Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. AMOS 3 : 7.
READ : 2 KING 6 : 8 - 13 :
8 Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.
9 And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.
10 And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.
11 Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?
12 And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.
13 And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.
MESSAGE :
There is power in the glorious presence of God where many wonderful things take place, including having access to great revelations and instructions which makes living pleasant. God is supreme and He is the power behind all that happens in the deep and secret places. God will not do anything without informing His prophets. The prophet of God is a messenger of the Most High God. From the passage for today, we can see that over and over again, the Syrian aggression against the children of Israel kept leading to the defeat of the Syrian army. It reoccurred to a point in which the King of Syria knew there was a problem somewhere, he came to the conclusion that there must be a traitor somewhere who was revealing all their military tactics to the Israelites. In the long run, they discovered that there was an unseen prophet in the background who was counseling the King of Israel from time to time about the plots of the Syrian army. I decree into your life; all the weapons of the enemy against you shall be exposed in Jesus' name. There is nothing as great as hearing from God because it helps you to avoid many great mistakes in life, and helps you to do great things for God in life. When you are in partnership with God, He will always speak to you concerning things to come before they eventually happen. You will have access to certain classified information and this will help you to maintain your stand against all odds. Knowledge is an important tool and is key to the life of a believer. This is what separated Daniel in the kingdom of Babylon and he became a reference point for different kings in different situations. Daniel had access to vital information which separated him from the crowd.
When you have access to the knowledge of God, nothing will trouble you because you are aware of those things before hand. Understanding gives you the privilege to know the mind of God. When you don't have access to divine knowledge, it can lead to a lot of suffering and hardship. If you want to have access to this divine knowledge, you must purpose in your heart not to defile yourself with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life. Those that will have access to information from God will be people who understand the heartbeat of God.
There is a God in heaven that reveals to His children vital information from time to time. I always tell my children that if they have enough of God's Presence in their lives, demons will have no power over them, because the activities of the demons will be revealed and destroyed before they are even executed. Right from my early years as General Overseer, I had learnt the secret of victory by spending time in the presence of God, and each time I am in His presence, He reveals deep things to me about different situations of life. I want to implore you to decide to spend enough time in His presence, and you will see the devil fleeing from your life. In His presence there is full disclosure of all the activities of the devil so that you live your life in constant victory.
PRAYER POINT : Father, remove everything hindering me from hearing from You.
BIBLE IN ONE : ISAIAH 63 : 15 - 66 : 24 AND PSALMS 43.
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Saturday, August 27, 2016
NOTHING GOES FOR NOTHING
And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, MATTHEW 17 : 1.
READ : MATTHEWS 17 : 14 - 21 :
14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
MESSAGE :
In secular environments, it takes diligence to get to the top and it takes even more diligence to remain there. There are many people who work really hard to get to the top but upon getting there, they soon begin to relax. Diligence is even more important when it comes to spiritual responsibilities. You need to work hard to have an encounter with God but you need to work twice as hard to keep your encounter intact. To get the answer to all your requests, you have to invest a lot of time before God. Many people just get born again and begin to relax. If you want to command the miraculous you must be ready to pay the price. You have to keep running until you get to the finish line. There are people who have not given God their entire lives, yet they want God to always respond to all their requests. If you want a spiritual transformation in your life, you have to give attention and seriousness to the business of growing daily. Following Jesus Christ could be very costly, His standards are always high and He will never compromise His standard for anyone. If you want to operate in the miraculous, you must be willing to die daily. Self-denial is a basic qualification for discipleship and there are many courses you have to register for in the school of exploits. That includes fasting while others are feasting. It includes praying while others are sleeping. You have to study the Bible while others are spending time on things that will not add significant value to their lives. It involves spiritual discipline while some people are wasting their time away. Paul testified that he kept his body under in order to win the prize. Keeping the body under is self-denial. You are deliberately doing something to achieve something. Somebody asked me how I am able to fast for many days and I replied that it is always very easy for me to do so because each time I want to start a long fast I just go to the calender and count the number of days I want to go and I tell my stomach "look at that day very well, that is the time next time we shall be taking food" it is as simple as that.
To command supernatural situations, nothing goes for nothing. You have to engage in spiritual exercises ;
"Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." Matthew 17 : 21.
If Jesus said "men ought to pray and not to faint" ( Luke 18 : 1 ), it is very obvious that prayer covers a wide range of issues that should keep one very vigilant. It is in the place of prayer that there is a guarantee of continuous Open Heavens for every child of God. At the same time, there are many people who have lost many opportunities because of their understanding of the significant prayer in commanding the release of their heart desires. Fasting is not just a religious exercise as some think. When you engage in fasting, you are equipping yourself with strong weapons to counter every attack of the wicked ones and take your victory in every battle of life. When faith is actively coupled with prayer and fasting, there is nothing that can stop your prayers from being answered. Every barrier that wants to stand on your way will always give in like we observed in the case of Daniel with the prince of Persia.
KEY POINT : Fasting and prayer is a combined spiritual weapon that commands the miraculous.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ISAIAH 56 : 9 - 59 : 21 AND PSALMS 41.
READ : MATTHEWS 17 : 14 - 21 :
14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
MESSAGE :
In secular environments, it takes diligence to get to the top and it takes even more diligence to remain there. There are many people who work really hard to get to the top but upon getting there, they soon begin to relax. Diligence is even more important when it comes to spiritual responsibilities. You need to work hard to have an encounter with God but you need to work twice as hard to keep your encounter intact. To get the answer to all your requests, you have to invest a lot of time before God. Many people just get born again and begin to relax. If you want to command the miraculous you must be ready to pay the price. You have to keep running until you get to the finish line. There are people who have not given God their entire lives, yet they want God to always respond to all their requests. If you want a spiritual transformation in your life, you have to give attention and seriousness to the business of growing daily. Following Jesus Christ could be very costly, His standards are always high and He will never compromise His standard for anyone. If you want to operate in the miraculous, you must be willing to die daily. Self-denial is a basic qualification for discipleship and there are many courses you have to register for in the school of exploits. That includes fasting while others are feasting. It includes praying while others are sleeping. You have to study the Bible while others are spending time on things that will not add significant value to their lives. It involves spiritual discipline while some people are wasting their time away. Paul testified that he kept his body under in order to win the prize. Keeping the body under is self-denial. You are deliberately doing something to achieve something. Somebody asked me how I am able to fast for many days and I replied that it is always very easy for me to do so because each time I want to start a long fast I just go to the calender and count the number of days I want to go and I tell my stomach "look at that day very well, that is the time next time we shall be taking food" it is as simple as that.
To command supernatural situations, nothing goes for nothing. You have to engage in spiritual exercises ;
"Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." Matthew 17 : 21.
If Jesus said "men ought to pray and not to faint" ( Luke 18 : 1 ), it is very obvious that prayer covers a wide range of issues that should keep one very vigilant. It is in the place of prayer that there is a guarantee of continuous Open Heavens for every child of God. At the same time, there are many people who have lost many opportunities because of their understanding of the significant prayer in commanding the release of their heart desires. Fasting is not just a religious exercise as some think. When you engage in fasting, you are equipping yourself with strong weapons to counter every attack of the wicked ones and take your victory in every battle of life. When faith is actively coupled with prayer and fasting, there is nothing that can stop your prayers from being answered. Every barrier that wants to stand on your way will always give in like we observed in the case of Daniel with the prince of Persia.
KEY POINT : Fasting and prayer is a combined spiritual weapon that commands the miraculous.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ISAIAH 56 : 9 - 59 : 21 AND PSALMS 41.
Friday, August 26, 2016
YOU NEED DELIVERANCE?
And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing. ISAIAH 10 : 27.
READ : DEUTERONOMY 28 : 25 - 48 :
25 The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.
26 And thy carcase shall be meat unto all fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall fray them away.
27 The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.
28 The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart:
29 And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee.
30 Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof.
31 Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof: thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee: thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them.
32 Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long; and there shall be no might in thine hand.
33 The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway:
34 So that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
35 The LORD shall smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head.
36 The LORD shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone.
37 And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the LORD shall lead thee.
38 Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it.
39 Thou shalt plant vineyards, and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them.
40 Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy coasts, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive shall cast his fruit.
41 Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity.
42 All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume.
43 The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low.
44 He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.
45 Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee:
46 And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever.
47 Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;
48 Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.
MESSAGE :
There are many people who are carrying different loads in life. There are weights, burdens and yokes that are delaying many people and stopping them from becoming what God wants them to become. When an individual is in bondage, there are limits to what he can achieve. This may mean that there is an urgent need for deliverance. God is the ultimate deliverer and I want to assure you that everything that is unpleasant in your life shall be made beautiful in Jesus' name. There are people that appear alright, but they have long standing problems. I decree that the Almighty God will turn all of your unpleasant situations into beautiful testimonies in Jesus' name.
"Whereas thou has been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations." Isaiah 60 : 15.
There are people who have been rejected by others but in the hour of deliverance, these same people will gather people for the celebration of greatness of God in their lives. In the hour of deliverance, wealth will begin to replace poverty in the lives of such people. When deliverance begins, there will be a full restoration of all that has been denied for so many years.
If you align yourself with the will of God this moment, God will begin to be your light. You will walk through darkness and nothing will harm you because the deliverance of God has located you. God wants to deliver you from the power and fears of those whom you cannot handle by your strength. God does not want your life as a believer to be at the mercy of sinners. The blood of Jesus is for your freedom, to deliver you from the tyranny of sin and death. If you allow God to deliver you, the yoke of sickness, poverty, stagnation, unemployment, and fruitlessness will not only be taken away, but it shall be destroyed totally. Moses told the children of Israel to look back and behold th Egyptians, because the Egyptians they were seeing that day would never be seen again in their lives. And the Almighty God sank all the Egyptians and their weapons of war into the sea at that moment. As a child of the Almighty God, you can be sure that there is no weapon formed against you spiritually, physically or administratively that will prosper.
