Emmanuel Okoro (aka MrLift)

Husbands listen to your wife "But God spoke to Abraham, "Don't feel badly about the boy and your maid. Do whatever Sarah tells you. Your descendants will come through Isaac." (Gen. 21.12)  The proverbs of Solomon asked a very pertinent question and I want you to ponder as a man and reflect on as a woman.  "An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels." (Proverbs 31:10)  This is pertinent because God asked Abraham to listen to his wife. This is counter-culture where women are meant to be seen but not heard. God says to him, "Do whatever Sarah tells you." Most marital problems would have been resolved if only men learn to listen to their wives. Wives are meant to help their husbands. The number one reason God proposed marriage to Adam in the garden of Eden - is so that Eve can be a help meet but how can they help if they are not heard?  That is why in the opening paragraph I admonish women to reflect on the proverb of Solomon

Set time "Sarah became pregnant and gave Abraham a son in his old age, and at the very time God had set." (Gen. 21.2)  God points times and seasons and for these times and seasons, God assigns purpose. Little wonder the preacher tells us that to everything there is a time and  season to every purpose.  "There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven." (Eccl. 3.1 NLT) Set times can be changed by the will of man, you cannot pray it away but can cause it to be delayed. The pregnancy is a good example. It usually set at nine months period but certain happenstance can either cause a delay or premature delivery. And when that happen, that pregnancy can be truncated.  Gift sets and skill sets alone do not deliver set time. God alone determines the set times of our lives but when we cooperate with him, it makes it easier for us. Israel had been in captivity and were told they'll be there for 400 years and about that time they began to pray coor

God will visit you  "GOD visited Sarah exactly as he said he would; GOD did to Sarah what he promised." (Gen. 21,1)  It appears every time we pray for others, God visits with us. Reminding us of the saying that what we make happen for others, God will make happen for us.  "After Job had interceded for his friends, GOD restored his fortune--and then doubled it!" (Job.42.10 ) The Lord restored and gave Job double after he prayed for his friends.  "Then Abraham prayed to God and God healed Abimelech, his wife and his maidservants, and they started having babies again. For GOD had shut down every womb in Abimelech's household on account of Sarah, Abraham's wife."(Gen.20.17-18) Abraham and Sarah had no children of their own but as soon as they prayed to God for Abimelech, God healed Abimelech and his wife and even his servants and they began having Children. What you make happen for other God will make happen for you.  It was after their prayers for Abi

Assumption  "Abrhaham said, "I just assumed that there was no fear of God in this place and that they'd kill me to get my wife." (Gen.20.11) Assumption is said to be the lowest form of knowledge. When we assume we leave room for a large margin of error. Abraham assumed that there was no fear of God in that place. And based on his assumption he concluded that his wife would be taken from him. And as a result, he lied.  What decisions are you making right now based on assume?  Assumption has broken many homes. The wife assume the husband is cheating and the husband assume his wife is lying. And because of these assumptions, everything we see or hear begin to support our positions. Assumption colours our mind that we begin to see things from that perspective. It's like water taking the colour of its container.  Assumption almost caused Judah his destiny. He almost lost his sign of authority - his signet for awhile.  "Judah saw her and assumed she was a prostitu

Dead man walking  "But God came to Abimelech in a dream that night and told him, "You're as good as dead--that woman you took, she's a married woman." (Gen.20. 3) The Bible speaks of three kinds of death. Spiritual death - separation from God, physical death - separation from the body and then the second death - eternal damnation.  In Genesis when God told Adam he was going to die if he ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, that was spiritual death. When Adam ate, he became spiritually separated from God. But physical death did not come until 930 years later.  "Adam lived a total of 930 years. And he died."(Gen. 5.5) In our text Abraham, the father of faith had lied about his wife being his sister. And Abimelech King of Gerar had taken her with the intention of marrying her but God appeared to Abimelech in the night and says to him, "You're as good as dead--that woman you took, she's a married woman." This show us that s

Environment  "The next morning the older said to the younger, "Last night I slept with my father. Tonight, it's your turn. We'll get him drunk again and then you sleep with him. We'll both get a child through our father and keep our family alive." (Gen.19.34)  There are so much debate about nature and nurture, about innate and acquired or learned abilities and whether leaders are born or made. We've not seen the last of it yet. But If you've lived long enough, you'd probably agree that both side of the divide  have some merits.  I wonder under what environment these girls were raised-in, that made it okay for them to think-up such thoughts. Lot lived in Sodom where, to practice such atrocities, made it okay to want to rape angels in broad day light. The Bible say all the men of the city wanted to sleep with the visiting angels.  "Before they went to bed men from all over the city of Sodom, young and old, descended on the house from all sides