Anointing Destroys the Yoke - 30/11/2014

Anointing Destroys the Yoke - 30/11/2014

Memorise: 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: Psalm 26:1-6
1 A Psalm of David. Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.
2 Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.
3 For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.
4 I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers.
5 I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.
6 I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD:

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 20:24-23:15

MESSAGE:
Whenever it rains, water flows from the sky (top) to the ground (bottom). This same principle applies to the anointing. The anointing flows from the top (leaders) to the bottom (congregation). If your leader for instance is anointed, then the anointing will flow down to you. If you pray for your leader, you are praying for yourself. Rain brings comfort and refreshment. In like manner, the anointing destroys yokes – Isaiah 10:27 says:
“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.”
The anointing brings freedom, liberty, relief, refreshment, release from prison, healing etc (Isaiah 61:1). Rain brings a new start; the anointing does the same (Isaiah 61:2-3). The anointing brings beauty for ashes and joy for mourners. Rain is a sign of divine favour, so is the anointing in the life of the anointed. The anointing announces divine favour. God uses the anointing to show that a man has found favour with Him; this was the case with David in 1 Samuel 16:12-13.

Rain activates seeds sown; the anointing also activates whatever God has ordained. When God promises you something, the anointing activates its actualisation (2 Samuel 2:4).

Whatever yokes the anointing has destroyed cannot be resuscitated except the person involved goes back to sin, thereby opening the door to bigger yokes of the enemy. In John 5:14, Jesus told the healed man at the pool Bethesda to go and sin no more lest a worse thing comes on him. The anointing of God can flow without ceasing if you abide in God’s will. In Isaiah 35:10, the anointing of God on your head is called everlasting joy, this shows its ability to continuously flow without ceasing.

Prayer Point: Father, anoint my head with your fresh anointing that will be an answer to my generation.

Cast Your Burden on Christ - 29/11/2014

Cast Your Burden on Christ - 29/11/2014

Memorise: Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. - Psalm 55:22

Read: 1 Peter 5:6-7
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

MESSAGE:
What a marvellous thing to know that I don’t need to bear my burden by myself anymore. We have an express and authoritative assurance that God carries our loads of burden. This means that I need not get worried over anything anymore. In fact, His word in Psalm 55:22 is not a mere admonition, it is a command. In it He says:
“Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”
God is always willing to help men, but men do not always avail themselves of God’s unfailing ability to help like no other can. Rather, they prefer to bear their burdens all by themselves; thus, many get crushed under their burden. For instance, man cannot by himself get free from the burden laid on him by the devil. This is why Jesus came to undo the burden of sin for man.

The burden of sin is the greatest of all burdens. No one should think that mere religious observance can set him free from this burden, no it can’t!
“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
Beloved, what is that burden of sickness, unpaid rent, mortgages, debt or wayward child, let the Lord know that you are releasing the burden to Him now and see what He will do. The Lord sent the same word as the scripture above through Peter in 1 Peter 5:7. This time, He says that we should cast all our care upon Him. Note that He says “all”. All means everything without any left. The trouble is that many of His children do not think God really means what He said. God is not frivolous like men.

Many children of God, rather than bring their burdens to God, they like rushing to fellow human beings who themselves need assistance. A woman, who for 12 years had been bleeding without any remedy, spent all her living seeking help from men. They were merely living off her; they could not lift this terrible burden off her life. In desperation, she brought this burden to Jesus as her last resort.

Immediately, her fountain of blood dried instantly (Mark 5:25-29). Do as this woman did, come to Jesus with your burden today, but only let it be in faith.

Action Point: Father I am grateful for commanding me to cast my burden upon you. Now earnestly tell him the specific burdens of your life you want Him to take away.

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 18:1-20:23

Victorious in Jesus 28/11/2014

Victorious in Jesus 28/11/2014

Memorise: No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. - Isaiah 54:17

Read: Deuteronomy 30:19-20
19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 14-17

MESSAGE:
Some of life’s experiences are contrasting pairs. There is the good and the bad, success and failure, progress and retardation, joy and sorrow, peace and trouble, the list goes on. It is my prayer that your experiences in life will not consist of the negative element of the various contrasting pairs in Jesus’ Name. Nevertheless, much as no sane person will wish for himself the negative aspects of life, there is no single person that will not face a challenge of life at one point or the other. Life’s challenges vary in nature and magnitude. There are challenges that come as a result of efforts towards achieving greatness, these are necessary in order to attain greater heights. Anyone facing such should be prepared to tackle them with endurance and the assistance of God.