Have you been in bondage? Have you been a victim of situations and circumstances? Are there certain precious things you desire but are outside your control? Are you weeping silently while others think you are happy? I decree once again that your hour of deliverance is here in Jesus' name. That great man called Naaman was a leper but when his hour of deliverance arrived, he dipped himself into river Jordan seven times as instructed, and his skin was wholly replaced. No single sign of loss was found in him. It is in that same Spirit that I want you to know that your freedom has arrived. There will be a complete turnaround in a positive direction in your life in Jesus' name.
KEY POINT : When God sets you free, you are free indeed.
READ : DEUTERONOMY 28 : 25 - 48 :
25 The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.
26 And thy carcase shall be meat unto all fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall fray them away.
27 The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.
28 The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart:
29 And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee.
30 Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof.
31 Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof: thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee: thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them.
32 Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long; and there shall be no might in thine hand.
33 The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway:
34 So that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
35 The LORD shall smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head.
36 The LORD shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone.
37 And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the LORD shall lead thee.
38 Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it.
39 Thou shalt plant vineyards, and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them.
40 Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy coasts, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive shall cast his fruit.
41 Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity.
42 All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume.
43 The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low.
44 He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.
45 Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee:
46 And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever.
47 Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;
48 Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.
MESSAGE :
There are many people who are carrying different loads in life. There are weights, burdens and yokes that are delaying many people and stopping them from becoming what God wants them to become. When an individual is in bondage, there are limits to what he can achieve. This may mean that there is an urgent need for deliverance. God is the ultimate deliverer and I want to assure you that everything that is unpleasant in your life shall be made beautiful in Jesus' name. There are people that appear alright, but they have long standing problems. I decree that the Almighty God will turn all of your unpleasant situations into beautiful testimonies in Jesus' name.
"Whereas thou has been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations." Isaiah 60 : 15.
There are people who have been rejected by others but in the hour of deliverance, these same people will gather people for the celebration of greatness of God in their lives. In the hour of deliverance, wealth will begin to replace poverty in the lives of such people. When deliverance begins, there will be a full restoration of all that has been denied for so many years.
If you align yourself with the will of God this moment, God will begin to be your light. You will walk through darkness and nothing will harm you because the deliverance of God has located you. God wants to deliver you from the power and fears of those whom you cannot handle by your strength. God does not want your life as a believer to be at the mercy of sinners. The blood of Jesus is for your freedom, to deliver you from the tyranny of sin and death. If you allow God to deliver you, the yoke of sickness, poverty, stagnation, unemployment, and fruitlessness will not only be taken away, but it shall be destroyed totally. Moses told the children of Israel to look back and behold th Egyptians, because the Egyptians they were seeing that day would never be seen again in their lives. And the Almighty God sank all the Egyptians and their weapons of war into the sea at that moment. As a child of the Almighty God, you can be sure that there is no weapon formed against you spiritually, physically or administratively that will prosper.
Have you been in bondage? Have you been a victim of situations and circumstances? Are there certain precious things you desire but are outside your control? Are you weeping silently while others think you are happy? I decree once again that your hour of deliverance is here in Jesus' name. That great man called Naaman was a leper but when his hour of deliverance arrived, he dipped himself into river Jordan seven times as instructed, and his skin was wholly replaced. No single sign of loss was found in him. It is in that same Spirit that I want you to know that your freedom has arrived. There will be a complete turnaround in a positive direction in your life in Jesus' name.
KEY POINT : When God sets you free, you are free indeed.
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
THE ULTIMATE GOAL
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3
Read: Matthew 5:1-10
5:1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a
mountain: and when he was set, his disciples
came unto him:
5:2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them,
saying,
5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be
comforted.
5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit
the earth.
5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst
after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain
mercy.
5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall
see God.
5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall
be called the children of God.
5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for
righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.
MESSAGE
God’s eternal purpose for calling us into His
kingdom is to make us a people that will be
conformed to the image of His son Jesus Christ.
The moment we surrender our lives to Christ, our
focus must change and our goals in life must be
tailored towards His ultimate purpose. You
become separated from the crowd, you become a
disciple of Jesus and the love of Christ becomes
your preoccupation. Nothing satisfies better than
the relationship you enjoy with the Father. You
begin to have access to deep secrets because you
are now His disciple. Your goal must change
because you have become separated from sin and
a worldly lifestyle. All those that encountered God
had to focus on His ultimate goal for their lives.
Joseph knew that he could of his own achieve
nothing, so he began to follow the plan of God for
his life. He focused on the ultimate goal and the
Almighty God assisted him and gave him
understanding, which made him to stand out. He
learnt so many things as he was working towards
God’s plan and purpose for his life. He became
humble and grace was released into his life.
Those who are always full of their achievements
and accomplishments in life can never amount to
anything significant before God because they will
become blinded by their success. For outstanding
goals to be achieved by you, there is the need to
depend on the Almighty God.
An understanding of your spiritual poverty is the
only gateway into entering into the provision and
abundance of the Almighty God. It is
acknowledging your deficiencies and realising that
you are bankrupt and you need the help of
Heaven to achieve the ultimate goal that God has
lined up for you. King Solomon understood this
and came to God to ask for help in knowing how
to go about his daily business of administering
the affairs of the kingdom. The moment God is
removed from your life, you have nothing more to
give to life. This is why you have to be meek
before God. You must demonstrate meekness as
you move on in life because the place that God is
taking you to is a great place. You cannot afford
to be proud. It is only the power of God that can
guarantee your getting there, not by your own
strength. Meekness is an attribute of Christ, and
also one of the fruits of the Spirit. We must
follow the path of meekness in our daily lives. It
means your flesh must be crucified and the
natural man in you must give in for the power of
God to fill you.
When Joseph’s brothers were about to sell him
into slavery, they thought they had gotten rid of
the dreamer and his dreams, but they did not
know they were only helping him in orchestrating
the plan and purpose of God for his life. They
became vehicles through which the young
dreamer got to his ultimate destination in life.
This is why you need to know that all things will
always work together for good in the life of those
who allow Jesus to be their personal Lord and
Saviour. As long as you remain in the perfect will
of God, and you are obedient to the ultimate goal
that He has set for your life, you can be sure you
will get to your destination. Dare to trust God and
stop struggling to fight your battles by yourself.
With God on your side, you will reach your goal.
Key Point:
The plan and purpose of God for a man is the
best that can ever happen to him.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Isaiah 49-51
Psalms 40:1-10
kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3
Read: Matthew 5:1-10
5:1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a
mountain: and when he was set, his disciples
came unto him:
5:2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them,
saying,
5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be
comforted.
5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit
the earth.
5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst
after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain
mercy.
5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall
see God.
5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall
be called the children of God.
5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for
righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.
MESSAGE
God’s eternal purpose for calling us into His
kingdom is to make us a people that will be
conformed to the image of His son Jesus Christ.
The moment we surrender our lives to Christ, our
focus must change and our goals in life must be
tailored towards His ultimate purpose. You
become separated from the crowd, you become a
disciple of Jesus and the love of Christ becomes
your preoccupation. Nothing satisfies better than
the relationship you enjoy with the Father. You
begin to have access to deep secrets because you
are now His disciple. Your goal must change
because you have become separated from sin and
a worldly lifestyle. All those that encountered God
had to focus on His ultimate goal for their lives.
Joseph knew that he could of his own achieve
nothing, so he began to follow the plan of God for
his life. He focused on the ultimate goal and the
Almighty God assisted him and gave him
understanding, which made him to stand out. He
learnt so many things as he was working towards
God’s plan and purpose for his life. He became
humble and grace was released into his life.
Those who are always full of their achievements
and accomplishments in life can never amount to
anything significant before God because they will
become blinded by their success. For outstanding
goals to be achieved by you, there is the need to
depend on the Almighty God.
An understanding of your spiritual poverty is the
only gateway into entering into the provision and
abundance of the Almighty God. It is
acknowledging your deficiencies and realising that
you are bankrupt and you need the help of
Heaven to achieve the ultimate goal that God has
lined up for you. King Solomon understood this
and came to God to ask for help in knowing how
to go about his daily business of administering
the affairs of the kingdom. The moment God is
removed from your life, you have nothing more to
give to life. This is why you have to be meek
before God. You must demonstrate meekness as
you move on in life because the place that God is
taking you to is a great place. You cannot afford
to be proud. It is only the power of God that can
guarantee your getting there, not by your own
strength. Meekness is an attribute of Christ, and
also one of the fruits of the Spirit. We must
follow the path of meekness in our daily lives. It
means your flesh must be crucified and the
natural man in you must give in for the power of
God to fill you.
When Joseph’s brothers were about to sell him
into slavery, they thought they had gotten rid of
the dreamer and his dreams, but they did not
know they were only helping him in orchestrating
the plan and purpose of God for his life. They
became vehicles through which the young
dreamer got to his ultimate destination in life.
This is why you need to know that all things will
always work together for good in the life of those
who allow Jesus to be their personal Lord and
Saviour. As long as you remain in the perfect will
of God, and you are obedient to the ultimate goal
that He has set for your life, you can be sure you
will get to your destination. Dare to trust God and
stop struggling to fight your battles by yourself.
With God on your side, you will reach your goal.
Key Point:
The plan and purpose of God for a man is the
best that can ever happen to him.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Isaiah 49-51
Psalms 40:1-10
HEALED THROUGH OBEDIENCE
His mother saith unto the savants, whatever he saith unto you do it. JOHN 2 : 5.
READ : 2 KINGS 5 : 9 - 14 :
9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.
13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
MESSAGE :
Every genuine child of God has a covenant right of divine health amongst other things. When I became born again, I did not believe in divine healing and I used to say that those pastors preaching about divine healing were looking for whom to kill. It was the testimony of an old man who shared how he challenged the devil who was mocking him in his sickness that made me to believe that divine healing is possible. In Exodus 15 : 26, God said :
“I am the Lord that healeth thee”.
