OBEY OR LOSE YOUR CHANCE

Memorise: While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. Hebrews 3:15

Read; Hebrews 3:13-15, 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

Bible in one year: Numbers 12:1-14:19, 2nd Corinthians 6:14-7:16

MESSAGE!

Beloved, if God indicates to you His desire to use you in building His kingdom in one capacity or another, do not hesitate, because He may just use someone else if you do. One of my pastors and I once went through an experience relevant to this subject. During the early days of building the Redemption Camp, when things were very rough and tough, I practically lived at the camp, as I tried to ensure that the little we had was efficiently utilised. On a particular day, we were in need of a certain amount. This pastor came to me and we exchanged pleasantries, after which he told me what he came for. I knew that he had the money we required, so after we were done with his purpose for coming, I told him I urgently needed an amount to solve a problem. He said “Okay sir, I will pray about it”, and he left. This happened on a Saturday. By Monday, he came back to say he was now ready to give me the money, but I told him the need had been met. “Daddy, I am not leaving your office until you take the money”, he protested, I then replied him, saying “You said you wanted to go and pray about it. Continue with your prayer. What God wanted done has been done.” That day, he resolved that although he had missed out on that opportunity, he would not suffer the same fate again. He decided to stay back at the camp and handed his business over to his wife. He has been to tremendous assistance since then.

When you hear a call to partake in a kingdom project, do not delay unnecessarily, or else, by the time you are ready, the work would have been done without you. When some people make pledges towards the Holy Ghost Congress meetings we held in December, a lot of them fail to redeem theirs. In spite of this, the Congress still holds, and by the grace of God. We are never in deficit at the end of any Congress. In addition, it is important to know that the Almighty God can transfer wealth from one person to another. In 2nd Kings 7:1-11, Samaria was besieged by the Syrian army, to the extent that some women began to eat their children. God declared that the situation would change within 24 hours and it was so. How? He simply transferred wealth from the Syrians to the children of Israel. If you fail to use your God-given resources for His kingdom, you may be calling for God to transfer them to those who will use them to glorify Him.

Key Point

Some opportunities for outstanding life transformations cannot afford to wait until you are ready.

WHY CHILDREN ARE USEFUL

Memorise: Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 18:10

Read: Matthew 18:1-5, 18 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,

3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

Bible in one year: Numbers 10:11-11:35, 2ndCorinthians 5:11-6:13

MESSAGE!

Children are not just God’s property; they are also God’s weapons of war. This is why you must be very careful in the way you handle or treat them. Jesus gave us a fascinating revelation about children inMatthew 18:10, where He said:

“Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angles do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.”

For the revelation, we understand that every child has at least one angel guiding him or her. Have you seen an angel before? By His grace I have seen them a couple of times and I can say that they can be fearfully huge, particularly some of the mighty angels. If you were to meet one of such angels, the first thing he will likely say to you is “Fear not!” Why? Nobody will see an angel for the first time without being terrified. Speaking of the size of some of the mighty angels: although one of the world’s largest airplanes is an Airbus A380, do you know that one mighty angel can carry this airplane on the palm of his hand? God says that every child has an angel and every one of such angels has direct access to God. Attaching a powerful angel to a child is what makes children a terrific weapon. If you mess around with a child, you are inviting an angel of God to deal with you.

Moreover, children are weapons in God’s hands because we the older ones are so preoccupied with the hustle and bustle of life that our ears have become dull of hearing. When God speaks, we often don’t hear, but the ears of children are open to God. They do not worry as we do. In fact, children believe that all they need will be provided for by their parents. So time after time, when God wants to send a message, He could send it through a child. This is one reason why parents must adhere strictly to God’s word in raising their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. A child that is brought up to love and fear the Lord will be a great asset and tool in God’s hands. Such a family, as busy as the parents may be, will not lack divine direction, as the children will be able to hear from God. How often does God speak to your children? Are you raising them in the ways of God?

Key Point

God may have been speaking to your godly children. If they have not told you, it could be that you have not created a conducive atmosphere for them to do so.

STEALING HIS GLORY?