There are however some other forms of life’s challenges which are devastating and are uninvited.

These are usually designed by the enemy - the devil and by those who allow him to use them. Oh, how many promising lives have been prematurely terminated by these evil forces! How many hopes of a greater tomorrow have been dashed by the activities of these evil entities! Some potential professors, geniuses and business moguls are scavenging on the dunghill because their brains have been remotely reprogrammed. May you never fall victim of this network of evil in Jesus’ Name. In case you are already a victim in one way or the other, as you turn your heart to Jesus without reservation, I decree that your prison doors be opened now in Jesus’ Name.

Living in victory and being on top of every situation in peace and confidence is guaranteed only if you love God, cleave to Him and obey His voice, Deuteronomy 30:20 says:
“That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”
Love God above anyone and anything else, be obedient completely to Him and get yourself hooked on Him and not on any “pleasure” giving habit or person. Note that this passage says God is your life and your length of days. This is awesome, it means that whoever attempts to harm you is done for; hence you will fulfil the number of your days and your destiny also.

Action Point: Annul every counsel of the adversary against you and your loved ones in Jesus’ Name.

World Changers - 27/11/2014

World Changers - 27/11/2014

Memorise: And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; - Acts 17:6

Read: Acts 8:5-12
5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
8 And there was great joy in that city.
9 But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:
10 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.
11 And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.
12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 10-13

MESSAGE:
Jesus left a group of 11 apostles behind when He ascended to heaven. He left them with a purpose and a mission to the world. He left them in the world, not to get absorbed or influenced by it, but to change it. Did they succeed? They very well did. Not long after Jesus had gone, in far away Thessalonica, the people exclaimed that the Christian brethren had “turned the world upside down”.

This was an acknowledgement of the fact that they had brought change to the world (Acts 17:6).

For us in this generation, we should realise that the generation that the world cannot change is the generation that will change the world. If the believers of old were flowing with the Satan influenced current of their time, they would not have made any impact and they would not have passed down the torch of the gospel effectively through successive subsequent generations.

To change the world, you need to understand the current situation of the world, its functions and the active players involved. You cannot change a system you know nothing about. Some of us don’t know the current trends in the world around us. If you truly see yourself as being on a mission for God on earth, you cannot afford not to care about what is going on around you.

Even our Lord Jesus Christ was aware that a tower fell on some people in Siloam and was able to appropriately reply those who asked Him questions regarding the incident (Luke 13:4). Next, you need to map out your strategy. Through careful planning, strategise for the desired change you want to introduce, considering the resources at your disposal in Christ and who is behind your vision (Luke 14:28). Having done all these, “stick to your guns” in Christ. Don’t be lured away from your objective, don’t succumb to intimidations or blackmail and don’t be distracted (Philippians 3:13-14).

Action Point: How much are you contributing towards changing the world by witnessing Jesus Christ? Be involved!

The All-Knowing God - 26/11/2014

The All-Knowing God - 26/11/2014

Memorise: O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. - Psalm 139:1

Read: Psalm 139:1-6
1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 7:4-9:31

MESSAGE:
God is the only one whose knowledge covers both actual and possible happenings. He knows everything about things that are, and He has the knowledge of all things that could have been.

Concerning you, He knows everything, down to the very thought of your heart. Even the things you will think of in future, He knows them (Psalm 139: 1-2). The devil’s knowledge is not in any way close to the level of God’s knowledge at all. He does not know the thought of your heart unless you reveal it one way or the other. Don’t ever make the mistake of equating Satan’s level of knowledge with that of God. Although Satan makes the most of his limited knowledge in advancing the interest of his kingdom, God is able to turn his wisdom and the wisdom of all your enemies into foolishness.

This was demonstrated in the case of Moses, who was born to deliver Israel from their captivity in Egypt.

