FINISHING THE RACE.

MEMORISE : I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith :

2 TIMOTHY 4 : 7.
READ : 2 TIMOTHY 4 : 6 - 8 :
6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: DEUTERONOMY 28 : 15 - 68 AND COLOSSIANS 1 : 24 - 2 : 15.
The moment you became born-again, a race was set before you (Hebrews 12 : 1 ) . This implies that until a person becomes born-again, he or she has no destination to go with God. It is the new birth in Christ Jesus that gives you a destination in God. Are you saved? If you are, there is a divine destination you have been called unto. Religion and being religious can never give you a destination in Christ. If you are born-again, you are going somewhere glorious, prepared for you by the Lord Jesus Christ, both in this world and in the world to come; but if you are not born-again, you are heading nowhere. You shall arrive at your God-given destination in Jesus' Name.
Moreover, it is one thing to start a race and another thing to finish it. While it is a great thing to finish the race, it is more glorious to finish it with joy. The devil will do everything to stop you from starting the race, but when he fails, he will try to hinder you from reaching the finish line. When he sees that he is not able to stop you from finishing the race, he will do everything possible to make you miserable, sad, depressed and unhappy along the way, so that you will end the race with grumbling, regrets, in tears and, if possible, even accusing God. These are all satanic wiles, but by the grace of God, you shall overcome.
One Bible character who was very conscious of the race he was called to run was Paul the apostle. In our Bible reading, towards the end of his race, he looked back and assessed his performance. He assessed himself against the backdrop of the rewards he saw reserved for him in Heaven. Paul knew exactly what he wanted. He had set his goal right from when his race started, and had worked assiduously towards achieving it. In Acts 20 : 22 - 24, in spite of the difficult situations he had already gone through for the faith, he acknowledged that several unpleasant events were awaiting him even as he headed for Jerusalem. Nevertheless, he was completely detached from them, because he was totally sold out to the Lord; the devil was therefore not able to get his attention. He had to do all these so that he could finish his race with joy. If you truly want to finish your race with joy, you must die to self. Satan will do everything to get at you, but if you are dead to self, you will not be moved. However, if you allow self to control you, you will take offence and finish in sorrow, and you may even get derailed. Are you ready to pay the price to finish this Christian race with joy?

PRAYER POINT :
Father, help me finish with joy the Christian race set before me.

HELP FROM UNWILLING HELPERS.

MEMORISE : Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
1 KINGS 17 : 9.
READ : GENESIS 32 : 24 - 32 :
24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.
30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
31 And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.
32 Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : DEUTERONOMY 26 : 1 - 28 : 14 AND COLOSSIANS 1 : 1 - 23.
One lesson about the workings and operations of God from today's Bible reading is that prayer compels blessings out of unwilling helpers. There are some people who can help you but who deliberately refuse to do so for one reason or the other. If you fail to pray, you might be denied their help; but if you pray, your prayers can force them to have a change of heart, and move them to help you. Why did Jacob have to wrestle with God? Why did he say he would not let go until his desire was granted? It is because there is the possibility of unwillingness from destiny-helpers. In the Name of Jesus, all destiny-helpers who have refused to help you will have a positive turn-around and render help to you from today.
You need to understand the reasons why a destiny-helper may refuse to help the one he or she has been appointed to help. Many factors may be responsible for this, and one of such factors is sin. The greatest helper of destiny that anyone can have is God. God wants to help you, but sin ties His hands ( Isaiah 59 : 1 - 2 ). Some people have maltreated their helpers unknowingly, only to later realise that the person they had treated badly has a significant role to play in their lives. Never oppress anyone, particularly those who appear to be in a disadvantaged position, because you don't know what they will become later. Besides, if you are always antagonising your helpers, others who were meant to help you will soon take their flight from you.
In addition, prayer makes your helpers remember you and review your situation in your favour. Jacob wrestled with God all night, and this moved God to remember his plight and review his situation. This is why God asked Jacob, "What is your name?" From that moment, things changed for Jacob. You may want to ask: "What if Jacob had not prayed?" The answer is that his story would have ended prematurely. Esau, his vengeful brother, who was very militant, would have taken revenge on him. This tells you that if not for the prayers you had prayed, and if not for the intercession of others to God on your behalf, you may not be where you are today. You need to pray so that you can arrive at God's ordained destination ahead of you.
PRAYER POINT :
Father, in Your mercy, reverse today, whatever is making my destiny-helpers withdraw their help from me, in Jesus' Name.

