GOD'S WAR INSTRUMENT.

MEMORISE : Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms: JEREMIAH 51 : 20.

READ : ISAIAH 41 : 14 - 16 :
14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
15 Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.
16 Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : SONG OF SOLOMON 5 - 8 AND JUDE 1.
Because holiness is the nature of God, living a holy life makes you a partner with God in His work. 2 Corinthians 6 : 1 says :
"We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain."
What a great privilege this is! When you have the same nature as God, He will not look at your limitations; rather, He will lift you up so that He can relate with you. God wants to partner with you. He wants to be able to seek your opinion on issues; not because He does not know what to do, but just to make you know that you count before Him (John 6:5-6). Living a holy life makes you count before God, and it gives you relevance before Him ( Genesis 18 : 17 - 19 ).
Moreover, holiness empowers you to plead your cause before God. As a sinner, you cannot stand before God, because your sins have disqualified you to begin with. But when you approach Jesus and accept Him as your Saviour, His blood washes you clean and He stands as your lawyer to plead your cause ( 1 John 2 : 1 ). Thereafter, as you imbibe His holiness and allow His nature to express itself through you, you are empowered to plead your own cause before God (Hebrews 4:16). Holiness also qualifies you to plead for others. Are you living a holy life? How well are you pleading your cause and that of others before heaven's court?
Similarly, living a holy life makes you God's sharp battle axe: you become a fighting instrument in His hands ( Jeremiah 51 : 20 ). A life of holiness is a declaration to the kingdom of darkness that you are on God's side permanently. You therefore become a very useful instrument in God's hands. Isaiah 41 : 15 says :
"Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth; thou shalt thresh the mountains; and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff."
One of my sons once had a dream where he saw his hands being exchanged with iron hands. Even though he tried to resist what the angels were doing, he could not stop them. Thereafter, the Lord used him mightily against the kingdom of Satan and is still using him today. The more you live a life of holiness, the more likely it is that God will use you to do greater things and to fight bigger battles. Are you living a holy life?
PRAYER POINT :
Father, make the Body of Christ a sharp battle axe in your hands in these last days.

Happy end of year 2015.

YIELD TO GOD.

MEMORISE : Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. ROMANS 6 : 13.
READ : 2 CHRONICLES 30 : 8 - 9 :
8 Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.
9 For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : SONG OF SOLOMON 1 - 4 AND 3 JOHN 1.
God has a unique plan for your life. In all that you do, never let this escape your mind. Note however that there is a difference between desire and purpose. There is also a difference between ambition and purpose. Your joy can only be full when you find your purpose in life. Until you get to this point, life will be such a struggle, full of stress and pressures. It is good to have ambition, but it is better to seek God's purpose for your life, and having known it, make that your life's ambition. You will be happier for it.
Moreover, having carved out His purpose for your life, God gives you the gifts and abilities that will enable you fulfil that purpose. God's calling on your life is in line with His divine purpose. Where a conflict exists between God's plan for your life and your own plans, there will always be problems. For instance, if God wants you to be a missionary in a particular country and you plan to be a doctor in another part of the world, there will be great conflict. If you fail to yield to His will, you will be disrupting His plan. It is either a person is brought to a halt over his personal ambition that is making God's will secondary, or God will alter His plan for that person by moving someone else into his place. If your pursuit runs contrary to God's plan for your life, God expects you to do something fast. When Peter's fishing business got in God's way, he was called out of traditional fishing into fishing for men. As we speak, there are several people who refuse to yield to God over His plan for their lives. They have continued to struggle with God's will. Resisting God's will regarding His plan for your life can be frustrating. It can lead to labouring without commensurate harvest, afflictions, disappointments, great loss of valuables and much more. If you remain adamant after repeated attempts to bring you back in line, God may have to replace you. When God replaces a person, he or she is left alone to pursue his or her ambitions, which will lead nowhere. Are you struggling with God? Is God calling you into His service or into full-time ministry and you are resisting? Stop resisting Him today!
PRAYER POINT :
Father, I yield my life to You today; make out of my life what You desire for it.

ARE YOU INDUSTRIOUS?