Several years earlier in Genesis 15:13-14, when God was speaking to Abraham that his descendants would be in servitude for four hundred (400) years in a strange land, Satan heard it. At the expiration of the four hundred (400) years, Satan knew that a saviour would be born for the deliverance of God’s people. So he put machinery in place to eliminate this saviour in order to stall the liberation of God’s people. One element of his grand plan was the enthronement of a Pharaoh who would not acknowledge Joseph or what he had done for Egypt. This Pharaoh was therefore hostile to God’s people. Satan used him to decree the killing of all Hebrew male children. In spite of this, Moses the liberator was raised under his very nose, in his palace and with his resources. If Satan knew everything, Moses would not have survived, he would have exposed him. God is able to raise you up in the midst of your enemies. Indeed, the Lord will blindfold all those seeking after your life and they will become your greatest asset, helpers, providers and stepping stones to greater heights in Jesus’ Name.

Action Point: Worship the most High God for His exclusive attribute of being the all knowing and for being able to bring His counsel to pass in your life, irrespective of all that the enemies may plan.

Divine Compassion -25/11/2014

Divine Compassion -25/11/2014

Memorise: And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. - Luke 7:13

Read: Luke 7:12-15
12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.
13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
14 And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 5:2-7:3

MESSAGE:
At many times, the compassion that we as human beings show towards the plight of others cannot go beyond sympathising with them. This is especially so in the face of serious and intimidating needs, pains or sorrowful incidents. We plead with others, speak words of encouragement and consolation, and of course we pray with them. This is understandable, but why is it so? It is so because we are humans and not God, creatures and not the Creator. With God however, it is a different situation.

God’s compassion always leads to a definite action that brings about a change in the situation and experience of the one on whom He shows compassion. Someone actually described God’s compassion as mercy in action. Divine action always accompanies divine compassion, to the extent that the most hopeless situation can be brought back to life again, just like it happened in the case of the dead body of Lazarus, which had been in the grave for four (4) days, but was brought back to life again (John 11). What is that situation in your life that is considered hopeless and for which you are tired of human limited compassionate expressions. In the Name of Jesus, your case will receive the attention of God’s compassion this season and shall be transformed.

Consider the case of the widow in our Bible text. Humanly speaking, her case of tragedy had gotten to a point of no return by reason of the demise of her only source of consolation, following the death of her husband (i.e. her only son). Indeed, she received a great outpouring of limited human compassion, which could not go beyond weeping and wailing along with her, and accompanying her with the remains of her son to his grave. Just then, a drastic turn to her situation occurred because the divine compassion of God in Jesus Christ met her. I say to you in that trouble of yours, God’s compassion is engaging you for a complete turn-around now in Jesus’ Name. The Bible records in Luke 7:13-15 that:
“And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.“
Hallelujah! God will have compassion on you and you will have testimonies in Jesus’ Name.

Action Point: Pick an issue confronting you or your family, ask that the compassion of God be made manifest in that situation in Jesus’ Name.

When Gentleness is Misapplied - 24/11/2014

When Gentleness is Misapplied - 24/11/2014

Memorise: The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. - Luke 16:16

Read: Matthew 11:11-12
11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 1:1-5:1

MESSAGE:
Gentleness and meekness are fruit of the Spirit which must be found in children of God.

However, some children of God have misunderstood gentleness as demanded by scripture to mean tolerating everything, including the enemies that they should get tough with. The Bible says that right from the time John the Baptist appeared to preach the kingdom of God, obtaining the kingdom of God has required violence. This is so because, just as God has made provision for us in Christ to enter into the kingdom, there is an opposing kingdom of darkness that want to do everything it can to prevent us from accessing the kingdom of God and its benefits. Hence, you have to be violent with the enemy. You are not meant to go softly with Satan and his emissaries, no! The scripture gives us a clearer picture of this in Luke 16:16, which says:

“The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.”

Pressing into a place implies using force, the force of God. This implies going violent against every opposition. This is why you must be strong in the Lord (Ephesians 6:10-13) so that the enemy would not gain the upper hand and press you out of God’s good plan and provision for your life.

Satan, demons and all that they stand for must be treated violently. Satan is to be resisted (James 4:7) and demons must be cast out (Mark 16:17). Hence, all their manifestations in the form of bondages, sicknesses, diseases, sorrows, death etc, are to be stopped. Besides, we are not to take it lightly with the flesh at all, the flesh is an ally of the devil and it does not want to please God but itself. Therefore, no pampering of the flesh; we are to deny the flesh its cravings and indulgencies. Can you see why you must be strong in your spirit man so that you can subject the flesh to the will of God? What about the world system of evil? We must not allow it to draw us into its embrace. A child of God must know when and how to bluntly say No to an invitation to sin irrespective of who is involved, even without blinking an eye, like the three Hebrew boys before that great king, Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3:16-17).