STEALING BY LIES: NOT ALLOWED

Memorise:

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Revelation 21:8
Read: Revelation 21:7-8
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Message
In a particular church, some children and teenagers were asked to contribute some money for a specific purpose to their coordinator. After a while, the money contributed disappeared into thin air, and what was promised was never delivered. That is stealing! Such fraudulent actions can take Heaven away from its perpetrators. If you are guilty of such an act, go back and restitute, even if you have moved from that place to another. Do you know that some people need to restitute some items (for example, church-owned hymn books) and money to the churches they once attended in the past? Wherever you have a restitution to make, go and do so for the sake of making Heaven.
Moreover, stealing comes in different shades. Have you lied while filling your tax forms by declaring less than what you earn? You have defrauded the government. Do you have something that belongs to the government in your custody? Return it! Did you join others to share the proceeds of bribery, illegitimate deals and extortion in your office? Return it! Have you stolen a position from the rightful candidate through lying or mudslinging? Go and restitute your ways. Anything you fraudulently acquired must be returned to the rightful owner.
"The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death."
Proverbs 21:6
As a dealer in used cars, do you tamper with the mileage figures of cars you sell just to deceive potential buyers? Repent. When asked to supply some goods in a contract, do you look for fairly used ones, refurbish them and present them as brand new? Restitute! When you go for a course outside your place of residence, do you lie that you lodged in an expensive hotel, whereas you stayed in a cheaper hotel or even lodged with a friend or relative? Do you falsify figures? Some pastors manipulate attendance to enhance their periodic performance assessment. If you can deceive man, can you deceive God? Even if you succeed with that deception and get what you wanted, does God's silence equal divine approval? Restitution is putting to rest something that is experiencing unrest. Until you restitute a pending matter, there can never be rest, no matter what else is done. God wants you holy. It must be His way and not yours.

Key Point:
Every lie told is not gone into oblivion; rather, it is only waiting somewhere to implicate the liar.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: DEUTERONOMY 21:15-23:14 and PHILIPPIANS 3:1-4:1

"What does the Bible say about a Christian’s responsibility?"

Answer: Without question the greatest reason that we live for God is our unwavering belief in the resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. It is through His resurrection from the grave that we have hope and the promise of life eternal with him. In 1 Corinthians chapter 15, the apostle Paul explains that, because of these promises of a future resurrection and of living eternally in the kingdom, believers have not only the motivation but also eternal responsibilities for our lives here on earth.

The apostle Paul touches on such responsibilities in his concluding statement in the 15th chapter of his first letter to the Corinthians. He declares that, if we really believe and if we are truly thankful that our resurrection is sure, we should “therefore” demonstrate our assurance and our thankfulness by “standing firm, letting nothing move us” and “always giving ourselves full to the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). This, then, is the believer’s responsibility: to stand firm in the faith and give himself completely to the Lord.

The Greek for “standing firm” is hedraios, which literally refers to “being seated, being settled and firmly situated.” The Greek for “letting nothing move you” is ametakinetos, and it carries the same basic idea but with more intensity. It means “being totally immobile and motionless,” indicating that we should not even budge an inch from His will. And with our being totally within the will of God, we are to be “always giving ourselves to the work of the Lord,” being careful not to be “tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14).

Why did Paul give us this warning? Simply because, if our confident hope in the resurrection wavers, we are sure to abandon ourselves to the ways and standards of the world. Therefore, if there are no eternal ramifications or consequences of what we do in this life, the motivation for selfless service and holy living is gone. In other words, our eternal responsibilities are abandoned.