Memorise:

Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open
thine eyes, and thou shalt be
satisfied with bread.
Proverb 20:13
Read: Proverbs 31:10-13
10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price
is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in
her, so that he shall have no
need of spoil.
12 She will do him good and not evil all the days
of her life.
13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh
willingly with her hands.
Message
In the school of life, those who are prone to
giving excuses end up as failures.
Greatness in life is not for the slothful but for the
diligent. It is not for men of
theoretical faith, but for those who can put their
faith into action. There are
many people walking around blind to
opportunities. They always complain
about the economic situation of their country, and
for this reason, they have
refused to take their destinies in their own hands.
Nothing moves until you
move. There are opportunities all around you, but
if you can't see them, they
will not translate into tangible results. To be
industrious is to be
hardworking, conscientious, diligent and
productive. John 15:16 says:
"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,
and ordained you, that ye
should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit
should remain: that
whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my
name, he may give it you."
God expects His children to be productive and be
creative in their thinking.
The fact that you belong to God should make you
see solutions to issues
where others only see problems. The spiritual
controls the physical; this is
why you need to ask God to open your spiritual
eyes. You need to see the
good things coming your way from afar off, so
that as they come, you can tap
into them. There are many people sitting and
living around opportunities
without exploring them. There is no future for lazy
fellows.
The life God expects from the industrious is a life
of fruitfulness in every area.
Fruitfulness is a covenant benefit of God's
children. If you are still in school,
you need to be industrious in order to graduate
with excellent grades. If you
are serving in God's ministry, you need to be
industrious, so that you can
access the anointing required for doing spiritual
exploits. If you are engaged
in business, you need to be hard-working to make
more profits and access
greater business opportunities. If you are in the
corporate world, being
industrious will put you on the cutting edge of
your career. You need to keep
growing. You need to develop yourself for the
glorious future you see ahead of
you. You must not be distracted with those
things that will not enhance the
quick actualisation of your God-given dreams.
There is no need losing your
head over what you don't have. What you have is
more than enough for your
breakthrough. Never be afraid of starting small.
Ask the Lord to open your
eyes so that you can multiply the seed in your
hands to become a forest.

Key Point:
Whatever you don't value can never add value to
you.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : ECCLESIASTES 1-4 and 1

JOHN 4

THE EXCLUSIVE DOOR.

MEMORISE : I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. JOHN 10 : 9.
READ : JOHN 14 : 1 - 6 :
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : EXCCLESIATES 5 : 1 - 8 : 13 AND 1 JOHN 5.
Jesus Christ is the door to finding everlasting peace. Peace is so vital to human existence that people search for it in many ways. Some people even do all sorts of abominable things to get peace, but the more effort they put in, the more they realise that they are far from having the peace of God. Jesus is the only door through which true peace is guaranteed. Because Jesus is the door, whatever you need to access in life can only be done effortlessly through Him. As the door, He does not need a door to come in, nor does He need a door to go out. For everything you desire in life, there are doors for accessing them. There are doors of financial breakthrough, academic excellence, marital bliss, spiritual endowment and health. All these doors are enclosed in the original Door - Jesus. There is none of these doors that Jesus Christ cannot open. Nothing can deny any child of God access to these doors as long as they are in Christ.
Are you in search of promotion, fruitfulness and breakthrough? Then come to Jesus. He will give you access to all the closed doors in your life. There is no need for worries or panic, because Jesus will give you permanent victory over the challenges confronting you. If you want Jesus to be your access through the journey of life, you must give Him full access into your life. You must always allow the Lord to be before you. Psalm 16 : 8 says :
"I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved."
If you want to have Jesus as your exclusive way, you must allow Him take the lead while you follow. You need to always look up to Him and let Him be your focus. If you can do this, you will realise that those things you have been running after for many years will begin to come to you. As long as you have Jesus, you cannot be limited. All you need to do is open your heart to Him. What are those things you worry yourself about? Trust in the exclusive door. He will lead and guide you. The moment Jesus becomes your door, everything will begin to respond to you. There are many people who are not yet blessed because they have shut the door of their heart to the Lord. The moment the door is opened for Him to come in, the lines will begin to fall in pleasant places for you. Jesus is the only true door. Other doors will fail, but Jesus can never fail.
PRAYER POINT :
Father, as I open up the door of my heart to Jesus, help me to always hear Your voice.