The one asking you not to fear is the original physician. The storms of sicknesses and disease are much more dangerous than any other form of attack against humanity. Diseases and sicknesses have different durations in the human body. There are some that last a few days and there are some that last for years. God’s ultimate plan for His children is to live a life that is not afflicted with sickness. He is interested in our wellbeing. Healing is possible and it can be obtained through faith and in obedience to the Word of God.
When one is suffering from one form of sickness or the other, it affects other things. It drains the finances of its victim and causes stagnation. There are many colourful dreams that have been aborted as a result of sickness. There are many wealthy people who have become poor because a sickness drained their finances. The anointing of Jesus Christ is to destroy all that God has not planted in your life. Jesus came to destroy the yoke of sickness and this is why I want you to know that your case is not impossible with Jesus. However, there are certain instructions that you may have to work with if you want your miracle to be permanent. Our Bible passage reveals the story of the Syrian army officer who was highly ranked but was suffering from a particular sickness. The man of God asked him to go and wash in the Jordan River seven times for him to be healed of his sickness. It took the intervention of a God-sent messenger for him to access his miracles. He would have lost the miracle of healing that he had been longing for. He saw the instruction as ridiculous. I have seen over and over again that instructions that look very simple are always ignored by people, yet, it is the secret required for their breakthrough. This officer thought the river was too dirty for him and he began to list many exclusive rivers, but the man of God was specific about the river and the number of times he had to enter the river. Obedience to the instruction of God is very crucial to the release of our miracles in life. This man dipped himself into the Jordan River six times and nothing happened. It wasn’t until he entered the seventh time that his skin became changed and he received his healing. He dipped himself into the river and his flesh became like that of a baby.
Why are you still in that problem? Could it be that there are certain instructions given to you and you have not obeyed or your obedience has not been complete? You need to check yourself. The miracle you need is right beside you; just do what Jesus has asked of you and you will see your miracle being delivered without further delay.
PRAYER POINT : Father, remove every self-inflicted hindrance to my miracle in Jesus’ name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : ISAIAH 45 : 14 - 48 : 22 AND PSALMS 39.
READ : 2 KINGS 5 : 9 - 14 :
9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.
13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
MESSAGE :
Every genuine child of God has a covenant right of divine health amongst other things. When I became born again, I did not believe in divine healing and I used to say that those pastors preaching about divine healing were looking for whom to kill. It was the testimony of an old man who shared how he challenged the devil who was mocking him in his sickness that made me to believe that divine healing is possible. In Exodus 15 : 26, God said :
“I am the Lord that healeth thee”.
The one asking you not to fear is the original physician. The storms of sicknesses and disease are much more dangerous than any other form of attack against humanity. Diseases and sicknesses have different durations in the human body. There are some that last a few days and there are some that last for years. God’s ultimate plan for His children is to live a life that is not afflicted with sickness. He is interested in our wellbeing. Healing is possible and it can be obtained through faith and in obedience to the Word of God.
When one is suffering from one form of sickness or the other, it affects other things. It drains the finances of its victim and causes stagnation. There are many colourful dreams that have been aborted as a result of sickness. There are many wealthy people who have become poor because a sickness drained their finances. The anointing of Jesus Christ is to destroy all that God has not planted in your life. Jesus came to destroy the yoke of sickness and this is why I want you to know that your case is not impossible with Jesus. However, there are certain instructions that you may have to work with if you want your miracle to be permanent. Our Bible passage reveals the story of the Syrian army officer who was highly ranked but was suffering from a particular sickness. The man of God asked him to go and wash in the Jordan River seven times for him to be healed of his sickness. It took the intervention of a God-sent messenger for him to access his miracles. He would have lost the miracle of healing that he had been longing for. He saw the instruction as ridiculous. I have seen over and over again that instructions that look very simple are always ignored by people, yet, it is the secret required for their breakthrough. This officer thought the river was too dirty for him and he began to list many exclusive rivers, but the man of God was specific about the river and the number of times he had to enter the river. Obedience to the instruction of God is very crucial to the release of our miracles in life. This man dipped himself into the Jordan River six times and nothing happened. It wasn’t until he entered the seventh time that his skin became changed and he received his healing. He dipped himself into the river and his flesh became like that of a baby.
Why are you still in that problem? Could it be that there are certain instructions given to you and you have not obeyed or your obedience has not been complete? You need to check yourself. The miracle you need is right beside you; just do what Jesus has asked of you and you will see your miracle being delivered without further delay.
PRAYER POINT : Father, remove every self-inflicted hindrance to my miracle in Jesus’ name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : ISAIAH 45 : 14 - 48 : 22 AND PSALMS 39.
Monday, August 22, 2016
BE FAITHFUL
Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. 1 CORINTHIANS 4 : 2.
READ : LUKE 12 : 37 - 44 :
37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
39 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
41 Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?
42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
MESSAGE :
One of the reasons why God saved us is that He wants to partner with us in His kingdom. God is in search of faithful men, He is looking for people who will produce fruits of righteousness within and without. Faithfulness in the discharge of whatever assignment God has given us is a proof that we are partners with Him. Our assignments must be done in a manner that will bring glory and honour to Him. As teachers of the Word, we are not permitted to teach what is convenient; we have to teach the absolute Word of God. As pastors in our churches, it is required of us to be found faithful and have a good oversight over the flock of Jesus. As co-labourers in the vineyard, we must not do anything without the Master’s instruction. We must do it according to His prescription. There are many people today who are in ministry but are running it as convenient. This will not meet the requirement of the Owner of the work when He comes with His reward. Ministers of the gospel must make effort to have a good conscience and to earn trustworthiness on the part of those they are presiding over.
As children of God, we must be in the business of building His Kingdom in expectation of His return. We are stewards of the Most-High God and much trust has been committed into our hands. The work of God must not be handled anyhow. It should not be seen as something that should be done with indulgence. The expectation is much and one must be faithful and wise so as to be rewarded. No matter the difficulties one meets on the way, one must forge ahead as a Christian soldiers and fulfil the ministry which has been committed into his hand.
“He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.”
Revelations 22 : 11.
It is the motive with which you desire to do things that will be judge. By the time the hour of reward comes, there will be different levels of reward for different people based on how they have fared in the business of God. By the time Jesus returns, He will not return empty-handed. This is why those who are lazy need to challenge themselves to do something profitable before it is too late. Hard work is expected and those living a life of holiness must continue to strive for a life that glorifies God. You cannot deceive God, you cannot cheat God. I can assure you that whatever you do for God, He will reward you in due season. Nobody trades with God and loses. Nobody partners with God without having something great to show for it. God is always faithful to His word and promises. I always pity those who expect their reward to come from their spiritual head. It is very possible for the General Overseer to forget you and your labour of love. He may not even know you are somewhere working. He sees only what is within his range of vision, but there is a God who sees beyond the reach of any General Overseer or Senior Pastor.
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” Galatians 6 : 7.
If you are praying, remain faithful in your prayer ministry. If you know how to praise God keep on praising Him. If you know how to give quality offerings, keep it up. Keep on paying your tithe. I can guarantee you that your reward is coming.
PRAYER POINT : Father, please help me not to be found wanting in faithfulness in Jesus’ name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : ISAIAH 43 : 1 - 45 : 13 AND PSALMS 38.
READ : LUKE 12 : 37 - 44 :
37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
39 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
41 Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?
42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
MESSAGE :
One of the reasons why God saved us is that He wants to partner with us in His kingdom. God is in search of faithful men, He is looking for people who will produce fruits of righteousness within and without. Faithfulness in the discharge of whatever assignment God has given us is a proof that we are partners with Him. Our assignments must be done in a manner that will bring glory and honour to Him. As teachers of the Word, we are not permitted to teach what is convenient; we have to teach the absolute Word of God. As pastors in our churches, it is required of us to be found faithful and have a good oversight over the flock of Jesus. As co-labourers in the vineyard, we must not do anything without the Master’s instruction. We must do it according to His prescription. There are many people today who are in ministry but are running it as convenient. This will not meet the requirement of the Owner of the work when He comes with His reward. Ministers of the gospel must make effort to have a good conscience and to earn trustworthiness on the part of those they are presiding over.
As children of God, we must be in the business of building His Kingdom in expectation of His return. We are stewards of the Most-High God and much trust has been committed into our hands. The work of God must not be handled anyhow. It should not be seen as something that should be done with indulgence. The expectation is much and one must be faithful and wise so as to be rewarded. No matter the difficulties one meets on the way, one must forge ahead as a Christian soldiers and fulfil the ministry which has been committed into his hand.
“He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.”
Revelations 22 : 11.
It is the motive with which you desire to do things that will be judge. By the time the hour of reward comes, there will be different levels of reward for different people based on how they have fared in the business of God. By the time Jesus returns, He will not return empty-handed. This is why those who are lazy need to challenge themselves to do something profitable before it is too late. Hard work is expected and those living a life of holiness must continue to strive for a life that glorifies God. You cannot deceive God, you cannot cheat God. I can assure you that whatever you do for God, He will reward you in due season. Nobody trades with God and loses. Nobody partners with God without having something great to show for it. God is always faithful to His word and promises. I always pity those who expect their reward to come from their spiritual head. It is very possible for the General Overseer to forget you and your labour of love. He may not even know you are somewhere working. He sees only what is within his range of vision, but there is a God who sees beyond the reach of any General Overseer or Senior Pastor.
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” Galatians 6 : 7.
If you are praying, remain faithful in your prayer ministry. If you know how to praise God keep on praising Him. If you know how to give quality offerings, keep it up. Keep on paying your tithe. I can guarantee you that your reward is coming.
PRAYER POINT : Father, please help me not to be found wanting in faithfulness in Jesus’ name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : ISAIAH 43 : 1 - 45 : 13 AND PSALMS 38.
Saturday, August 20, 2016
CUMBERED WITH DEPRESSION?
But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
1 Kings 19:4
Read: 1 Kings 19:1-8
19:1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.