Conversely, when our hope in the resurrection is clear and certain, we will have great motivation to be attending to the responsibility we have to “always giving ourselves to the work of the Lord.” The Greek for this phrase carries the idea of exceeding the requirements, of overflowing or overdoing. A good example of this is found in Ephesians 1:7-8 where the word is used of God having “lavished” upon us the riches of His grace. Because God has so abundantly provided for us who deserve nothing from Him, we should determine to give of ourselves abundantly in service to Him, to whom we owe everything.

The Bible teaches us that our responsibility as believers is to work uncompromisingly as the Lord has gifted us and leads us in this life. We must fully understand that until the Lord returns there are souls to reach and ministries of every sort to be performed. We are responsible for our money, time, energy, talents, gifts, bodies, minds, and spirits, and we should invest in nothing that does not in some way contribute to the work of the Lord. James tells us, “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:26).

Our work for the Lord, if it is truly for Him and done in His power, cannot fail to accomplish what He wants accomplished. Every good work believers do has eternal benefits that the Lord Himself guarantees. Jesus tells us, “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done” (Revelation 22:12).

Simply put, our responsibility lies in working for the Lord, whether it is in “looking after orphans or widows in distress” (James 1:27), giving to the hungry, the naked, visiting those in prison (see Matthew 25:35-36), serving in our workplace (see Colossians 3:22), or doing whatever we do (Colossians 3:23). And our motivation is that we have God’s own promise that our work “is not in vain” in the Lord “since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:24).

"What does the Bible say about obedience?"

Answer: The Bible has much to say about obedience. In fact, obedience is an essential part of the Christian faith. Jesus Himself was “obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). For Christians, the act of taking up our cross and following Christ (Matthew 16:24) means obedience. The Bible says that we show our love for Jesus by obeying Him in all things: “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). A Christian who is not obeying Christ’s commands can rightly be asked, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46).

Obedience is defined as “dutiful or submissive compliance to the commands of one in authority.” Using this definition, we see the elements of biblical obedience. “Dutiful” means it is our obligation to obey God, just as Jesus fulfilled His duty to the Father by dying on the cross for our sin. “Submissive” indicates that we yield our wills to God’s. “Commands” speaks of the Scriptures in which God has clearly delineated His instructions. The “one in authority” is God Himself, whose authority is total and unequivocal. For the Christian, obedience means complying with everything God has commanded. It is our duty to do so.

Having said that, it is important to remember that our obedience to God is not solely a matter of duty. We obey Him because we love Him (John 14:23). Also, we understand that the spirit of obedience is as important as the act of obedience. We serve the Lord in humility, singleness of heart, and love.

Also, we must beware of using a veneer of obedience to mask a sinful heart. Living the Christian life is not all about rules. The Pharisees in Jesus’ time relentlessly pursued acts of obedience to the Law, but they became self-righteous, believing they deserved heaven because of what they had done. They considered themselves worthy before God, who owed them a reward; however, the Bible tells us that, without Christ, even our best, most righteous works are as “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). The Pharisees’ external obedience still lacked something, and Jesus exposed their heart attitude. Their hypocrisy in obeying the “letter of the law” while violating its spirit characterized their lives, and Jesus rebuked them sharply: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outside, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so you also appear righteous to men outwardly, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity” (Matthew 23:27–28). The Pharisees were obedient in some respects, but they “neglected the weightier matters of the law” (Matthew 23:23, ESV).

Today, we are not called to obey the Law of Moses. That has been fulfilled in Christ (Matthew 5:17). We are to obey the “law of Christ,” which is a law of love (Galatians 6:2; John 13:34). Jesus stated the greatest commands of all: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:36–40).

If we love God, we will obey Him. We won’t be perfect in our obedience, but our desire is to submit to the Lord and display good works. When we love God and obey Him, we naturally have love for one another. Obedience to God’s commands will make us light and salt in a dark and tasteless world (Matthew 5:13–16).

courtesy of http://www.gotquestions.org/

IS YOUR LOVE FOR GOD PROVEN?