EFFECTIVE TRACKING DEVICE

Memorise:

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Matthew 7:7
Read: Daniel 10:10-14
10 And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.
11 And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.
12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.
13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
14 Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.
Message
From the experience of Daniel in our Bible reading today, we understand that praying effectively makes it impossible for your blessings to pass you by. When you pray, your blessings are branded with your name, and as you continue in prayer, a heavenly courier is sent with your package. When you pray some more, the courier will deliver the package to you. Do you know that there are blessings which were released from Heaven but which never got to their owners? One likely way of losing your blessing is to stop praying about them. If you stop, by the time they are being sent, they could get missing in transit. So many blessings have been lost due to a lack of follow-up prayers.
Let us look at Daniel's experience. He had a burden to unravel a particular mystery; so he set out to fast and seek God's face on the matter. A day passed, a week passed, and another week passed, but he kept on praying. It was after three weeks that the answer came. The angel who brought the answer told him that from the day the request was made, it was heard and an answer was sent, but certain forces of darkness delayed him until Angel Michael came to assist him. This tells us that the battles in heavenly places are real. No wonder Ephesians 6:12 says:
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
These forces exist and they are out to delay or deny you your blessings. If you lose faith and stop praying, the enemy might divert them.
It is one thing to pray and have the answer released, but it is another thing to receive the answer. Today, it is possible to send something by post and track its movement from country to country up to its destination through the internet. Prayer is the spiritual tracking device you need to track your blessing from Heaven until it arrives in your hands. Once you start praying on a particular issue, don't stop. Keep on praying until the answer gets to you. In addition, it is necessary to specifically pray against every spiritual agent of hindrance. Paralyse every diversionary agent of darkness. Pray against blessing thieves and hijackers, and envelope your blessing in the Blood of Jesus.

Key Point:
Prayer is like a hook with a rope tied; with it you can catch your blessing, and pull it until it gets to you.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : ECCLESIASTES 8:14-12:14 and 2 JOHN 1

ATTRACTING GREATER LOVE

Memorise:
For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Hebrews 2:10
Read: Genesis 22:15-18
15 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
Message
Your love for God is something you must prove to be genuine. God is not satisfied with verbal affirmations only. He is not satisfied with promises to love surrounded by procrastination. He wants to see your love for real; hence, 1 John 3:18 says:
"My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."
Have you been able to prove your love for God beyond words? One beautiful truth here is that whenever you demonstrate your love for God, it will attract greater love from Him. This principle can also be seen in the natural world.
If I smile at you, unless you are angry with me, you will return the smile. Every time you prove to God that you love Him, He will reciprocate by showing you greater love. In Acts 20:35, Apostle Paul echoed the words of our Lord Jesus Christ that it is better to give than to receive. Many people find it hard to understand this. Simply put, it is better to give because when you give, you automatically open the door to receive more than what you gave.
The act of giving is subject to the law of harvest; therefore, everyone who gives receives something much more than what was given, because the harvest is usually greater than the seed sown. Hebrews 2:9-10 tells us that when God gave His only begotten Son, He brought many more sons into glory. God gave one Son and now has millions of sons and daughters from different parts of the world. There are some desires that you may not receive until you give. There are certain great requests that may appear illusive until you give your best seed. For you to be able to receive all your requests, you must first be prepared to pay any price by giving anything God wants you to.
What you are prepared to give determines the extent to which God is compelled to give to you in return. Are you ready to pay the ultimate sacrifice? Sacrificial giving never goes unrewarded. After Jesus laid down His life for the sins of the world, He was rewarded with the Name above every other name (Philippians 2:8-11). Similarly, after Abraham demonstrated his love for God, the Lord swore to bless Abraham and his children beyond measure, promising to multiply his generations like the sand on the seashore. What are you doing to prove your love for God today?
Key Point:
Every act of love towards God is a seed sown on the best soil, which will definitely generate a great harvest of love.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : PROVERBS 27:23-31:31 and 1 JOHN 2:28-3:24
AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

WHOSE VOICE?

MEMORISE : And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. ISAIAH 30 : 21.