Prayer Point: Father, help me never to tolerate nonsense from the devil and his cohorts, but to always deal with them as you commanded in Jesus’ Name.

Stay Focused - 23/11/2014

Stay Focused - 23/11/2014

Memorise: Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. - Ephesians 5:1-2

Read: Ephesians 5:1-8
1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 28-29

MESSAGE:

God’s ways are clearly not the ways of men. What men hold dear and crave after are usually not what matters to God. We human beings like to blow our own trumpets. We like to be addressed by big titles and we want the office we hold to be identified with us wherever we go. These are not important things before God; as a matter of fact, they are the expressions of self which if allowed to thrive by a child of God, will lead to carnality. Romans 8:7 says, a carnal mind cannot please God.

In John 13:33, Jesus called His disciples “Little children”. Among them were some men like Peter, who was physically older than Him. Much later still, after His resurrection in John 21:5, He called out to them on the sea: “Children, have ye any meat?” They answered him, “No”; this was after they had been with Him for years. They never out grew being called children, and none of them protested to Him for being called a child.

Some years ago, at the conclusion of a seminar at the University of Ibadan (south-west Nigeria), I had asked the students if they were ready to become like a child in order to receive their miracles, then the Lord asked me the same question. He asked me if I was not already considering myself an adult.

This really shocked me. It made me to give myself a serious self-examination. I realised that I had allowed my new status as the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God to come between me and God. Prior to my becoming the General Overseer, with a two-minute prayer, I got results, but after I became the General Overseer, it took efforts of binding and loosing, praying in tongues and resisting the devil for me to obtain personal miracles. In light of this, I started to crave seriously to become like a baby once again. It is an easy thing to lose focus if one is not watchful. Humility is the key thing here.

Many people have missed it on this point today because they love to flaunt their titles, positions and achievements. When they talk, you think they are the ones behind their achievements. When addressed as brother, they will immediately correct you, “I am Pastor, Apostle and Doctor so and so”.

Yet, at many times, they themselves address the great apostles of old as Paul or Peter etc, without using any prefix.

Prayer Point: Father, please help me to always see myself as a child before you.

Fellowship – How vital!- 22/11/2014

 Fellowship – How vital!- 22/11/2014

Memorise: That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. - 1 John 1:3

Read: Mark 3:13-15
13 And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.
14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
15 And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:
MESSAGE:

God desires to fellowship with His people on earth, despite the fact that in Heaven, there are four (4) living creatures and twenty four (24) elders round about His throne, with thousand of thousands of angels worshipping before Him (Revelation 4:2-6, 5:11). God has a special place for us in His heart in spite of all that is going on in heaven. May you not fall short of giving satisfaction to God in the area of fellowshipping with Him in Jesus’ Name.

The first motive of Jesus for calling the twelve disciples was fellowship (Mark 3:14). Also, rooted in the call He made to us all in Matthew 11:28-29, is the desire for fellowship. He said:
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
This is a call to keep company with the Lord, a call to communion. Learning of Him occurs in His presence. His presence is a point of directing your attention to Him without distraction, in His presence, your whole being is engaged with Him. As you can see from this call, it is from the place of His presence that your derive fulfilment. Joy, peace and victory all come from the presence of the Lord.

Some children of God are first and foremost full of activities. Coming into God’s presence is secondary to them; it is a “by-the-way” thing. No, this is not supposed to be so. Note the order of events in today’s Bible text: having settled on the mountain, our Lord Jesus called the twelve disciples up to Himself so that they should be with Him – communion, and thereafter, that He might send them out to preach – Service. Our service will have no meaning if He doesn’t have access to our souls in fellowship. It would not be pleasing to Him if we are not carrying His presence to the point of service delivery. We fellowship with Him when we spend time alone with Him and when we come together in worship, praise, prayers, studying and learning of His word (1 John 1:3). However, some children of God don’t have a personal quality time alone with God, such are depriving themselves of so much.

Prayer Point: Father, please help me to always love your presence. Let my heart always seek you in Jesus’ Name.

Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 25-27

Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 22:2-24:31

You Can Stand Out II - 21/11/2014

Memorise: 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: Luke 5:17-20
17 And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.
18 And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.
19 And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.
20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 22:2-24:31

MESSAGE:
Due to the current challenges confronting the life of some believers, they wonder in their hearts if they can ever make it. They wonder if life will just pass them by. They wonder if they can ever stand out among their contemporaries. If you belong to this class, I have good news for you: yes you can become outstanding among others in spite of your current situation. There were many sons of the prophets in the days of Elisha, but only he stood out, so much so that the king of the land acknowledged him, calling him my father. To this end, as previously learnt yesterday, you need to have a vision of what you want to become in order to stand out. You need to choose to change because your choice in life determines your chance. You must be prepared for new ideas. You must maintain good relationships, as the greatest poverty is to not have good friends. Also, you must be informed on current happenings around you.

Besides all these, you must be teachable. From our scripture reading, the man sick of the palsy and his friends, came to the teaching service of Jesus; this shows that these men were teachable. When you stop learning, you stop growing and then you begin to degenerate. It is either one is moving forward or else one is drawing back. You will ever move forward in Jesus’ Name. You cannot be reached if you are not teachable. So many of God’s people are just too full of themselves, they are self-conceited and are impervious to corrections. This will not help you become a success; it is the deceit of the devil to rob you of a good future.

Furthermore, the sick man and his friends were determined. Determination is the route to distinction and excellence. With their determination, they broke every barrier that was on their way. You also must be a barrier breaker. Sternly confront every obstacle on your way and pull them down by the power of God in your life. This power is generated through a life of holiness and prayers. Finally, the friends of the sick man positioned him before the Lord. You must position yourself also before the Lord for your miracles, just like Zacchaeus did to gain the attention of Jesus (Luke 19:3-5).

Prayer Point: Father, every barrier standing against my getting to the top, let them be demolished in Jesus’ Name. Lord, help me to stand out among my peers.

You Can Stand Out I - 20/11/2014

You Can Stand Out I - 20/11/2014

Memorise: And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them: - Deuteronomy 28:13

Read: Luke 5:17-26
17 And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.
18 And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.
19 And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.
20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.
21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?
22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?
23 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?
24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.
25 And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.

Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 19:1-22:1

MESSAGE:
Our heavenly Father is looking for people that will do the uncommon things required to become uncommonly successful, thereby showing forth His greatness. Looking at the story of the man sick of the palsy in our Bible reading for today, you will learn some things that are essential to attaining this height. This man had a vision of what he wanted to become in life, though he was lame. Vision means beginning with the end in mind. Vision is superior to ambition because while ambition is what you want to happen, vision is what God wants to happen. Furthermore, he realised he needed a change and he chose to change. In 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, we see that Jabez chose to become different and he got it. You also will obtain the necessary transformation you need in accordance with what you have chosen in Jesus’ Name.

The sick man was ready for new ideas. For him, getting an alternative meant getting to Jesus.

This is where some people need to watch it. This man was wise enough to know where solution lies for him, but in the case of some children of God, instead of waiting on God under their God-appointed spiritual leaders, they continue to patronise different prayer mountains. This man also kept good relationships i.e. good friends. He could not walk, but his friends could. You have to be good yourself to be able to have and maintain good friends. Don’t be a lone ranger; not only in terms of marriage is this relevant, it also applies to you having good dependable friends.

The sick lame man also had current information. You need to keep the channels of receiving information open in your life. It is when you are current that you can be correct, and then you can collect what you need, which will eventually stand you out in success. Elisha was current on the things going on in his time (2 Kings 2:1-4). By this information, he kept following Elijah until finally he collected a double portion of Elijah’s anointing that subsequently made him to stand out.

Action Point: Father, whatever it will take for me to stand out, please do it in my life and grant me the grace to co-operate with you.

For Christ’s Sake Don’t! 19/11/ 2014

For Christ’s Sake Don’t! 19/11/ 2014

Memorise: Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. - Galatians 5:1

Read: Psalm 137:1-4
137:1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
137:2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
137:3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
137:4 How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?

Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 16:8-18:17

MESSAGE:
A negative change is generally abhorred by men. Everyone craves progress. We always desire to keep ascending the ladder of success. No one wants to make a u-turn in the journey of greatness. The greatest journey whose end has the greatest significance is the journey to Heaven. This journey is only made in Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth and the life. Only through Him does man have access to God.

