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

CHOSEN FOR LAUGHTER

Memorise:

And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so
that all that hear will laugh with me.
Genesis 21:6
Read: Genesis 21:1-6
1 And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said,
and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.
2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son
in his old age, at the set time of which God had
spoken to him.
3 And Abraham called the name of his son that
was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him,
Isaac.
4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being
eight days old, as God had commanded him.
5 And Abraham was an hundred years old, when
his son Isaac was born unto him.
6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so
that all that hear will laugh with me.
Message
We serve a God that fills the mouth of his chosen
with laughter. Some chosen of the Lord testified
of this in Psalms 126:2 saying:
"Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our
tongue with singing: then said they among the
heathen, The LORD hath done great things for
them."
In Genesis 18:1-14, when the Lord visited
Abraham and Sarah and ate in their tent, He
promised them that they would have a son in
nine months' time; but Sarah laughed because
her husband was over 99 years old and she
herself was 90 years old. She thought that this
promise was a joke borne out of how much the
three august visitors enjoyed the meal that she
and Abraham had prepared. God asked why she
laughed, but she denied that she laughed. Nine
months later, she gave birth to laughter, and she
laughed for the rest of her life (Genesis 21:6).
Today, God still makes people laugh.
When God makes you laugh, your laughter will be
sustained. But how can God make you laugh
today? God makes you laugh when you receive an
unexpected divine visitation. It is one thing for
you to pay God a visit, like when you attend a
church programme or a special programme like
the Holy Ghost Service; but it is another thing for
God to visit you. It is a beautiful experience when
God visits a congregation or group of people, but
it is even lovelier when God picks out an
individual in a large congregation for divine
visitation. The Lord will single you out for a divine
visitation this season in Jesus' Name.
In John 5:2-9, there was a multitude of sick folks
at the pool called Bethesda, but when Jesus
visited there, He went straight for the man who
had been sick for 38 years, healed him and left
the place. In like manner, in Mark 10:46-52,
Jesus entered Jericho and passed through it
looking for whom to visit. He saw none in Jericho,
but as He was leaving, in the midst of a crowd,
he saw a blind beggar outside the city gate,
healed him and continued with His journey. As
Jesus healed these people, He introduced laughter
into their lives.
There was no record that either of them was ever
sick again. Whatever criteria He uses to determine
candidates for His visitation shall work in your
favour today. Out of the crowd of those who need
children, the Lord will visit you with yours. Out of
the crowd of those who need promotion, the Lord
will promote you. Out of the crowd of those who
need special anointing, the Lord will visit you
specially today. However, flee from sin, and do
only what pleases Him. Be faithful in your tithes
and offerings, and worship Him.

Prayer Point:
Father, I have wept for too long; from now on,
introduce laughter into my life and make me laugh
forever.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : DEUTERONOMY 12-13 and EPHESIANS 5

HE STILL SENDS ANGELS

Memorise:
Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
Hebrews 1:14
Read: Acts 27:20-25
20 And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.
21 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.
22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship.
23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
Message
When God sends help from Heaven to an individual, He could send an angelic being to rescue the fellow. Often times, such an angel takes up a familiar form while executing the assignment. When this happens, the recipient of that assistance may not recognise the angel for who he is. For instance, many years ago, it was time to build a particular church. Announcements were made for members to gather together on a particular date and volunteer themselves to take part in the work. On the set day, as they gathered in the morning, they prayed to God before commencing the work, asking for strength not to be tired, and that God should send His angels to join them in the work. After the work started, they observed three unknown faces that had joined them in doing the work. Although they noticed that these men did most of the work, none of them dared to ask them who they were. At the end of that day's work, when they were trying to take stock of the day's activities, they wanted to appreciate everyone, particularly those three unknown people, but they realised that they had disappeared.
Similarly, when I was about six or seven years old, one of my elder sisters got married and went to live with her husband. One day, we met and I asked her where her farm was. "Not very far" she said, as she tried to describe it to me. At that age, I could not determine the meaning of "not very far", so I set out to locate it on a particular day. At a point, I did not know where I was, how to get to her farm or how to get back home. I realised I was lost! In my own little childish way, I looked up to heaven for God's help. By the time I looked down, I saw a little dog which showed a very friendly disposition towards me and was sort of beckoning to me to follow it. So I followed the dog until I got to my sister's farm.
On seeing me, my sister asked, "How did you get here? Who brought you?" "I followed that dog", I replied. "Which dog?" She asked. "That little white dog". Then she said, "There is no dog on this farm." When we went outside their hut, there was no dog anywhere. God sent His angel to rescue me, and the angel took the shape of a dog to accomplish the mission. The Lord will go before you. He will send His angel to lead you on the path to your destiny. May He open your eyes to see the angels He sends your way in Jesus' Name.
Action Point:
Whether you see them or not, as long as you are saved, holy and obedient to God, always remember that an angel is around you.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: DEUTERONOMY 6-7 and EPHESIANS 2

RAISING GODLY CHILDREN?