READ : EZEKIEL 14 : 1 - 5 :
1 Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.
2 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?
4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;
5 That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : PROVERBS 14 : 26 - 17 : 18 AND 2 PETER 2.
Children of God who are not sensitive in these last days will have themselves to blame. You have to be prayerful, careful and sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, particularly because there are mixed multitudes all around the Church today. There are even churches that belong to Satan but have the appearance of belonging to Jesus Christ. There are also demonic agents prowling around and deceiving people. If you are not very watchful, you will become one of their victims. That will not be your portion in Jesus' Name. Although God wants His children to hear from Him and get His best, one factor inhibiting this is the fact that they have idols in their hearts which prevent them from hearing from Him clearly. You can be seeking God's face for direction but also be hoarding idols in your heart. If you really want the Almighty God to guide you, you have to eradicate all forms of idols from your life.There are many singles in the Body of Christ today who are not yet married even though they are of age. Some of them have allowed idols in their hearts for so long a time that they have not been able to look in the direction God is leading them to. For a user of this devotional trusting God for a marriage partner, the Lord will direct your steps in Jesus' Name. You can never get anything better than what God has in store for you. You will observe that after the Lord made Eve out of Adam, Adam had no difficulty recognising his wife ( Genesis 2 : 22 - 23 ). Once your spirit man is highly sensitive, you will always receive God's signal on the right thing to do each time ( Isaiah 42 : 16 ).
There are many homes experiencing frustration today. It is because they have not allowed the voice of God to speak to them. God has spoken, but they have all along been listening to the idols in their heart. Not all that glitters is gold. Not all open doors are opened by God. If you really want the blessings of God in your life and home, you have to eradicate the voices of all the idols in your heart. Even if you are totally blind, as long as you depend on God for direction, His promises for your life will lead you to where you will find rest for your soul. I prophesy into your life that you will not miss your way in Jesus' Name. Wherever God is taking you, you can rest assured that you are heading for a glorious destiny. He will lead you so clearly that you will be so sure of where you are going. He will lead you so convincingly that you can guarantee the outcome of your choice even before you embark on it. There is nothing as safe as allowing God to direct you in every sphere of life. If you hear well from Him, you will end well.

ACTION POINT :
Measure the expectations of your heart against the standard of God's word. Discard all expectations that don't align with God's word.

BEARING FALSE WITNESS II.

MEMORISE : A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish. PROVERBS 19 : 9.

READ : GENESIS 39 : 7 - 20 :
7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.
8 But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;
9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.
11 And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.
12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.
13 And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,
14 That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice:
15 And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out.
16 And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home.
17 And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me:
18 And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out.
19 And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled.
20 And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : PROVERBS 8 : 1 - 11 : 15 AND1 PETER 4 : 12 - 5 : 14.
"And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;" Revelation 3 : 14.
In the above Scripture, Jesus Christ is called the Faithful and True witness. Because He is the Truth, He hates lies. A false witness is a liar. It therefore implies that Jesus hates the bearing of false witness. If you are a false witness, your nature is at variance with that of Jesus who is the Faithful and True witness. If you claim you belong to Him and yet you bear false witness, you lie, and the truth is not in you. If you lied against someone and got the fellow into trouble before you were saved, although God has forgiven you your sins at the point of salvation, you still need to make right that wrong deed. It is very worrisome to hear that false witnesses exist in the Body of Christ today. It is reported that some people arrange for some fellows to testify against particular individuals in order to discredit them or their ministry. Such testimonies have ridiculed and even disqualified some people from a particular office, position or imminent promotion. If you are guilty of such act, you must be prepared to restitute to the fellow you lied against. Yes, it could be humiliating, but you have to do it.
Another area where people are guilty of bearing false witness in the body of Christ today concerns the issue of sexual harassment. There are ladies who, for one reason or another, decide to blackmail a servant of God. They may come to that servant of God with an issue, arrange a scenario of compromise, and then allege that he was about to rape them. They are like Potiphar's wife, who consistently tried to entice Joseph into adultery, but he kept resisting her. Eventually, when all her antics had failed, she falsely accused him of trying to rape her. Joseph went to prison because of that lie. Some pastors have lost their ministries to false witnesses. Some people have been demoted because someone lied against them. Some families are suffering because of the lies a member of the extended family told against them. Some church leaders are fighting some innocent workers and ministers because of the lies told by somebody. Are you a false witness? God can expose your evil deeds. Go and straighten your crooked path or else, the journey you thought would lead you to Heaven will end in Hell.