19:2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.
19:3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.
19:4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
19:5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
19:6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
19:7 And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.
19:8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.
MESSAGE
Depression is a deep sense of despondency, discouragement and sadness that is often linked with a sense of personal helplessness, a loss of meaning in life and enthusiasm for living. Some common symptoms of depression include self-condemnation, deep sorrow, a loathing of life and a desire to end it. Bible records show evidence of depression in the behaviour of some personalities such as Elijah, King Saul, King David, Jonah, Hagar, Judah Iscariot, etc. Today's memory verse says;
"But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers."
The devil is very bad. It is absolutely impossible to believe that the person credited with the above statement was the same Elijah, who just a few hours before stood against 400 prophets of Baal, and with the help of God, destroyed them all. Before the dust of the celebrations could settle, the devil had succeeded in driving fear and discouragement into him. He suddenly lost confidence in the God that performed such a marvellous miracle that shook the entire country. Depression got hold of him at such a fast rate that within hours of celebrating victory, his mood had swung to the extreme of requesting to die. Some of the prevailing conditions that could lead to depression so quickly include, serious sin, loss of sense of God's presence, fear of failure, oppression, threats, fear of judgment, loneliness and deep sorrow. I decree in the Name that is above all other names; the Lord is bringing you out of depression today. The joy of the Lord is your strength. Just hold on to the Word of God in Philippians 4:6-7 that says;
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Prayer Point:
Father, please completely destroy the power of depression in my life in Jesus' name.
1 Kings 19:4
Read: 1 Kings 19:1-8
19:1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.
19:2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.
19:3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.
19:4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
19:5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
19:6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
19:7 And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.
19:8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.
MESSAGE
Depression is a deep sense of despondency, discouragement and sadness that is often linked with a sense of personal helplessness, a loss of meaning in life and enthusiasm for living. Some common symptoms of depression include self-condemnation, deep sorrow, a loathing of life and a desire to end it. Bible records show evidence of depression in the behaviour of some personalities such as Elijah, King Saul, King David, Jonah, Hagar, Judah Iscariot, etc. Today's memory verse says;
"But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers."
The devil is very bad. It is absolutely impossible to believe that the person credited with the above statement was the same Elijah, who just a few hours before stood against 400 prophets of Baal, and with the help of God, destroyed them all. Before the dust of the celebrations could settle, the devil had succeeded in driving fear and discouragement into him. He suddenly lost confidence in the God that performed such a marvellous miracle that shook the entire country. Depression got hold of him at such a fast rate that within hours of celebrating victory, his mood had swung to the extreme of requesting to die. Some of the prevailing conditions that could lead to depression so quickly include, serious sin, loss of sense of God's presence, fear of failure, oppression, threats, fear of judgment, loneliness and deep sorrow. I decree in the Name that is above all other names; the Lord is bringing you out of depression today. The joy of the Lord is your strength. Just hold on to the Word of God in Philippians 4:6-7 that says;
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Prayer Point:
Father, please completely destroy the power of depression in my life in Jesus' name.
Thursday, August 18, 2016
THAT WE MAY BE RICH.
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. 2 CORINTHIANS 8 : 9.
READ : JOHN 10 : 9 - 11 :
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
MESSAGE :
The death of Jesus was for a purpose and that purpose is to ensure that you fulfil your destiny. Jesus sacrificed Himself for your redemption. He took your place and gave you His. It is upon this arrangement that you have access to all that He provided. The death of Jesus was not in vain, it is a substitution for all your human weaknesses and deficiencies. God is not only interested in making you saved; He is interested in you having all that is available in the salvation package. I decree that whatever will not make you enjoy the full benefits of salvation shall be destroyed in Jesus’ name. Just for your sake, Jesus was born into very poor circumstances, He lived a poor life and died in poverty; and all these was that such things do not happen in your life. He voluntarily did all that, so that you might be rich. The riches even cover your divine health; by His stripes you are healed. I command every sickness and disease operating in your body to be uprooted in Jesus’ name. His death is so that you might be rich in deliverance. There are many people attending deliverance services but are yet to be free. If you appropriate the death of Jesus into your situation, there should be freedom for you.
“And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free”
John 8 : 32.
As believers of the new covenant, you are to be rich in the love and favour of the Almighty God. You are to be rich in the blessing and promises of the new covenant. You are to be rich in your expectation of eternal life. When you give your life to Jesus Christ, there is happiness in your life not only by the things you have but by the experience you have in Him. The Lord Jesus becomes the shepherd of your soul and He guarantees your protection so that you enjoy the riches of His divine security. Nothing scares you any longer because He that now watches over your soul does not sleep nor slumber. You become rich in abundance and the yoke of poverty becomes destroyed. You will be practically guided on how to enjoy the benefits of His riches through His goodness and mercy.
This is why you must not allow the devil see your life as being vacant. The devil is out to kill, to steal and to destroy but when you give Jesus a chance in your life, you will experience a turnaround from poverty to wealth. The devil has nothing good to offer you. In the end, his offers lead to destruction and disgrace, but the riches of God are permanent. The Joy of God is real; the peace of God is timeless. The abundance of God is not a function of economic indices. The longevity of life has nothing to do with keeping to medical prescriptions. The security of God has nothing to do with human elements. All these benefits are part of the riches He gave to you on the cross of Calvary but they become activated when you accept Him as your personal Lord and Saviour.
KEY POINT : If you don’t know your rights, you cannot enjoy them.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : ISAIAH 34 : 1 - 37 : 13 AND PSALMS 37 : 1 - 20.
READ : JOHN 10 : 9 - 11 :
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
MESSAGE :
The death of Jesus was for a purpose and that purpose is to ensure that you fulfil your destiny. Jesus sacrificed Himself for your redemption. He took your place and gave you His. It is upon this arrangement that you have access to all that He provided. The death of Jesus was not in vain, it is a substitution for all your human weaknesses and deficiencies. God is not only interested in making you saved; He is interested in you having all that is available in the salvation package. I decree that whatever will not make you enjoy the full benefits of salvation shall be destroyed in Jesus’ name. Just for your sake, Jesus was born into very poor circumstances, He lived a poor life and died in poverty; and all these was that such things do not happen in your life. He voluntarily did all that, so that you might be rich. The riches even cover your divine health; by His stripes you are healed. I command every sickness and disease operating in your body to be uprooted in Jesus’ name. His death is so that you might be rich in deliverance. There are many people attending deliverance services but are yet to be free. If you appropriate the death of Jesus into your situation, there should be freedom for you.
“And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free”
John 8 : 32.
As believers of the new covenant, you are to be rich in the love and favour of the Almighty God. You are to be rich in the blessing and promises of the new covenant. You are to be rich in your expectation of eternal life. When you give your life to Jesus Christ, there is happiness in your life not only by the things you have but by the experience you have in Him. The Lord Jesus becomes the shepherd of your soul and He guarantees your protection so that you enjoy the riches of His divine security. Nothing scares you any longer because He that now watches over your soul does not sleep nor slumber. You become rich in abundance and the yoke of poverty becomes destroyed. You will be practically guided on how to enjoy the benefits of His riches through His goodness and mercy.
This is why you must not allow the devil see your life as being vacant. The devil is out to kill, to steal and to destroy but when you give Jesus a chance in your life, you will experience a turnaround from poverty to wealth. The devil has nothing good to offer you. In the end, his offers lead to destruction and disgrace, but the riches of God are permanent. The Joy of God is real; the peace of God is timeless. The abundance of God is not a function of economic indices. The longevity of life has nothing to do with keeping to medical prescriptions. The security of God has nothing to do with human elements. All these benefits are part of the riches He gave to you on the cross of Calvary but they become activated when you accept Him as your personal Lord and Saviour.
KEY POINT : If you don’t know your rights, you cannot enjoy them.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : ISAIAH 34 : 1 - 37 : 13 AND PSALMS 37 : 1 - 20.
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Don't Tell
Don't tell how big ur problem is BUT always tell how BIG ur GOD is, because my GOD is bigger than all our problem put together.
Saturday, August 13, 2016
SUPERNATURAL LIFTING
But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory and the lifter up of mine head. Psalms 3:3
Read: Daniel 3:15-20, (KJV)
15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was won’t to be heated.
20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
MESSAGE
There is nothing as good as having God as your ally. I pity those who make men their shield. It is foolishness to do so because man is limited and cannot even help himself when he becomes overwhelmed with the circumstances of life. There is nothing impossible with God and there is no situation that is beyond Him. This is why I want to abide in Him always, because I know He alone will never fail.
“But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory and the lifter up of mine head.”
Psalms 3:3
This was the voice of David when he confronted a situation that was beyond him. His son conspired with others, not only to take away his crown, but also to take his life. Who do you run to when people are not only interested in taking your position but also taking your life? Who do you cry to when that strange woman is not only interested in taking your husband but also taking your life? God is the only one who can lift one supernaturally.
There are people who have grief in their hearts. There are those who have been praying and crying for help. There are those who have been sowing in tears. If you are included in these groups, I want you to be comforted because the Almighty God will lift you higher than your problems in Jesus’ name. Do not lose hope in the ability of God to deliver you from any plot against your life. Just call upon the Lord and you will see Him destroying your enemies with their own hands. It does not matter how many enemies are surrounding you at all sides, there is protection for you in God. God is the one who lifts up the heads of His children. He puts great honour upon them and removes everything that has to do with shame and reproach. He is a deliverer to those who run to Him and He ensures all things work out together for their good. Are you in any situation in which the number of people rising up against you are on the increase simply because God is on your side? I want to assure you that the Almighty God will give you peace and calm in the midst of the storm. God will deliver you out of every hand that is holding you down. The fact that God has been fighting on your behalf in the past should give you an assurance that you are a permanent candidate for supernatural lifting, as long as you are at peace with God. All you need to do is ensure that there is no unrighteousness or ungodliness in you. Do not follow the path of the wicked. Live holy and be obedient in faith. Give yourself to prayers always, so that you can put the devil where he belongs. Those who walk in the truth of the gospel will always enjoy glory and honour from God. Be strong in the promises of God and be fully persuaded that all God has promised you will surely come to fulfilment.