Memorise:

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to
wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:4
Read: Ephesians 6:1-4
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this
is right.
2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the
first commandment with promise;)
3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest
live long on the earth.
4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to
wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord.
Message
When God gives you children, He expects you to
raise them in a godly manner. For this reason, He
sent you this express command in Proverbs 22:6:
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and
when he is old, he will not depart from it."
This passage of Scripture tells us to "train up a
child". In other words, even when God gives you
several children, each of them requires personal
attention. Every child is different from the other.
Never lump children together without making out
time to teach, instruct, correct, rebuke, discipline
and lead them by example individually. Every
child that God gives to you is hungry to take
something out of you. Let them take the life of
Jesus out of you. Personal attention is very
crucial to the development of your children and
wards.
Also, carry them along with you when you are
going for church programmes. There are parents
who leave their children at home when they are
going to church. When you ask why they do that,
they say their children are already youths and
should be left to decide things for themselves.
That scenario suggests that the parents are
carefree. If you fail to bring up your children in
the way and admonition of the Lord, you will be
courting trouble. Joshua's resolve in Joshua
24:15 is very important to us here. He said both
himself and his household would be devoted to
the service of the Lord. In other words, he must
have made serving God an attractive thing to his
family. There are some pastors' children whose
primary desire is to become pastors; other
careers or professions are secondary options to
them. Their desire shows that their parents have
done a good job on them. But if you are a pastor
and your child says the last profession he will
ever consider is to be a pastor, check it out,
something must have gone wrong in the training
of that child. Do you always paint the ministry in
bad light to your children? How do you present
the Christian faith to your children or wards - as
interesting or as a burden? Do you just dole out
dos and don'ts to your children, or do you take
out time to patiently explain why things should
be done the way you want them done, and why
certain things should not be done? It is your
responsibility to raise your children to fear and
love God.

Key Point:
While some families are raising leaders and
builders of nations, others are raising miscreants
and misfits. Everyone will give account to God
over how they raised their children.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: DEUTERONOMY 2:26-4:14
and GALATIANS 6

INSTRUMENTS OF DELIVERANCE

Memorise:
But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.
Jeremiah 1:7
Read: Genesis 50:18-20
18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.
19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?
20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
Message
Children are carriers of blessings wherever they go. When Isaac was born, God put paid to the sorrow in the heart of his parents (Genesis 21:6-7). When Samuel was born, the chief mocker of his mother had no choice than to swallow her words (1 Samuel 1:6-7 & 2:1-3). Similarly, when Samson was born, the children of Israel began to receive the deliverance that had eluded them for so long (Judges 13:2-5). This shows that God can send you a child just to deliver you, your family or even your nation from a particular captivity. It is my prayer that from now onwards, you will not just have children, but children who will be instrumental to delivering joy to you in full in Jesus' Name.
In addition, when God wants to preserve a people or a nation, He can send a child. That was the case with Joseph. God did not only use Joseph to preserve his own family, he was also used to preserve other families of the world. Dear parents, do you know that there could be another Joseph in your house? When young Joseph began to have those wonderful dreams, his brothers were angry and envious, but his father simply observed the scenes, analysed the dreams and realised he had a special child in his house - a child of destiny (Genesis 37:3-11). May God open your eyes to see the Joseph in your house!
Also, there may be another Samson in your house. Samson was still young when the Holy Spirit began to move him from time to time (Judges 13:24-25). If his parents were observant, they would have noticed. In one of our meetings, the presence of the Holy Spirit was so strong that the children were baptised with the Holy Ghost. The teachers could not believe what was happening, but when I came to listen to them myself, I knew God was the One at work. There may be a Samson in your house, which is why you need to take extra care in raising your children in the fear of God and obedience to His word. Proverbs 22:6 says you should spend quality time in raising your children up in God's Way. Any child you fail to bring up properly will ultimately cause you sorrow. Are you leaving the training of your children to your house helps and nannies? Take responsibility for your children's upbringing today!
Key Point:
If you are prayerful and sensitive enough, you will notice some early signs or traits in your children that can be a lead on what God would have them do on earth.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: DEUTERONOMY 1:1-2:25 and GALATIANS 5

Reviving Focus on Jesus' Words

Our mission is to proclaim our Lord Jesus' lesson that He was the "sole teacher." (Matthew 23:8-11). He sternly told the apostles they were not to call themselves or anyone else a "teacher"! In John, Jesus explained why when He insisted that the "apostolosis not more important than the one who sent him." (John13:16.) The Greek word apostolos means either the title of Apostle or messenger or one that is sent. Here Jesus meant He was more important than any Apostle or messenger.
Even John the Baptist realized that despite knowing he himself was the greatest prophet who ever lived prior to Jesus (Matthew 11:11), yet he "must decrease" so that unfettered acceptance of Jesus' message would "increase." (John 3:30-31.)
And to treat anyone else's words, particularly from mere correspondence whose author does not claim to quote Jesus, as an authority on the same level with Jesus is to rob Jesus of the authority God gave Him: "All authority has been given me in heaven and on earth." (Matthew 28:18.) For more on this, see our article "The Jesus' Words Only Principle Explained from Numbers 12 & Deut. 18."