ACTION POINT :
Are you a victim of false witnesses? Ask God to vindicate you and restore whatever you have lost.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Memorise:
So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
1 Samuel 17:50
Read: 1 Samuel 17:45-50
45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
46 This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
47 And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands.
48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
Message
A mission is a special assignment commissioned by a higher authority. Generally speaking, missions are known to involve some level of difficulty and challenges. Therefore, they are generally identified with uncertainty, opposition, criticism, anxiety, risk and fear. This fact is evident in all those who were commissioned for one assignment or the other in the Bible. Noah as a man on a mission experienced all these. Nobody believed him until the word of the Lord came to pass (Luke 17:27). Abraham's experience was the same. At a point, he risked losing his beautiful wife because of the fear of the unknown (Genesis 20:2-3). The assignment of Moses was especially marked with difficulties that made him experience negative conditions on a much higher level. Other important figures in the Bible like Joseph, Joshua, Daniel, Nehemiah, and David were not left out; they all had terrible encounters on their mission to fulfil their assignments, but by the grace of God, they all accomplished their missions successfully. I therefore decree over your life: no matter how difficult your assignment is, and no matter what you are passing through on the assignment, your mission will be accomplished successfully in Jesus' Name.
A person on a mission is usually misunderstood, especially when he or she is being controlled by the Holy Spirit. This is usually because the fellow receives divine instructions which are guaranteed to bring success, but are usually at variance with human understanding. David, as a man on a divine mission, accomplished his mission in grand style by taking some specific steps. He did not allow opposition and criticism to discourage him, but remained focus on his assignment. David identified with the Almighty God and relied on the power in the word of God as the ultimate weapon of war. He trusted completely in God for victory to the point of boasting about it. He was ill-equipped for battle because he had no sword, yet he confidently approached his assignment with boldness, and God crowned his efforts with resounding victory. Do you have a mission, vision, or idea that has become a passion in you? Are you in anyway handicapped because of lack of money, human connection, or assistance? Are you in a disadvantaged position because of your family background or upbringing? My friend, do not fret over your situation. Put your trust in God, and your mission will be accomplished in due time in Jesus' Name.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, accelerate the accomplishment of my goals in life by the wisdom of Your Spirit.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : PROVERBS 4-7 and 1 PETER 3:8-4:11

LIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES

Memorise:
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:19
Read: Isaiah 43:15-19
15 I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.
16 Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;
17 Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow.
18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
Message
Jesus is the way into the very presence of God (John 14:6). Through Him, we have access to the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant (Galatians 3:14). How much of these blessings have you received? Jesus Christ is also the way forward in life; He is the way where none exists. After the children of Israel left Egypt, at God's command, they stopped at the Red Sea. While they were by the Red Sea, the Egyptians came chasing hard after them. From the look of things, they had reached their wits' end. They could not go into the sea, and they could not turn back either (Exodus 14:1-18). They began to cry to Moses, and Moses cried to God. The Lord told them to go forward. He became the way across the sea, and they went through. Are you stuck like the Israelites? Do you feel you have exhausted all known avenues and possibilities? Does it appear there is no other way into your destination? Rejoice! There is still a way in! Jesus is the way that can take you to your destination where all else has failed. He will surely take you into your place of joy, blessing and favour.
It is amazing to know that the Lord can go as far as creating new things in old situations in order to make a way that takes you to your place of desire. He gave His word of assurance on this in Isaiah 43:19:
"Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."
As long as the Way works in your favour, be prepared to see new things. If you desire to access promotion, but all existing seats on your next level are occupied, invite the Way in. He can create a new position for you. He can give your superiors the idea of a new department and move you into it. There is no limitation to the new things He can create just to make a way for you. Have the enemies blocked the way into your expected desire? The Lord will create a fresh way for you. He will do a new thing that will accommodate your good desires. As long as you have the Way with you, there are limitless possibilities for you.
Prayer Point:
Father, I thank You for the limitless opportunities at my disposal, and for always making a way for me in all situations.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : PSALM 119:113-126:6 and JAMES 3:13-4:17

QUALITY PRAISE

Quality Praise is the Greatest weapon that undoubtedly provoke God's attention for your increase.
Appreciation and sacrifice of substance is the key that opens the gate of Heaven for the shower of Heaven to be release :
Because God inhabits in the praises of His people, Quality Praise .
LET THE PEOPLE PRAISE THEE, O GOD; LET ALL THE PEOPLE PRAISE THEE.
THEN SHALL THE EARTH YIELD HER INCREASE; AND GOD, EVEN OUR OWN GOD, SHALL BLESS US. PS 67 : 5-7

YE ARE MY WITNESSES

Memorise: Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall

there be after me. Isaiah 43:10

Read: 1st Kings 18:36-39, 36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.

37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.

38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.