From our Bible reading, we see how the three Hebrews boys moved from being slaves to being condemned and then to being promoted all in one day. After God had shown up for them, the king immediately commanded that any people, nation, and language, that speaks against their God shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because no other God can deliver like Jehovah. There is no one that God cannot use for His glory. As long as He sees your heart, He will meet you at the level of your desire. Seek God. Those who follow God will always see good things following them (Matthew 6:33).
Key Point:
Who you follow determines what follows you.
Read: Daniel 3:15-20, (KJV)
15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was won’t to be heated.
20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
MESSAGE
There is nothing as good as having God as your ally. I pity those who make men their shield. It is foolishness to do so because man is limited and cannot even help himself when he becomes overwhelmed with the circumstances of life. There is nothing impossible with God and there is no situation that is beyond Him. This is why I want to abide in Him always, because I know He alone will never fail.
“But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory and the lifter up of mine head.”
Psalms 3:3
This was the voice of David when he confronted a situation that was beyond him. His son conspired with others, not only to take away his crown, but also to take his life. Who do you run to when people are not only interested in taking your position but also taking your life? Who do you cry to when that strange woman is not only interested in taking your husband but also taking your life? God is the only one who can lift one supernaturally.
There are people who have grief in their hearts. There are those who have been praying and crying for help. There are those who have been sowing in tears. If you are included in these groups, I want you to be comforted because the Almighty God will lift you higher than your problems in Jesus’ name. Do not lose hope in the ability of God to deliver you from any plot against your life. Just call upon the Lord and you will see Him destroying your enemies with their own hands. It does not matter how many enemies are surrounding you at all sides, there is protection for you in God. God is the one who lifts up the heads of His children. He puts great honour upon them and removes everything that has to do with shame and reproach. He is a deliverer to those who run to Him and He ensures all things work out together for their good. Are you in any situation in which the number of people rising up against you are on the increase simply because God is on your side? I want to assure you that the Almighty God will give you peace and calm in the midst of the storm. God will deliver you out of every hand that is holding you down. The fact that God has been fighting on your behalf in the past should give you an assurance that you are a permanent candidate for supernatural lifting, as long as you are at peace with God. All you need to do is ensure that there is no unrighteousness or ungodliness in you. Do not follow the path of the wicked. Live holy and be obedient in faith. Give yourself to prayers always, so that you can put the devil where he belongs. Those who walk in the truth of the gospel will always enjoy glory and honour from God. Be strong in the promises of God and be fully persuaded that all God has promised you will surely come to fulfilment.
From our Bible reading, we see how the three Hebrews boys moved from being slaves to being condemned and then to being promoted all in one day. After God had shown up for them, the king immediately commanded that any people, nation, and language, that speaks against their God shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because no other God can deliver like Jehovah. There is no one that God cannot use for His glory. As long as He sees your heart, He will meet you at the level of your desire. Seek God. Those who follow God will always see good things following them (Matthew 6:33).
Key Point:
Who you follow determines what follows you.
Friday, August 12, 2016
BLESSED ASSURANCE.
Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. ISAIAH 3 : 10.
READ : PSALMS 23 : 1 - 5 :
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
MESSAGE :
God is calling us to a closer walk with Him. This is the only way to launch us into the realm of His divine blessings. The blessings and miracles of God are exclusively reserved for His children. It is only the elect of God that can be assured of His blessings. One question we must always remember to ask when we read of or hear God make a promise is : am I the one God is referring to? Do I qualify to be blessed? God's blessings are only reserved for those who live holy.
"Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." Hebrews 1 : 9.
To be assured of the blessing of the Lord, you need to be righteous. Every sin in your life reduces your chance of being a full beneficiary of the goodness of God. This is why you need to find out ( and be sincere in your search ) if there is any sin hidden in your life. Ask yourself : what are those things that can limit the flow of God's blessings to my life? God has given us all things, but they will not flow into the lives of those who are not living according to His pattern. You can determine how far you want to be blessed in God. It is a function of the relationship that exists between you and God. This is why you need to ensure that nothing hinders your relationship with Him, so that there can be an uninterrupted flow of blessings to your life.
The moment we to begin follow God, there will always be an assurance of His divine protection so that you don't become plagued with the suffering and turmoil of life. All that is necessary for one's survival is already guaranteed in God. For reasons best known to God, there are certain things that He will not reveal to you. He enjoys giving pleasant surprises to His children. He always gives those who serve Him more than they bargained for. When I was answering the call to ministry, I never knew God was going to bless me as much as He has done so far. All I was after was just to love Him and serve Him with the whole of my heart, because I was glad He had rescued me from the wicked hands of the Devil. But God decided to bless me beyond measure. My greatest dream was to become the youngest Vice-Chancellor of a University. But today, that dream is a child's play in comparison with what God is doing in my life. All you need to do is to live a life of holiness and everything will work out in your favour. By the time Joseph finally arrived in the palace, he must have felt far better than he had ever imagined. But remember that Joseph had to contend with those things that were capable of hindering his glorious destiny. There is no challenge or sin that God cannot give you victory over as you trust in Him. Just turn to the Lord and ask Him to help your weakness. The moment you do this, you will see better and bigger victories emerging on your behalf. God will never forsake those who trust in Him. The assurance of every believer in Christ Jesus is that God will never turn His back on His people. There will be a guarantee of protection when you are under any attack. He will protect you to the point that you will pity your attackers. He will openly manifest to all that you belong to Him. Only those who come under His government enjoy His benefits.
KEY POINT : There is a ready-made banquet prepared for those who belong to God.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ISAIAH 1 - 3 AND PSALMS 31 : 9 - 18.
READ : PSALMS 23 : 1 - 5 :
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
MESSAGE :
God is calling us to a closer walk with Him. This is the only way to launch us into the realm of His divine blessings. The blessings and miracles of God are exclusively reserved for His children. It is only the elect of God that can be assured of His blessings. One question we must always remember to ask when we read of or hear God make a promise is : am I the one God is referring to? Do I qualify to be blessed? God's blessings are only reserved for those who live holy.
"Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." Hebrews 1 : 9.
To be assured of the blessing of the Lord, you need to be righteous. Every sin in your life reduces your chance of being a full beneficiary of the goodness of God. This is why you need to find out ( and be sincere in your search ) if there is any sin hidden in your life. Ask yourself : what are those things that can limit the flow of God's blessings to my life? God has given us all things, but they will not flow into the lives of those who are not living according to His pattern. You can determine how far you want to be blessed in God. It is a function of the relationship that exists between you and God. This is why you need to ensure that nothing hinders your relationship with Him, so that there can be an uninterrupted flow of blessings to your life.
The moment we to begin follow God, there will always be an assurance of His divine protection so that you don't become plagued with the suffering and turmoil of life. All that is necessary for one's survival is already guaranteed in God. For reasons best known to God, there are certain things that He will not reveal to you. He enjoys giving pleasant surprises to His children. He always gives those who serve Him more than they bargained for. When I was answering the call to ministry, I never knew God was going to bless me as much as He has done so far. All I was after was just to love Him and serve Him with the whole of my heart, because I was glad He had rescued me from the wicked hands of the Devil. But God decided to bless me beyond measure. My greatest dream was to become the youngest Vice-Chancellor of a University. But today, that dream is a child's play in comparison with what God is doing in my life. All you need to do is to live a life of holiness and everything will work out in your favour. By the time Joseph finally arrived in the palace, he must have felt far better than he had ever imagined. But remember that Joseph had to contend with those things that were capable of hindering his glorious destiny. There is no challenge or sin that God cannot give you victory over as you trust in Him. Just turn to the Lord and ask Him to help your weakness. The moment you do this, you will see better and bigger victories emerging on your behalf. God will never forsake those who trust in Him. The assurance of every believer in Christ Jesus is that God will never turn His back on His people. There will be a guarantee of protection when you are under any attack. He will protect you to the point that you will pity your attackers. He will openly manifest to all that you belong to Him. Only those who come under His government enjoy His benefits.
KEY POINT : There is a ready-made banquet prepared for those who belong to God.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ISAIAH 1 - 3 AND PSALMS 31 : 9 - 18.
HEAVENLY ATTENTION.
And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. LUKE 19 : 5.
READ : ACTS 10 : 1 - 6 :
1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.
5 And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:
6 He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.
MESSAGE :
There is no one that cannot command the attention of Heaven. Those who believe that people in great positions or people in affluence are far from God will be surprised to know that there are many wealthy people doing great things for the Lord, and there are many people in great positions who are using their influence to add positive value to their environment. The example of Zacchaeus reveals that it is possible to remain faithful to God regardless of the amount of wealth at a person's disposal. Righteous, rich people are great instruments in the hands of God because they use their wealth and God given positions to expand His Kingdom. Also, the example of Cornelius reveals to us that God is a God of plan and purpose. He was very influential in his days; nevertheless, he was a devoted man who was obedient to the will of God. He was very generous to those around him. He had a very good reputation but he was not saved. Hence, God had a plan for him in order that he might be saved. God wanted to prove a point to the Jews through his life that there is no one that is beyond redemption. This week, your prayers will command the attention of Heaven in Jesus' name. The moment he got a revelation of what he needed to do, he complied fully without delay and he got the attention of Heaven.
I have noticed that those who are not as blessed sometimes exhibit pride while those who are blessed sometimes humble themselves under the mighty hand of God. This is why you will see Chief Executive Officers and Managing Directors of multinationals picking rubbish and dirt in a church service. Some of them stay to control traffic for hours after major programmes are through. No wonder they are so special to the Almighty God, and so whenever they call upon Him, the heavens open to them. They demonstrate their love for God by serving humanity. They transfer the burdens of others to themselves and when God decides to give attention to such individuals, they never remain the same again. Such Heavenly attention brings a tremendously positive turnaround in the life of the beneficiary. When the Heavens pay attention to you, you can be sure that all your long awaited promises will become fulfilled.