Some individuals, who have truly started this glorious and wonderful journey to heaven, handle the race too leisurely and with levity. Otherwise, what shall we say of a Christian sister or brother who toy with sins like fornication, lying, dishonesty and fraudulent practices. Some sisters and brothers still in courtship are already having sex. This is an example of making a u-turn while on the journey to the greater glory above. In line with today’s scripture reading, the implication for such people is that they will fall prey to the enemy. Such people lead themselves into the captivity of the enemy, contrary to the admonition of today’s memory verse. Such individuals become like Samson who when God’s presence was with him, he was a terror to the enemy, but by the time he pushed God away from him through his unabated lust, he became a laughing stock with his two eyes gone. Why, why, why would you allow such regrettable acts to cause you such pain? Such was the condition of the entire nation of Israel in Psalm 137. They went into captivity in the hands of their enemies. Hear their wailing in Psalm 137:3-4:
“For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?”
Some people deceive themselves or allow the devil to deceive them. They live in sin and they claim they can always confess their sins; it is either such people are not saved at all, or they have already backslidden. What a dangerous thing it is for a child of God to toy with sin. Five to six years ago in Lagos - Nigeria, the case of a pastor was reported in the newspapers. A portion of a wall fell on him while he was on top of a woman; they died together on the spot, what judgment! Where would the destination of such a pastor be in eternity? For Christ’s sake don’t toy with sin!

Action Point: Flee every appearance of evil. Don’t say I will do it only once; your “only once” escapade could lead you to an eternity in hell.

There for a Purpose - 18/11/2014

There for a Purpose - 18/11/2014

Memorise: And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28

Read: 2 Kings 5:1-4
5:1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.
5:2 And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife.
5:3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.
5:4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.


Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 13:1-16:7

MESSAGE:
Known unto God are all His works from the foundation of the world (Acts 15:18). One of the arguments some philosophers put up for the existence of God is that, the Cause of all things must be a rational and intelligent being because to everything the Cause caused to be, is a purpose given. This so-called Cause is God and there is nothing He created that has no purpose.

Whatever God permits to come to you or to come your way has a purpose. There is a purpose behind you being an African, European, Asian or American. Far beyond the superficial things you may be looking for in that your exalted position in that organisation, God may have something in mind for you to accomplish. Maybe you got sponsored and supported to occupy a political office or maybe you are in government, have you found out why He opened that door to you, or are you busy seeking mundane things for yourself like the ungodly and unpatriotic ones?

In some cases, God’s purpose might bring you into an unpleasant or undesirable situation, just like the young girl in today’s Bible reading. She was taken captive from her native land in Samaria to the far and strange land of Syria. However, see what great effect the quiet little counsel she gave her mistress had in the life of the great but leprous commander of the Syrian army, and by extension the entire nation of Syria. Beyond the healing of her master, she projected the God of her fathers among the heathen, so that He might be feared and honoured.

It is a pity that some Christians today do things that bring shame and reproach to the name of God. Such people misrepresent God through their compromising acts among sinners. Hear what the little girl said in 2 Kings 5:3:
“And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.”
It was just this one-minute piece of information God was waiting for to orchestrate a chain of events that would culminate in His name being glorified among the heathen. From this story, we also learn why it is good to be nice and kind to those who are around us, even servants, housemaids, gardeners, drivers etc. Some bosses despise and treat their subordinates inhumanely. Some housemaids, drivers and workers are treated as though they are not human beings (Colossians 4:1). If Naaman and his wife had been maltreating this maid, she probably would not have given them the counsel that led to the removal of their shame and reproach.

Action Point: Objectively identify what exactly you are living for.

He Has the Last Say- 17/11/2014

He Has the Last Say- 17/11/2014

Memorise: For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee. Isaiah 54:10

Read: Joel 3:16-17
3:16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
3:17 So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.

Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 10-12

MESSAGE:
The situation in the world is steadily becoming alarming. Big and strong economies are becoming shaky while some are crumbling already, even though trade is expanding with mind blowing technological breakthroughs and rapid succession of invention of devices across every facet of human endeavour. Violence in various forms of inhuman treatment of man by fellow man is also on the increase. This includes terror activities, civil disturbances, kidnappings, rapes, murderous acts, drugs, human trafficking and sale of human beings as mere commodity etc. All these and several more are pointers to any child of God that the end of all things is fast approaching and that these are not the days to live carelessly.