MEMORISE : He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 1 JOHN 4 : 8.
READ : 2 TIMOTHY 4 : 7 - 8 :
7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Message
If you can prove to God that you truly love Him, you will provoke greater love and great blessings in return. After Paul showed God how much he loved Him, not only did God perform special miracles through him while he was still alive ( Acts 19 : 11 ), God also showed him the glorious crown awaiting him in Heaven. How great and awesome it is to see the reward reserved for you in Heaven. Some of us desire to have this experience. While this is a good desire, the question is: have you demonstrated your love for God beyond all reasonable doubt? In fact, God made Paul aware of the time he would finish his Christian race; death did not come to him as a surprise. There are so many things that you may not have easy access to as a believer in Christ until you prove to God that you love Him unconditionally, willingly and sacrificially.
Solomon is another person who demonstrated his love for God. He did this by giving a powerful, record-setting offering. This moved God to give him a blank cheque, so that he could ask for whatever he desired. He asked for an understanding heart that would enable him govern God's people successfully. God granted him his request and gave him even much more. In other words, if you can prove your love for God, even when you do not know what to ask for, God will give you what you need and much more.
God loves you and me. He showed this when Jesus died in our place on the cross of Calvary, to save us from the eternal death that awaited us as the just retribution for our sins. Jesus never sinned. He was the only One who lived on earth without sinning, yet He willingly gave up His righteous, spotless and sinless life for us so that we will no longer perish. 1 Peter 3 : 18 says :
"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:"
If you accept His love today, all your sins will be washed away from the record books by His Blood. You will then become a child of God. But if you reject His love, you may be inviting eternal wrath and damnation to yourself. Give your life to Jesus today. If you are already born-again, ask for grace to love Him more. You can have the best that God has reserved for you by showing Him how much you love Him. Show it through obedience to Him, consecration and sacrificial giving. Let nothing be too much for you to give to God; after all, He gave you all that you have, and He owns the blessings you will yet receive.
KEY POINT :
God establishes your love for Him through the small and big tests you face.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: DEUTERONOMY 19 : 1 - 21 : 14 AND PHILIPPIANS 

CONNECTED TO THE SPIRIT?

Memorise:

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
John 15:5
Read: John 15:4-7
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Message
After Moses experienced the wonders of God in multiple dimensions at the Red Sea, he wrote a song to express his awe of the God of wonders. Here is an excerpt of this song from Exodus 15:11:
"Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?"
From these words, we understand that signs and wonders come under the purview of God. They are God's acts, and they are part of His ministry. Signs and wonders are produced by the power of God. Any sign or wonder that is carried out by any other spirit or power is a fake; otherwise known as an act of magic. Today, magical acts are on the rise in churches, because some leaders want to see the manifestation of signs and wonders at all costs, irrespective of their source. They make a pact with the devil and begin to demonstrate his magical acts. In your local assembly, are you experiencing the signs and wonders of God or satanic magical acts?
Anyone who will be used for signs and wonders must first be connected to the God of signs and wonders. God has the power for genuine signs and wonders, and He is ready to share it with His children who are willing to pay the price of consecration. Elijah declared in 1 Kings 17:1b thus:
"As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word."
He was saying that he was who he was because of his connection to the miracle-working God, specifically God the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the powerhouse of the Godhead. Because Elisha had this understanding, he never asked for the anointing; rather, he asked for a double portion of the Spirit at work in his master (2 Kings 2:9). He knew that the Holy Spirit was behind the anointing, power, signs and miracles that were evident in Elijah's ministry. It is strange to know that some people want the anointing today, but they do not take time to develop their intimacy with the Holy Spirit. Some want power but do not care about the spirit it is coming from. Be very careful! Take note of the fact that it was after the oil touched David's head and the Holy Spirit came upon him that he could kill a bear and a lion with his bare hands. It was after this also that his ordinary stones could bring down Goliath the giant. Get connected to the Holy Spirit today.

Prayer Point:
Father, grant me grace that my link with Your Holy Spirit may never be broken.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: DEUTERONOMY 16:9-18:22 and PHILIPPIANS 1