"To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Colossians 1 : 27.
When God visits you, you will begin to know the meaning of true riches, despite the fact that people had always known you to be weathy; your new level of wealth will dwarf the former. He will bring you to a greater level of wealth where you begin to flourish in all things. He makes the great greater and He turns all curses to blessings.
There is a day of visitation and every child of God is destined for such a time when the Heavens will be at attention in order to bless someone. Today is your day in Jesus' name. This is your day of remembrance, and all that you have been trusting God for shall be delivered in Jesus' name. All you need to do is allow Jesus to come into your life. Allow the plan and purpose that God has for you to come to pass and that can only be possible when you surrender to Jesus and make Him your personal Lord and Saviour.
PRAYER POINT : Father, please pay attention to me today in Jesus' name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 1 JOHN 5, JUDE 1 AND PSALMS 31 : 1 - 8.
READ : ACTS 10 : 1 - 6 :
1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.
5 And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:
6 He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.
MESSAGE :
There is no one that cannot command the attention of Heaven. Those who believe that people in great positions or people in affluence are far from God will be surprised to know that there are many wealthy people doing great things for the Lord, and there are many people in great positions who are using their influence to add positive value to their environment. The example of Zacchaeus reveals that it is possible to remain faithful to God regardless of the amount of wealth at a person's disposal. Righteous, rich people are great instruments in the hands of God because they use their wealth and God given positions to expand His Kingdom. Also, the example of Cornelius reveals to us that God is a God of plan and purpose. He was very influential in his days; nevertheless, he was a devoted man who was obedient to the will of God. He was very generous to those around him. He had a very good reputation but he was not saved. Hence, God had a plan for him in order that he might be saved. God wanted to prove a point to the Jews through his life that there is no one that is beyond redemption. This week, your prayers will command the attention of Heaven in Jesus' name. The moment he got a revelation of what he needed to do, he complied fully without delay and he got the attention of Heaven.
I have noticed that those who are not as blessed sometimes exhibit pride while those who are blessed sometimes humble themselves under the mighty hand of God. This is why you will see Chief Executive Officers and Managing Directors of multinationals picking rubbish and dirt in a church service. Some of them stay to control traffic for hours after major programmes are through. No wonder they are so special to the Almighty God, and so whenever they call upon Him, the heavens open to them. They demonstrate their love for God by serving humanity. They transfer the burdens of others to themselves and when God decides to give attention to such individuals, they never remain the same again. Such Heavenly attention brings a tremendously positive turnaround in the life of the beneficiary. When the Heavens pay attention to you, you can be sure that all your long awaited promises will become fulfilled.
"To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Colossians 1 : 27.
When God visits you, you will begin to know the meaning of true riches, despite the fact that people had always known you to be weathy; your new level of wealth will dwarf the former. He will bring you to a greater level of wealth where you begin to flourish in all things. He makes the great greater and He turns all curses to blessings.
There is a day of visitation and every child of God is destined for such a time when the Heavens will be at attention in order to bless someone. Today is your day in Jesus' name. This is your day of remembrance, and all that you have been trusting God for shall be delivered in Jesus' name. All you need to do is allow Jesus to come into your life. Allow the plan and purpose that God has for you to come to pass and that can only be possible when you surrender to Jesus and make Him your personal Lord and Saviour.
PRAYER POINT : Father, please pay attention to me today in Jesus' name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 1 JOHN 5, JUDE 1 AND PSALMS 31 : 1 - 8.
Thursday, August 11, 2016
THE FOOLISHNESS OF GOD.
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 1 CORINTHIANS 1 : 25.
READ : 1 CORINTHIANS 1 : 18 - 25 :
18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
MESSAGE :
Foolishness is commonly interpreted as the lack of a good sense of judgment. It has a range of synonyms that include folly, imprudence, stupidity, laziness and perverse in speech. In addition, it is frequently contrasted with wisdom, such that the fool is contrasted with the wise, and a fool is everything a wise person is not. The Bible presents wisdom as a divine gift from God, while foolishness characterises anyone that does not believe in God ( Psalm 14 : 1 ). Consequent upon the above, it is unthinkable that foolishness will be tied to God for any reason. However, the Bible in 1 Corinthians 1 : 25 says ;
"Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men."
The Holy Spirit responded to the early Church with the above statement, as they tried to berate the message of the Gospel with the wrong assumption that the wisdom of the world is superior to the wisdom of God. The Word of God clearly states that what the people termed to be foolishness is much wiser than the wisdom of the world. The people of the world cannot relate with the wisdom of God because it is meaningless to them, they cannot understand the wisdom behind the principles and commandments of God. The thought of salvation from sin, the process of redemption, the mystery of the Holy Communion, water and the Holy Spirit baptism, speaking in tongues, and the power of fasting and prayer, are all like closed books to the people of the world. It is beyond their comprehension, they cannot simply relate with the wisdom behind spiritual matters. 1 Corinthians 3 : 19 says :
"For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness."
The Bible in 1 Corinthians 2 : 14 further says ;
"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
It takes a spiritual person to understand spiritual things. The inability of the world to comprehend the things of God is deliberate as God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. A person must first be born again, after which Kingdom matters become plain without any need for explanation. Indeed, the foolishness of God is wiser than men. Are you a bona fide member of the kingdom? Are you born again?
PRAYER POINT : Father, please fill me with a heavenly wisdom that the world cannot comprehend.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 1 JOHN 1 - 4 AND PSALMS 30.
AUTHOR : PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE.
HYMN 7 : HOLY HOLY HOLY, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY
1. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
2. Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
Who wert and art and evermore shalt be.
3. Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,
Though the eye made blind by sin thy glory may not see,
Only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.
4. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky and sea;
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
READ : 1 CORINTHIANS 1 : 18 - 25 :
18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
MESSAGE :
Foolishness is commonly interpreted as the lack of a good sense of judgment. It has a range of synonyms that include folly, imprudence, stupidity, laziness and perverse in speech. In addition, it is frequently contrasted with wisdom, such that the fool is contrasted with the wise, and a fool is everything a wise person is not. The Bible presents wisdom as a divine gift from God, while foolishness characterises anyone that does not believe in God ( Psalm 14 : 1 ). Consequent upon the above, it is unthinkable that foolishness will be tied to God for any reason. However, the Bible in 1 Corinthians 1 : 25 says ;
"Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men."
The Holy Spirit responded to the early Church with the above statement, as they tried to berate the message of the Gospel with the wrong assumption that the wisdom of the world is superior to the wisdom of God. The Word of God clearly states that what the people termed to be foolishness is much wiser than the wisdom of the world. The people of the world cannot relate with the wisdom of God because it is meaningless to them, they cannot understand the wisdom behind the principles and commandments of God. The thought of salvation from sin, the process of redemption, the mystery of the Holy Communion, water and the Holy Spirit baptism, speaking in tongues, and the power of fasting and prayer, are all like closed books to the people of the world. It is beyond their comprehension, they cannot simply relate with the wisdom behind spiritual matters. 1 Corinthians 3 : 19 says :
"For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness."
The Bible in 1 Corinthians 2 : 14 further says ;
"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
It takes a spiritual person to understand spiritual things. The inability of the world to comprehend the things of God is deliberate as God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. A person must first be born again, after which Kingdom matters become plain without any need for explanation. Indeed, the foolishness of God is wiser than men. Are you a bona fide member of the kingdom? Are you born again?
PRAYER POINT : Father, please fill me with a heavenly wisdom that the world cannot comprehend.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 1 JOHN 1 - 4 AND PSALMS 30.
AUTHOR : PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE.
HYMN 7 : HOLY HOLY HOLY, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY
1. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
2. Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
Who wert and art and evermore shalt be.
3. Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,
Though the eye made blind by sin thy glory may not see,
Only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.
4. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky and sea;
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
STOLEN BREAD?
Bread of deceit is sweet to a man;
but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with
gravel. PROVERBS 20 : 17.
READ : EPHESIANS 4 : 28.
28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let
him labour, working with his hands the thing
which is good, that he may have to give to him
that needeth.
MESSAGE :
We live in a time when the nature of man is so
selfish that all he does is think about himself
continually. How much can I get? What will I
gain? What do I have at stake? Of what interest
will this be to me? This is why you see people
transferring the resources meant for an entire
nation into their private coffers. They are happy
to collect the contract amount given for the
construction of public roads only to complete
such roads on paper alone. The better ones
among them do a bad job and pocket the rest
despite inflating the cost of completion. After all,
they will not drive on such roads. When the
judgment of God comes upon those who do this,
their ends are always terrible. Some of them use
such monies to train their children in the best
schools available and such children end up killing
them. Some of them use such money to build
estates and such estates become desolate in the
future.
Lazy people look for any excuse not to work.
They want cheap money. They want to live in
luxury without paying the price. This is why you
see a lot of value being eroded in the social
system today. People are no longer ready to task
their minds. Some people sit with their computers
the whole day, looking for people to defraud. How
do you think you can have an enduring blessing
through such means? There are some market
women who use unequal weights in the scale to
measure what they sell to unsuspecting
customers. If you do this, it is to your own peril.
Such people will never be blessed by God. Some
are involved in fraudulent business practices,
exploiting others for their own gain. They think
they are making it at the moment, but the truth is
that such gains bring much sorrow. Lazy people
who do not work will end in poverty because they
lack understanding. Those who are sleeping when
they should be working will end up serving those
who are industrious.
"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for
whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also
reap." Galatians 6 : 7.
As long as you choose to remain lazy, you will
never encounter a divine touch, because God
Himself is hard working. One of the great virtues
that fathers can leave for their children is a
heritage of integrity. There is only one path to
true increase and that is gathering wealth by
honest means. It may take a longer time than you
expected, but you can be sure that at the end,
you will have peace of mind. There are things
money cannot buy. Money cannot buy happiness
and joy and this is why you need to understand
that there is no need to play smart. The little you
earn from what you do legitimately will attract
the blessing of God, as opposed to those who
earn millions by fraudulent means. The scripture ;
"Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness,
than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be
rich." Proverbs 28 : 6.