Memorise:

For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.
Isaiah 48:11

Read: Acts 12:20-23
20 And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country.
21 And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.
22 And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.
23 And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.
Message
It is very wrong, and an act of stealing, for a person to take all the credit for a job done by team effort. If you are part of a team that performed a particular feat, it is wrong to relegate others to the background and bring yourself to the fore. It even gets worse when you steal God's glory. Do you know that some people try to steal the show from God? Hear them out during testimony time: they will talk about the problem and lay much emphasis on how much they prayed, fasted or sowed seeds, giving God little or no room in it. Whereas, the emphasis should be on what God did or how God intervened. The truth is, while facing a problem, it is possible to pray even a hundred times and God will not hear you. That God heard or intervened at all is a mark of His mercy. If He chooses not to answer, what can you do? Stop stealing the show, because you are nothing without God!
Some servants of God being used of Him in the miraculous have become so deceived that they now rub shoulders with God. How can a man of God say, "If you are sick, come to me and I will heal you?" Are you now the healer? Can you cure a headache, if God has not chosen to channel His power through you? If there is one thing God is not prepared to share, it is His glory. He made this very clear in Isaiah 42:8:
"I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images."
Anytime you attribute a feat to yourself, your power, wisdom or ability, you steal from God's glory. If you are involved in such, you are courting serious trouble. You need to learn from the shameful demise of Herod in our Bible reading, after He stole God's glory for himself. If God is doing anything through you, it is for the sake of His Name. This He very much said in Isaiah 48:11:
"For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another."
Have you stolen from God's glory? Have you taken credit for any miracle, sign or wonder the Lord has used you to perform? Return it to Him today in humility! Are you ascribing the growth and development of your church to yourself? What could you have done without God's help? Return every glory and credit you have stolen, lest you bring God's judgment on yourself.

Action Point:
In every way you have stolen God's glory, restitute now.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : NUMBERS 8:1-10:10 and 2 CORINTHIANS 4:1-

PRAYER AND JOY

Memorise:

Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be fall. John 16:24

Read: John 16:23-24
23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
Message
It’s amazing to know that prayer causes one’s voice to be heard in Heaven. Of the over six billion people on earth, do you know that God can single out your voice for His personal attention? Indeed, when you pray, God hears your voice, and through this, He gives solutions to long-standing problems in your life. Every stubborn problem in your life will receive a divine touch today. As you call upon the Lord, he will hear your cry in Jesus’ Name.
From Zacharias’ experience, we learn that prayer causes you to hear good news (Luke 1:5-17). When the angle of God met Zacharias in the temple while the congregation prayed, he broke the good news he had been expecting to hear for such a long time. This implies that within every unpleasant situation, there is some good news tucked inside that only prayer can unearth. This also connotes that there is a link between prayer and joy. When you pray, you will hear some good news about your situation or circumstance which will bring you joy. No wonder Jesus, in our Bible reading today, says we should ask until our joy is full. Have you been receiving negative news lately? You need to engage your prayer gear, and good news will locate you. Very soon, you shall hear the good news that will transform your life.
Moreover, prayer equally provides details about future events. No wonder the Bible in Jeremiah 33:3 says:
“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
It was in the place of prayer that the birth of John was foretold. It was also in the midst of prayer that God’s plan and purpose for John was disclosed. If you want God to reveal your tomorrow to you, pray. If you do not want to be kept in the dark concerning fundamental issues of your life, pray. Some believers go through very critical periods of their life without effective prayers. No wonder they mishandle opportunities that come their way. As you pray today, ask God to give you insight into your future. This season, your prayer will work for you. Call on the Lord now while He may be found. It is well with you.

Key Point:
God may be listening to multitudes of people, but He still hears your voice.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : NUMBERS 5:11-7:11 and 2 CORINTHIANS 1:12-2:11

SCEPTRE OF HIS POWER

Memorise: But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Hebrews 1:8

Read: Esther 5:1-3, 5 Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.

2 And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.

3 Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.

Bible in one year: Numbers 3, 1st Corinthians 16

MESSAGE!

The dawning of your day of favour causes God to beckon to you. God beckons to you to bring you close to His power. In whatever way the Lord is beckoning to you, may you not be insensitive or blind to it in Jesus’ Name! The sceptre that the king stretched towards Esther in today’s Bible reading is a symbol of power. When Esther went near the king, she touched the sceptre. When you touch the sceptre of the King of kings, not only will your history be rewritten, the history of your entire race will begin to change at the same time. According to Esther 4:11, anyone who went before King Ahasuerus uninvited would be executed instantly, regardless of who they were, except he lifted his sceptre towards them. by lifting the sceptre towards Esther, the king changed death to life for her.

During a Holy Ghost Service held in the first auditorium at the Redemption Camp, the Lord said that there was someone in attendance whom the enemies had planned to kill, but because the fellow had come to the programme the night, death had been cancelled. Everybody said “Amen” without knowing who God was specifically referring to. In the congregation that night was a particular woman to whom some people were heavily indebted. When these debtors felt they could not pay, they decided to kidnap and kill her so that they could be free from their debt without repaying. After the programme, they kidnapped her, bound and threw her into the boot of their car and began to drive towards a forest in Badagry (a border town between Lagos and theRepublic of Benin), where they planned to kill her. On their way, they came across a police checkpoint. That was not supposed to be a problem, as they had already packaged cash brides to be offered to all the policemen they came across along the way. But because God had already cancelled the plan of death for this woman, when they offered the money to the policeman, he turned it down and said he wanted to see what was in their boot. That they increased the bribe offer, but the policeman declined and insisted on seeing what was in their boot. When they saw that their game was up, they fled. The police man opened the boot, saw the woman and released her. Just as He did for this woman, today, the Lord is stretching His sceptre of power towards you. Wherever the enemy had planned something against you, the Lord will make a way of escape for you. Praise the Lord!

