing his story from his early days. He had come to Lagos from Ilorin with nothing more than the bag he was carrying and the clothes on his body. Today, 20 years later, he is known globally as a preacher. Through his ministry, God has brought several people out of poverty, sin, and several other life transforming testimonies have been birthed from his life.

When people see him today, it appears as though he has always been this way. The truth remains that all that we see today were not there some 20 years ago.

What really changed? What happened?

When God gives a man a vision, the vision is locked up within him/her. As the individual begins to take action and to implement the things God is revealing, changes begin to take place in the environment (the people around begin to feel the impact of the vision). Vision is always about people. Scripture says "Where there is no vision, the people perish." This means that people are the ones to be affected by the vision. When it is fulfilled, people will be blessed, when it remain unfulfilled people end up perishing.

Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly." John wrote saying about Jesus "For this purpose was the Son of God manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil." In Hebrews, it says that "....through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Jesus fulfilled all this plus more. His life radically transformed the human race once and for all.


The question tonight is "what changes will your vision bring to the world?"

Prayer:

Lord, give me an understanding of my vision. Help me to see that it is meant to transform the lives of people. Lord, keep my vision aflame enough to transform people in Jesus Name.

Oluwatobi Adesanya
For Daily Dealings Youth Devotional

Vision Never Dies; Fellowship Does...

Last weekend, I also got the chance to meet Victor Ogungbe; a young man who God to start up a ministry in Eruwa (You can read about him in The 3V's of Vision). He mentioned that while starting ministry, he was happy there were a couple of people who were also on the same journey of full-time ministry with him. As at when we were speaking, he later realized that they were actually not in full time and specifically mentioned that there was a particular one who actually just went and took up a pastoring job leaving the original assignment.

Many start up on the journey of vision. They take actions and get results at the start but later on, everything appears to die down and nothing moves. What causes this? Has the vision died? Did the person not hear correctly? Was it born out of self-desire? This vision may truly have been born of God but beyond the birthing of a vision, there is the sustenance of the vision.

The same process that birthed the vision, is also the same process that sustains the vision. If Habakkuk had to stand upon his watch to receive the vision, then he must have to keep on standing upon his watch to birth the vision. The same goes for you and me.

Friends, the inspiration I got tonight is simply to share with us that "Vision never dies, only fellowship does." This means that when you choose to stay away from fellowshipping with God, your vision loses the nourishment that is meant to sustain it and the result will be that you will lose the zeal, passion, and commitment needed to birth the vision. Fellowship with God sustains a vision and can awaken it when you do not sense it anymore.

With  #Project25000, God recently stirred my heart in a different direction, yet we are to have the same end result....

Have you lost your vision?

You can revive your vision through fellowship (Both with God and fellow believers)

Prayer:

Lord, restore your presence in my life. Activate my vision again. Help my eyes to see again. I refuse to be blind.... Revive my visionary heart, passion, and commitment in Jesus Name.

Oluwatobi Adesanya
For Daily Dealings Youth Devotional