Don't envy sinners who are prosperous. It is
foolishness to do so because you can easily tell
what their end will be.
"Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but
he that gathereth by labour shall increase."
Proverbs 13 : 11.
Those who gather wealth unjustly are doing so in
readiness for devourers. They will never be able
to explain how they spend such money.
KEY POINT : Whatever you get non-legitimately
cannot last.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 1 PETER 1 - 4 AND PSALMS
28.
AUTHOR : PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE.
HYMN 4 : TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE
1. Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
2. Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3. Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
4. Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose,
Every power as Thou shalt choose.
5. Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart; it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6. Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with
gravel. PROVERBS 20 : 17.
READ : EPHESIANS 4 : 28.
28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let
him labour, working with his hands the thing
which is good, that he may have to give to him
that needeth.
MESSAGE :
We live in a time when the nature of man is so
selfish that all he does is think about himself
continually. How much can I get? What will I
gain? What do I have at stake? Of what interest
will this be to me? This is why you see people
transferring the resources meant for an entire
nation into their private coffers. They are happy
to collect the contract amount given for the
construction of public roads only to complete
such roads on paper alone. The better ones
among them do a bad job and pocket the rest
despite inflating the cost of completion. After all,
they will not drive on such roads. When the
judgment of God comes upon those who do this,
their ends are always terrible. Some of them use
such monies to train their children in the best
schools available and such children end up killing
them. Some of them use such money to build
estates and such estates become desolate in the
future.
Lazy people look for any excuse not to work.
They want cheap money. They want to live in
luxury without paying the price. This is why you
see a lot of value being eroded in the social
system today. People are no longer ready to task
their minds. Some people sit with their computers
the whole day, looking for people to defraud. How
do you think you can have an enduring blessing
through such means? There are some market
women who use unequal weights in the scale to
measure what they sell to unsuspecting
customers. If you do this, it is to your own peril.
Such people will never be blessed by God. Some
are involved in fraudulent business practices,
exploiting others for their own gain. They think
they are making it at the moment, but the truth is
that such gains bring much sorrow. Lazy people
who do not work will end in poverty because they
lack understanding. Those who are sleeping when
they should be working will end up serving those
who are industrious.
"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for
whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also
reap." Galatians 6 : 7.
As long as you choose to remain lazy, you will
never encounter a divine touch, because God
Himself is hard working. One of the great virtues
that fathers can leave for their children is a
heritage of integrity. There is only one path to
true increase and that is gathering wealth by
honest means. It may take a longer time than you
expected, but you can be sure that at the end,
you will have peace of mind. There are things
money cannot buy. Money cannot buy happiness
and joy and this is why you need to understand
that there is no need to play smart. The little you
earn from what you do legitimately will attract
the blessing of God, as opposed to those who
earn millions by fraudulent means. The scripture ;
"Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness,
than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be
rich." Proverbs 28 : 6.
Don't envy sinners who are prosperous. It is
foolishness to do so because you can easily tell
what their end will be.
"Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but
he that gathereth by labour shall increase."
Proverbs 13 : 11.
Those who gather wealth unjustly are doing so in
readiness for devourers. They will never be able
to explain how they spend such money.
KEY POINT : Whatever you get non-legitimately
cannot last.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 1 PETER 1 - 4 AND PSALMS
28.
AUTHOR : PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE.
HYMN 4 : TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE
1. Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
2. Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3. Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
4. Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose,
Every power as Thou shalt choose.
5. Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart; it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6. Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
BELIEVING LIES?
Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue. Psalm 120:2
Read: 1 Timothy 4:1-6
4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
4:5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
4:6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
MESSAGE
There are many heresies spreading around us today, unfortunately, there are lots of people believing them. This is why true ministers of the gospel cannot just fold their hands. They have to make efforts to counter the bad philosophies around with the absolute truth of God's Word. There is no better time for us to be aware and gather ourselves from being led astray by these erroneous teachings. The Bible warns us that if not careful even the very elect will deviate from the truth and follow after the deceptions of devious men, who, by the way are skillful in leading men astray. Some of these teachers are popular and some of them are widely sought after; but be not decieved, the Word and Truth of God is greater than the personal profile of any minister. There are wolves in sheep's clothing in the church today (Matthew 7:15-20). They teach one thing and practice another. They are appear to be speaking the truth but they are living in error. When they talk, their words are very smooth and there is no error in their presentations.
They make a lot of noise but they lack depth. If you watch closely, you will see that their conduct is contrary to the principles of godly living. They come with all sorts of theologies that have no bearing with the Word of God. They justify unholy living with the illusion that it is impossible for anyone to live holy. They explain away the truth of God's Word just to make sinners comfortable in their sins.
There is no rebuke, no reproof and no correction in their theology. They preach so much about the place of grace and give so much motivation about people's freewill and liberty, forgetting that the Christian calling is not a call to lawlessness. They preach against the validity of the 10 commandments in the era of grace. Some teach that once saved you are forever saved and there is no need to work out your salvation with fear and trembling as the Bible says in Philippians 2:12. Some ask why you need to fast at all, since Jesus said it is finished.
As a genuine minister and disciple of Jesus, there is the need for you to teach your members to be aware of these wrong teachings. The fact that many people listen to them do not mean they are approved of God. They are liars. You need to caution those in your church concerning heretic teachings that deny the fundamental principles of Christianity. Don't allow your members to stray away from the truth. Expose them to the truth of God's Word very often so that they can stand against the lies of the devil. Some churches have become mere social and entertainment centers where members only gather for fantasies and entertainment purposes.
You cannot see them leading salvation prayers or asking lost souls to come to the altar to forsake their sins. Many people do not want to hear the truth of God's Word and that is why the church is saturated today with many false and fake ministers. How can you be comfortable in a church where the pastor has two wives? What will you expect such pastors to tell their members? Some members prefer to run from one prophet to another who will 'see things' for them and deceive them that God has spoken when God has said nothing. They are looking for prophetic declarations from 'great men of God' even when they don't know the spirit behind such declarations.
Action Point:
Beware of wolves in sheep clothing.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
James 1-5 and Psalms 27
AUTHOR : PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 9: MY FAITH HAS FOUND A PLACE
My faith has found a resting place,
Not in device or creed;
I trust the ever living One,
His wounds for me shall plead.
Chorus:
I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.
Enough for me that Jesus saves,
This ends my fear and doubt;
A sinful soul I come to Him,
He'll never cast me out.
Chorus:
My heart is leaning on the Word,
The living Word of God,
Salvation by my Savior's Name,
Salvation through His blood.
Chorus:
My great Physician heals the sick,
The lost He came to save;
For me His precious blood He shed,
For me His life He gave.
Read: 1 Timothy 4:1-6
4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
4:5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
4:6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
MESSAGE
There are many heresies spreading around us today, unfortunately, there are lots of people believing them. This is why true ministers of the gospel cannot just fold their hands. They have to make efforts to counter the bad philosophies around with the absolute truth of God's Word. There is no better time for us to be aware and gather ourselves from being led astray by these erroneous teachings. The Bible warns us that if not careful even the very elect will deviate from the truth and follow after the deceptions of devious men, who, by the way are skillful in leading men astray. Some of these teachers are popular and some of them are widely sought after; but be not decieved, the Word and Truth of God is greater than the personal profile of any minister. There are wolves in sheep's clothing in the church today (Matthew 7:15-20). They teach one thing and practice another. They are appear to be speaking the truth but they are living in error. When they talk, their words are very smooth and there is no error in their presentations.
They make a lot of noise but they lack depth. If you watch closely, you will see that their conduct is contrary to the principles of godly living. They come with all sorts of theologies that have no bearing with the Word of God. They justify unholy living with the illusion that it is impossible for anyone to live holy. They explain away the truth of God's Word just to make sinners comfortable in their sins.
There is no rebuke, no reproof and no correction in their theology. They preach so much about the place of grace and give so much motivation about people's freewill and liberty, forgetting that the Christian calling is not a call to lawlessness. They preach against the validity of the 10 commandments in the era of grace. Some teach that once saved you are forever saved and there is no need to work out your salvation with fear and trembling as the Bible says in Philippians 2:12. Some ask why you need to fast at all, since Jesus said it is finished.
As a genuine minister and disciple of Jesus, there is the need for you to teach your members to be aware of these wrong teachings. The fact that many people listen to them do not mean they are approved of God. They are liars. You need to caution those in your church concerning heretic teachings that deny the fundamental principles of Christianity. Don't allow your members to stray away from the truth. Expose them to the truth of God's Word very often so that they can stand against the lies of the devil. Some churches have become mere social and entertainment centers where members only gather for fantasies and entertainment purposes.
You cannot see them leading salvation prayers or asking lost souls to come to the altar to forsake their sins. Many people do not want to hear the truth of God's Word and that is why the church is saturated today with many false and fake ministers. How can you be comfortable in a church where the pastor has two wives? What will you expect such pastors to tell their members? Some members prefer to run from one prophet to another who will 'see things' for them and deceive them that God has spoken when God has said nothing. They are looking for prophetic declarations from 'great men of God' even when they don't know the spirit behind such declarations.
Action Point:
Beware of wolves in sheep clothing.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
James 1-5 and Psalms 27
AUTHOR : PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 9: MY FAITH HAS FOUND A PLACE
My faith has found a resting place,
Not in device or creed;
I trust the ever living One,
His wounds for me shall plead.
Chorus:
I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.
Enough for me that Jesus saves,
This ends my fear and doubt;
A sinful soul I come to Him,
He'll never cast me out.
Chorus:
My heart is leaning on the Word,
The living Word of God,
Salvation by my Savior's Name,
Salvation through His blood.