Bible in one year: Psalm 105-106, Hebrews 13

A witness is an observer, who having witnessed the occurrence of an event, gives a full and accurate account of what happened. God emphasises the role and importance of witnessing. He has also given detailed instructions about the conduct of witnesses, whether in evangelism, legal processing or in general affairs of the church. In several passages of the Bible, God repeatedly called on us to be His witnesses (Isaiah 43:12b, Luke 24:48). Mostly importantly, Jesus in Acts 1:8 said this to His disciples:

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

This confirms that one of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to equip and empower the Body of Christ for the purpose of witnessing. Therefore, witnessing is a major assignment of the Church. The role of Christians as witnesses is not limited to our immediate community; rather it extends to the uttermost parts of the earth.

Why is witnessing so important that God lays so much emphasis on it? First and foremost, it is to prove Him as the only true God who created all things by His wisdom and determines the course of all things (Acts 17:24-28). Whenever God says “ye are My witnesses”, it is to prove Him as a covenant keeping God who always brings His words to pass in the life of His people (Numbers 23:19). The emphasis on witnessing is also to prove that human disobedience is always as a result of unbelief and unwarranted stubborn rebellion. So, we are to constantly testify or witness about sin and righteousness to ourselves as believers, and against the ungodly people of this world (Isaiah 59:12, Mathew 24:14).

Finally, the emphasis on witnessing may also indicate a systematic build-up of evidence against those who refuse to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Jude 1:15 reveals that heaven will present convincing evidence against the ungodly on the day of judgement. Be warned, Jesus is coming soon!

Prayer Point

Father, I surrender all to You today, please wipe away all evil reports that testify against me, and help me to live holy from this day onward in Jesus name.

He is waiting for you !!!

Jeremiah 3:7

New International Version (NIV)
7) I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it.
What sin have you committed that kept u away from GOD, hmm, He is merciful and waiting for you ...

PROVOKED TO PURPOSE

Sermon 4 2day.. 

Topic: PROVOKED TO PURPOSE
*************************
Text: 4 And whenever the time came for
Elkanah to make an offering, he would
give portions to Peninnah his wife and to
all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he would give a double portion,
for he loved Hannah, although the Lord
had closed her womb. 6 And her rival
also provoked her severely, to make her
miserable, because the Lord had closed
her womb. 1 Samuel 1:4-6 Are you being provoked by someone or
something that is causing you to be
despondent because of your season
barrenness? Has these problems led to
rejection, ostracism, hopelessness and
despair? Be not dismayed, God is about to take you out of your barren state and
cause you to become fruitful. While
Penninnah provoked Hannah, Hannah
sought the Lord at the altar. What your
Penninah's don't know is that
provocation leads to positioning and your positioning leads to promotion. God
is about to promote you to your promise.
He will open your womb of success and
cause you to give birth to purpose.
Therefore do not despise your
Penninnah's it is God's deliberate act to display his glory and to give you a story.
YOU ARE BEING PROVOKED TO PURPOSE.
IN JESUS NAME.

UNDEFEATABLE

UNDEFEATABLE? – Sunday December 6th 2015

Memorise: What should we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against

us? Romans 8:31

Read: 1st Samuel 17:45-49, 45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

46 This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

47 And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands.

48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came, and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

Bible in one year: Psalm 81-87, Hebrews 10:19-11:3

MESSAGE!

To be defeated is to be overcome by a physical, spiritual or circumstantial enemy. It could also mean failure to succeed or win in a war, contest, game or temptation. Defeat is usually accompanied with regret, sorrow, pain, shame and even death. It could also result in the loss of freedom, position, title, money and power. When Adam and Eve were defeated by Satan in the Garden of Eden, they lost their lives spiritually, lost their relationship with God, and their exalted position was gone. Out of deep regret and shame, they tried to hide themselves from the presence of the Almighty (Genesis 3:8). Defeat is such a terrible experience that it can cause the defeated to conclude that death is better than life. When Samson, the champion of Israel, was defeated, he lost everything including his confidence and will to survive; so much so that he opted to die (Judges 16:30). In defeat, Ahithophel, the great counsellor, committed suicide (2nd Samuel 17:23). I pray that you will never suffer defeat again in Jesus’ Name.

Meanwhile, defeat can be avoided by trusting in the Lord (Isaiah 26:3) and wearing the spiritual armour prescribed in the word of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). The story of Daniel and Goliath is a good example of what a Christian can do to become un-defeatable (1st Samuel 17). David took a casual walk into the camp of the Israelites to deliver some bread and cheese to his brothers and the captain of their unit. He was not a trained warrior, neither was he in anyway prepared for the battle ahead. He only happened to hear the boastings of Goliath and was challenged by his offensive statements against the Lord. David’s state of mind as he approached the battle is revealed in 1st Samuel 17:47:

“And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands.”