These happenings are at a stage that any observant mind will sense palpable fear in the world, just like the Bible said it would be (Luke 21:26). For you a child of God however, you need not panic in your heart because God has given you an idea of the events that will occur in these last days. He also has given you His promises of hope and has put His Holy Spirit in you. One of such promises is in Joel 3:16:
“The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.“
It is required of you as a child of God in this end-time, to get close to the word of God in order to see global events in light of what is written in it. This will give you hope and encourage your mind on how close the eventual return of our Lord is. His return means release from earthly pains and limitations for you, but the beginning of sorrows for those who don’t have a relationship with Him.

Nevertheless, you need to know that the children of God that will do valiantly in these last days, are not those who only depend on feeding on the word of God that they hear via public ministrations, but those who go beyond this by spending time with God in His word through private study like the Berean brethren (Acts 17:10-11). Great strength for the race comes from this. In these evil days, you will not be a victim but a victor in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point: Pray that your focus will remain on making Heaven and that you will remain fervent in spirit and steadfast in the love of God.

Commitment 1- 16/11/2014

Commitment 1- 16/11/2014

Memorise: For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. - Mark 10:45

Read: John 9:3-6
9:3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
9:6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,

Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 7-9

MESSAGE:
The Master Himself is our example in commitment. He told us that He came not to be served but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). He demonstrated this by the way He lived. He lived serving and ultimately served us by giving His life for us. Furthermore, He was also serving His Father and was committed to doing the will of His Father. When He was about leaving the earth, He said this to us: as my Father have sent me, so send I thee (John 20:21). How committed are you to Jesus and to His will?

Many people, perhaps including you, are not in any way participating in the vast activities and work of the kingdom. Many attend church regularly, but they do not commit themselves to service. They are mere benchwarmers, only consuming without giving out, No wonder they don’t experience new dimensions of the Holy Spirit. However, some people view becoming a worker as an avenue for socialising and as a fashionable thing. Such are not really committed.

This should not be so! Really, it is of no use coercing anyone to serve God. God Himself will not be pleased with that. He loves a cheerful giver, including cheerfully giving your service to Him.

You need personal revelation of what Jesus suffered and went through to redeem you in order to change your outlook. He is the maker of heaven and earth, the One without whom nothing was made that was made (John 1:3). Yet, He passed through the womb of His creature, was born as a baby, grew like every child. He trekked some 100 miles spanning Jerusalem via Samaria to Galilee to and fro regularly. He was slapped, flogged, spat upon, crowned with thorns which pierced the skin on His head and rough edged crude nails were driven through His hands and feet. All these terrible sufferings He endured for no offence He committed but for you and me. What then can be too dear, too great or too precious to us that will stand in the way of our complete commitment to His will and service?

Besides, every service we render cheerfully and willingly is not in vain but is credited to our account for due recompense of reward when it matters (1 Corinthians 15:58). Oh what a good Father we have! Furthermore, you need to realise that time is short. You ought to strive to achieve much for your own good before the time is up. Seize every opportunity to serve, so as to be in a position to get great rewards.

Action Point: Evaluate the level of your commitment to God’s service and make necessary adjustments.

Growing in Grace -15/11/2014

Growing in Grace -15/11/2014

Memorise: But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. - 2 Peter 3:18

Read: Colossians 2:6-7
2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 4:24-6:81

MESSAGE:
Even though little children and babies enjoy many benefits such as being carried, being assisted in every situation and receiving prompt attention and care when they cry, it is not a desirable thing to remain a baby or a child. It is neither in the interest of the child nor that of its parents that a child or baby remains stagnant in growth and not mature. In like manner, while Jesus as the Great Shepherd of his people will gather the young ones with His arms and carry them in His bosom (Isaiah 40:11), He would not be delighted in having them remain immature indefinitely. To remain a babe in the faith for too long is to make yourself a liability to the body of Christ and an unnecessary burden for the leaders set over you. Such Christians don’t know their full rights in Christ, and hence, the enemy takes advantage of their ignorance to afflict them and cheat them. It is common knowledge that in the natural world, children do funny things that can bring them harm, the same applies spiritually.