Chorus:
My great Physician heals the sick,
The lost He came to save;
For me His precious blood He shed,
For me His life He gave.
Thursday, August 4, 2016
COME BACK HOME
There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked. Isaiah 48:22
READ: Isaiah 48:18-22
18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
19 Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.
20 Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob.
21 And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.
22 There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.
MESSAGE:
There was a point in the life of the children of Isreal when God had to bring to their remembrance what He had done for them. He had to draw their attention to their rebellion over the years starting from the point when He used Moses to deliver them from captivity. The children of Isreal soon forgot the faithfulness of God and began to attribute their freedom and victory to idols. How easy it is for us to forget the investments of God in our lives. He delivered them from their afflictions. He made them partakers of His glorious presence. He guided them and led them
through the wilderness. He never left them alone for a moment. He enlightened them and guided them to their destinations. Yet, they began to praise the idols they had made with their hands. God tried different methods to get their attention but they ignored Him. He sent them prophets and raised judges for them. He sent His servants to them to forewarn them of the consequences of their actions and occasionally appeared to them but they never listened until they met their destruction. They forgot the reason for which they were called 'the people of God'. They refused to retain God in their knowledge; they trusted in their idols and intellects, and as a result began to engage in what was not convenient until they lost the peace and joy of the living God.
This is also true of the time and days we live in. God wants us to come back to His love, despite our state of wickedness. God is still interested in having us to Himself for our good. There is great joy and happiness for those who repent and come back to God. The Opportunity is here and I want you to take advantage of the grace of God that is available now. Choose good and not evil. Choose life and not death. Choose blessing and not curse. There can never be peace for a wicked man because he is a stranger and an enemy of God. There is no peace for those who stand in opposition to the Almighty God. They do so to their own peril. Unspeakable happiness and joy comes to those who align themselves with God but uneasiness, fear, sorrow, trouble and destruction comes to those who forget where he is bringing them from. When you are on the Lord's side, there will be quietness, peace, calm and comfort because you are a friend of God and not an enemy.
Like the prodigal son, you may have wasted all that has been committed into your hands. You may have gone beyond where help can reach you but the grace of God is longer than the stretch of your iniquities, therefore return home. Remove rebellion from your heart. Let there be light and a change of heart. Make a fresh resolution that you won't backslide again.
"Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!" Psalms 81:13
As you make this strong decision, you will begin to see the peace you desire in your heart. All the good your heart has desired and all the comfort you have ever longed for becomes a reality. Your peace is a function of His presence in your life. Begin to relate with Him daily, praise and worship Him. See His Word as what you must feed on and obey Him even when you don't seem to understand. As you do this, you will enjoy the prosperity and protection of the Almighty God. His blessings in your life will never be interrupted and you will continue to enjoy all that God has to give.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please help me to return to you fully.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Hebrew 9-10 and Psalms 25
HYMN 4: TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE
1. Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
2. Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3. Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
4. Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose,
Every power as Thou shalt choose.
5. Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart; it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6. Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
READ: Isaiah 48:18-22
18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
19 Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.
20 Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob.
21 And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.
22 There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.
MESSAGE:
There was a point in the life of the children of Isreal when God had to bring to their remembrance what He had done for them. He had to draw their attention to their rebellion over the years starting from the point when He used Moses to deliver them from captivity. The children of Isreal soon forgot the faithfulness of God and began to attribute their freedom and victory to idols. How easy it is for us to forget the investments of God in our lives. He delivered them from their afflictions. He made them partakers of His glorious presence. He guided them and led them
through the wilderness. He never left them alone for a moment. He enlightened them and guided them to their destinations. Yet, they began to praise the idols they had made with their hands. God tried different methods to get their attention but they ignored Him. He sent them prophets and raised judges for them. He sent His servants to them to forewarn them of the consequences of their actions and occasionally appeared to them but they never listened until they met their destruction. They forgot the reason for which they were called 'the people of God'. They refused to retain God in their knowledge; they trusted in their idols and intellects, and as a result began to engage in what was not convenient until they lost the peace and joy of the living God.
This is also true of the time and days we live in. God wants us to come back to His love, despite our state of wickedness. God is still interested in having us to Himself for our good. There is great joy and happiness for those who repent and come back to God. The Opportunity is here and I want you to take advantage of the grace of God that is available now. Choose good and not evil. Choose life and not death. Choose blessing and not curse. There can never be peace for a wicked man because he is a stranger and an enemy of God. There is no peace for those who stand in opposition to the Almighty God. They do so to their own peril. Unspeakable happiness and joy comes to those who align themselves with God but uneasiness, fear, sorrow, trouble and destruction comes to those who forget where he is bringing them from. When you are on the Lord's side, there will be quietness, peace, calm and comfort because you are a friend of God and not an enemy.
Like the prodigal son, you may have wasted all that has been committed into your hands. You may have gone beyond where help can reach you but the grace of God is longer than the stretch of your iniquities, therefore return home. Remove rebellion from your heart. Let there be light and a change of heart. Make a fresh resolution that you won't backslide again.
"Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!" Psalms 81:13
As you make this strong decision, you will begin to see the peace you desire in your heart. All the good your heart has desired and all the comfort you have ever longed for becomes a reality. Your peace is a function of His presence in your life. Begin to relate with Him daily, praise and worship Him. See His Word as what you must feed on and obey Him even when you don't seem to understand. As you do this, you will enjoy the prosperity and protection of the Almighty God. His blessings in your life will never be interrupted and you will continue to enjoy all that God has to give.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please help me to return to you fully.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Hebrew 9-10 and Psalms 25
HYMN 4: TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE
1. Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
2. Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3. Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
4. Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose,
Every power as Thou shalt choose.
5. Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart; it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6. Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
DIVINE BACKING.
There shall not any man be able tostand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was
with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail
thee, nor forsake thee. JOSHUA 1 : 5.
READ : JOSHUA 1 : 1 - 7 :
1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the
LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto
Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,
2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go
over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the
land which I do give to them, even to the children of
Israel.
3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread
upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the
great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the
Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going
down of the sun, shall be your coast.
5 There shall not any man be able to stand before
thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so
I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake
thee.
6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this
people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land,
which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou
mayest observe to do according to all the law, which
Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it
to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest
prosper withersoever thou goest.
MESSAGE :
Divine backing is the support you receive
supernaturally from the Almighty God. Without
Divine backing, hardly can any man succeed in life.
This is because demonic activities in the world are
out to frustrate mankind. The Bible says :
"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in
them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the
sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great
wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short
time." Revelation 12 : 12.
In the memory verse for today, God encouraged
Joshua to take up the spiritual mandate of leading
His people to the Promised Land. Joshua was assured
of divine backing when the Lord said :
"There shall not any man be able to stand before thee
all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will
be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."
Joshua 1 : 5.
God repeatedly encouraged Joshua to be courageous.
No wonder he did great exploits in the Name of the
Lord. When David faced Goliath, it was divine backing
that saw him through the fight against the
experienced giant. In response to the giant's curses,
David said :
"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." 1 Samuel 17 : 46.
David, prior to this time had been enjoying divine
backing. It was this divine backing that enabled him to
kill a lion and a bear that wanted to steal his
father's livestock. Beloved, you too will enjoy Divine
backing of you surrender your life to Jesus Christ
today. Even as a believer, for you to enjoy divine
backing, particularly in the ministry, you need to be
broken and live in obedience to the Word of God.
Jesus said :
"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. John 15 : 16.
Jesus chose you to win souls to His Kingdom and He
promised to back you up by providing everything you
request for. May the Lord give you supernatural
support and the backing you need to succeed in Jesus'
name.
PRAYER POINT :
Father, please support me in all I do in Jesus' name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : HEBREW 1 : 1 - 5 : 9 AND
PSALMS 23.
AUTHOR : PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE.
HYMN 6 : WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS.
What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he'll take and shield thee
thou wilt find a solace there..
with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail
thee, nor forsake thee. JOSHUA 1 : 5.
READ : JOSHUA 1 : 1 - 7 :
1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the
LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto
Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,
2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go
over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the
land which I do give to them, even to the children of
Israel.
3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread
upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the
great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the
Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going
down of the sun, shall be your coast.
5 There shall not any man be able to stand before
thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so
I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake
thee.
6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this
people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land,
which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou
mayest observe to do according to all the law, which
Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it
to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest
prosper withersoever thou goest.
MESSAGE :
Divine backing is the support you receive
supernaturally from the Almighty God. Without
Divine backing, hardly can any man succeed in life.
This is because demonic activities in the world are
out to frustrate mankind. The Bible says :
"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in
them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the
sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great
wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short
time." Revelation 12 : 12.
In the memory verse for today, God encouraged
Joshua to take up the spiritual mandate of leading
His people to the Promised Land. Joshua was assured
of divine backing when the Lord said :
"There shall not any man be able to stand before thee
all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will
be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."
Joshua 1 : 5.
God repeatedly encouraged Joshua to be courageous.
No wonder he did great exploits in the Name of the
Lord. When David faced Goliath, it was divine backing
that saw him through the fight against the
experienced giant. In response to the giant's curses,
David said :
"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." 1 Samuel 17 : 46.
David, prior to this time had been enjoying divine
backing. It was this divine backing that enabled him to
kill a lion and a bear that wanted to steal his
father's livestock. Beloved, you too will enjoy Divine
backing of you surrender your life to Jesus Christ
today. Even as a believer, for you to enjoy divine
backing, particularly in the ministry, you need to be
broken and live in obedience to the Word of God.
Jesus said :
"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. John 15 : 16.
Jesus chose you to win souls to His Kingdom and He
promised to back you up by providing everything you
request for. May the Lord give you supernatural
support and the backing you need to succeed in Jesus'
name.
PRAYER POINT :
Father, please support me in all I do in Jesus' name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : HEBREW 1 : 1 - 5 : 9 AND
PSALMS 23.
AUTHOR : PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE.
HYMN 6 : WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS.
What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he'll take and shield thee
thou wilt find a solace there..
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