David defeated Goliath by trusting in the Lord and by relying on the power of His word. In 1st Samuel 17:45b, David declared:

…..I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.”

In essence, David was saying: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Are you living a victorious life or wallowing in defeat? Do you want to remain undefeated? Give your life to Jesus now, trust in the Lord with all your heart and be assured that as long as God is on your side, no one can be against you.

Prayer Point

Father, please don’t let me ever suffer any kind of defeat again, in Jesus’ Name.

Reviving Focus on Jesus' Words

Our mission is to proclaim our Lord Jesus' lesson that He was the "sole teacher." (Matthew 23:8-11). He sternly told the apostles they were not to call themselves or anyone else a "teacher"! In John, Jesus explained why when He insisted that the "apostolosis not more important than the one who sent him." (John13:16.) The Greek word apostolos means either the title of Apostle or messenger or one that is sent. Here Jesus meant He was more important than any Apostle or messenger.

Even John the Baptist realized that despite knowing he himself was the greatest prophet who ever lived prior to Jesus (Matthew 11:11), yet he "must decrease" so that unfettered acceptance of Jesus' message would "increase." (John 3:30-31.)

And to treat anyone else's words, particularly from mere correspondence whose author does not claim to quote Jesus, as an authority on the same level with Jesus is to rob Jesus of the authority God gave Him: "All authority has been given me in heaven and on earth." (Matthew 28:18.) For more on this, see our article "The Jesus' Words Only Principle Explained from Numbers 12 & Deut. 18."

WATCH THAT BACKSLIDING

Memorise: The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself. Proverbs 14:14

Read: John 6:66-69, Bible in one year: Judges 20-21, Matthew 28

Backsliding does not happen suddenly. It’s a process that occurs over a period of time, during which a person becomes lax in his thought life and begins to entertain from the path of light to the ways of evil from which one was once saved. There are many prodigal sons and daughters today who have forsaken their first love in the pursuit of materialism. Many workers in the vineyard of God, who started well, have allowed their spiritual fire to grow cold, thereby departing from the faith. Hebrews 10:38 says,

“Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.”

A backslider loses interest in the Lord, in the Bible, in prayer, fellowship and witnessing, and eventually turns to the world. It is like a dog returning to its vomit. You will not backslide in Jesus’ Name. The flesh will always find expression when people fail to focus on spiritual things. The flesh expression when people fail to focus on spiritual things. The flesh clouds the minds of God’s children with such things as idle past-times, sports and television, and fills their heart with junk at the expense of spiritual growth. Before you know it, backsliding would have commenced. Someone who has always been very zealous for God will then begin to miss churchmeetings when there are crucial match fixes. A sister who has been very productive in evangelism will then begin to come late to meetings because of addition to certain television soaps. As Christians who are Heaven bound, we have to be very careful. Let us keep ourselves away from danger zones as much as we can. You have to be very vigilant and sober so that the devil doesn’t drag you to Hell with little things you think do not matter (1st Peter 5:8). Those detrimental “little things” you fail to terminate may end up terminating your destiny (Song of Solomon 2:15)

Remember that even David, a man after God’s heart, fell for Bathsheba. Samson, the Lord’s anointed from the womb, lost his two eyes and was reduced to a prisoner grinding corn inside the enemy’s prison. One of my sons came to me complaining of a problem. He confessed that as every weekend drew to a close; he would get excited, looking forward to the next Monday morning because he would see his secretary again. I told him to disengage her from the job. A proverb in my native tongue says “Stay away from a snake whose head is still intact.” Whatever you can’t control will truncate your destiny. Whatever is capable of destroying your testimony must be avoided. Sometimes you need to apply wisdom and not strength (Ecclesiastes 9:18).

Action Point

Take wise, decisive action on any relationship that has the potential of destroying your testimony.

TAKE ACTION!

TAKE ACTION!

1Know That You're Forgiven
You are no longer condemned. You are forgiven! You are His child. You can make a new start every time you sin... just sincerely confess it and ask God to change you from the inside out. Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." If you have repeatedly fallen into the same sin such as pornography, lying, unforgiveness, substance abuse, gossiping, etc., then go to your pastor, a mentor, or a Christian counselor and ask for their guidance, prayer, and instruction on how to stay strong when you're tempted to sin.
2Preach the Gospel to Yourself
Memorize the following Scriptures so that you can begin relying on God’s Word and the assurance of forgiveness He offers you in Christ, rather than the self-condemnation you may be thinking and feeling.
• “And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” (Hebrews 10:10-14)
• “In him (Christ) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” (Ephesians 1:7)
• “He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:10-12) 

As Christians we will still sin.