Prayer Point

Father, stretch Your sceptre of power to me; let it touch me and thwart the plans of the enemy against the glorious destiny You have for me.

ONLY A PRIVILEGE

Memorise: The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts. Haggai 2:8

Read: Esther 4:10-14, 10 Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai;

11 All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or women, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.

12 And they told to Mordecai Esther's words.

13 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews.

14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Bible in one year: Numbers 1-2, 1st Corinthians 15:35-58

MESSAGE!

While the Lord Jesus Christ was on the surface of the earth, He plainly declared His intention to build His Church, irrespective of the opposition from the gates of hell (Matthew 16:18). The implication of this declaration is that even if you refuse to cooperate with God on His plans to build His kingdom, He will still definitely go ahead with those plans without you. Whether the Kingdom of God will be built or not is not a question that needs deliberation, it is a settled matter. If you choose to cooperate with God, He will use you; but if you refuse to be a part of His programme or vision, He will decide to do it without you. Psalm 24:1 says the earth and its fullness belongs to God, so He has all the raw materials He needs to do the job. Haggai 2:8 also says silver and gold belongs to God. Since He has all the resources and all the money, who or what can stand in His way? It therefore follows that if God decides to use you in building His house or kingdom, He is only doing you a favour.

When the children of Israel faced extinction in the days of Queen Esther, her uncle, Mordecai, asked her to present the matter before her husband the king. She responded that she could not go to the king except the called for her. If she went uninvited, she could lose her life. What was Mordecai’s response?

“For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom of such a time as this?”

Esther 4:14

From this reply, it is obvious that God cannot be stranded. He always has someone waiting in the wings to do the assignment He has given you. If Esther had refused to take the risk, God would have used another person to do the job. Has God blessed you financially or materially and you are now dictating to Him how you will spend or not spend what He has given to you? Beware! Do not compel Him to use someone else! Mordecai told Esther that if she refused to do what God requested of her, she and her father’s house would become causalities of war. Do you know that when you fail to build thekingdom of God after He has given you the means, you will face certain punishment? Be wise today!

Key Point

The best way to spend the financial resources God gives to you is to use them to meet God’s needs.

HE STILL CREATES

Memorise: 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. 2nd Kings 5:14

Read: 2nd 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 ofDamascus, 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.

Bible in one year: Leviticus 26:14-27:34, 1stCorinthians 15:12-34

MESSAGE!

The power of God can be manifested through different categories of healing. A person who receives a dose of this power can experience a repair of any part of the body that is defective. Apart from the repair of body parts, the healing power of God can also be experienced as a creative miracle. One Bible character who experienced this was Naaman. He was not only healed of his leprosy, his skin which had been eaten up by this disease was replaced by that of a newborn baby (2nd Kings 5:1-14). When healing is experienced as a repair, there will be some signs or evidence such as a scar, indicating that a repair has taken place; but whenever there is a creative miracle, there will be no sign that there was any damage in the first place. Many years ago, in a crusade we held at Yaba (Lagos), a man with a peculiar challenge was in attendance. He was born with one testicle. In an attempt to help him, his parents took him to a native doctor who succeeded in destroying the only testicle he had left. In spite of this challenge, he went ahead and got married; even though he knew there was no hope of ever having a child. That blessed day, during the message at the crusade ground, the Lord performed a creative miracle by giving him two brand new testicles. By the time he came to share his testimony, everyone could see the evidence of the creative miracle his wife was pregnant.

Is your health situation so bad that it is beyond repair? Don’t be worried. Have the doctors told you that they have reached their limits regarding your case? Thank God there is no limitation with Him. Where the best of man’s knowledge and wisdom stops, God’s knowledge starts. He has done it for others and He will do it for you. In Genesis 1:1, God created the heavens and the earth. Many people think God’s creative work ended there. How wrong they are! God is still creating things today. In every part of your body needing a creative miracle, receive that miracle today! I command a new organ for that which is defective in your body! I decree new eyes and new sets of teeth! Do you need a new limb or a new total faith in God to receive your creative miracle. The Lord will heal you without leaving any trace that you were sick before. It is well with your spirit, soul and body.

Prayer Point

Father, scan me from head to toe, and in any part of my body where I require a creative miracle, please performs it today.