But the truth is, we are still sinners and will always battle with sin in our lives because we are inwardly bent towards sin. That is the reason God says in His Word that we need to confess our sins and rely on His promise to cleanse us:

• "Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD' – and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” (Psalm 32:5)
• “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)
• “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
• "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1)

These verses remind us that:

1. As Christians we will still sin.
2. Though we are commanded not to sin, there is forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
3. When we sin, there is a way to restore fellowship with God:

Confess that sin to God and to others.
Repent from the sin, asking God to change the direction of our lives.
Pray for each other; ask someone to pray for us.
Trust that God's promises are true: He has forgiven us and no longer condemns us.

Who We Still Are

Sometimes pride keeps us from admitting our sin or keeps us from forgiving ourselves when we sin as Christians. When this happens we need to tell ourselves the truth about who we still are... sinners saved by grace. Don't let pride keep you from enjoying your relationship with God and don't believe that you are now above the need for God's ongoing grace in your life.

You can begin living in God's grace and accept His ongoing, unconditional forgiveness for the sins you still battle, or the memory of past sin in your life. Realize that as a Christian, you still need to recognize and confess sin in your life. You can have grace for yourself based on God's grace and forgiveness for you when He paid the penalty for all your sins once and for all through His Son's death on the cross 2,000 years ago.

Remember that God's love “covers a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8). We don't know our hearts very well, but God knows us and His forgiveness is complete and eternal because Jesus Christ has paid the penalty for our sins and "not for our sins only, but the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:1-2).

"How can I overcome sin in my Christian life?"

Answer: The Bible presents several different resources to aid us in our effort to overcome sin. In this lifetime, we will never be perfectly victorious over sin (1 John 1:8), but that should still be our goal. With God’s help, and by following the principles of His Word, we can progressively overcome sin and become more and more like Christ. 

The first resource the Bible mentions in our effort to overcome sin is the Holy Spirit. God has given us the Holy Spirit so we can be victorious in Christian living. God contrasts the deeds of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:16-25. In that passage we are called upon to walk in the Spirit. All believers already possess the Holy Spirit, but this passage tells us that we need to walk in the Spirit, yielding to His control. This means choosing to consistently follow the Holy Spirit's prompting in our lives rather than following the flesh.

The difference the Holy Spirit can make is demonstrated in the life of Peter, who, before being filled with the Holy Spirit, denied Jesus three times—and this after he had said he would follow Christ to the death. After being filled with the Spirit, he spoke openly and strongly to the Jews at Pentecost.

We walk in the Spirit as we try not to quench the Spirit’s promptings (as spoken of in 1 Thessalonians 5:19) and seek instead to be filled with the Spirit—that is, to be fully under the Spirit’s control (Ephesians 5:18–21). How is one filled with the Holy Spirit? If sin is what grieves the Spirit and hinders His filling, then obedience to God is how the filling of the Spirit is maintained. We should pray that we be filled with the Spirit, immerse ourselves in God’s Word (Colossians 3:16), and walk in obedience to God’s commands. This gives the Spirit freedom to work within our thoughts and actions.

Reviving Focus on Jesus' Words

Our mission is to proclaim our Lord Jesus' lesson that He was the "sole teacher." (Matthew 23:8-11). He sternly told the apostles they were not to call themselves or anyone else a "teacher"! In John, Jesus explained why when He insisted that the "apostolosis not more important than the one who sent him." (John13:16.) The Greek word apostolos means either the title of Apostle or messenger or one that is sent. Here Jesus meant He was more important than any Apostle or messenger.

Even John the Baptist realized that despite knowing he himself was the greatest prophet who ever lived prior to Jesus (Matthew 11:11), yet he "must decrease" so that unfettered acceptance of Jesus' message would "increase." (John 3:30-31.)

And to treat anyone else's words, particularly from mere correspondence whose author does not claim to quote Jesus, as an authority on the same level with Jesus is to rob Jesus of the authority God gave Him: "All authority has been given me in heaven and on earth." (Matthew 28:18.) For more on this, see our article "The Jesus' Words Only Principle Explained from Numbers 12 & Deut. 18."