Spiritual babes can ignorantly inflict injury on themselves by allowing the devil to make them do foolish things. Such Christians will no doubt be carnal Christians. Besides, babies don’t reproduce and God hates unfruitfulness (John 15:1-2). With these in mind, it is therefore very undesirable to refuse to grow in your Christian life. Now, how is a Christian expected to grow? This is revealed in Colossians 2:6-7.
“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”
Note from the above passage that there are two directions of growth. Basically, a plant sends its root downwards, while its stem and branches grows upward. It is the root growing deep in the soil that gets food supply to support the stem, branches, leaves and fruiting of the plant above. So also must the children of God keep sending their roots deeper and deeper in Christ till an evident outward expression of growth and maturity in Christian virtues, character and wisdom is made manifest. Also, from the above passage, to achieve spiritual growth, you must expose yourself to Bible teachings i.e. sound doctrinal teachings that reveal the total counsel of God. You are not helping yourself if you select only the things in the word of God that suit you and neglect other instructions, warnings and chastisement.

Prayer Point: Pray that the lord will help you to be consistent in exposing yourself to provisions of God for your growth - studying, meditating, praying, evangelising and obedience to the word of God.

Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 1:1-4:23

New Life in Christ -14/11/2014

Memorise: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Read: 1 John 3:7-9
3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 1:1-4:23

MESSAGE:
There is a nature that is of the Earth and there is a nature that is of Heaven. Since the fall of man, the earthly nature of man has become corrupted and therefore is greatly under the influence of the kingdom of Satan. Characteristic features of this nature are: wickedness, moral perversion – sodomy and all sorts of indecent sexual practices, deception, fraudulent practices, poverty, ignorance, sickness etc. A person not in Christ carries this polluted nature around and is capable of manifesting any of its devil influenced character, irrespective of social and educational status. However, when a person comes to Christ, the power of the cross of Christ destroys this nature of sin and the person is given a new nature which is of God; a nature whose feature and expression include a holy character. The character of this new nature is described in 2 Peter 1:4:
“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
When a person truly gives his or her life to Jesus, some things occur spiritually in his or her life. The Bible says that fellow is delivered from the power of darkness and is translated into the kingdom of God’s Son (Colossians 1:13). Also, he or she now has Jesus dwelling in the inside. Jesus in Revelation 3:20 promised that, if you open the door of your heart, He would come in to your heart.

Not only these, 1 John 3:9 reveals that the seed of God is now dwelling in you if you are in Christ.

Also, with Jesus now dwelling in you and He being light, there would be no place for darkness. Darkness is the sphere of operation of sin and demons.

It is not enough to know all these. The onus is now on you as a child of God to assert yourself based on the power of God that is now at work in you against the old nature of sin, Satan and the sinful and worldly influences around you. Hence, the Bible says you should be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, so that you would be able to stand your ground against the enemy of righteousness (Ephesians 6:10-13, James 4:7).

Prayer Point: Pray to God to be more like Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Discipline of Prayer- 13/11/2014

Spiritual Discipline of Prayer- 13/11/2014

Memorise: Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; - Romans 12:12

Read: Ephesians 6:18
6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 23:28-25:30

MESSAGE:
In virtually every field of human endeavour, there are great men and women. Be it in science, arts, sports, politics, governance and religion, history is full of people regarded as great in these various fields. Many of such people were given to causes that are ephemeral and mundane.

One common denominator in the life of such people or anyone that would be a success is ‘discipline’. What worthy thing it is therefore, when we apply the effort of self-discipline in the area of the one thing that is an avenue for attracting the favour and immense power of God to work on our behalf. This worthy avenue of drawing God’s power is prayer.

The Bible commands us to pray always. Many people would ordinarily find it easier to spend time chatting either in the real world or in virtual cyber space than in praying always as the Bible commands. Note that God wants to manifest His glory in your life. But then, prayer is never at home with the flesh, rather, the flesh wants to gist or while away the time in some other way. This is why prayer is a discipline, a spiritual discipline. Know that it is more profitable for you to pray than to occupy your time with some other mundane things. Put the flesh in its place, discipline your flesh and be compelled to pray.

How is it possible to pray always? Would we not be violating the word of God if we abandon our other responsibilities and spend all of our time on our knees by our bedside praying? Yes we will be.

What is actually required of us is that our hearts must be attuned to God at all times, such that whether we are at home cooking in the kitchen or at the bus stop awaiting the arrival of a bus or on the wheel driving, a silent upward communication link is not far from us.

With such heart posture, it is a usual thing to thank God for virtually every seemingly little but advantageous thing, as well as thanking Him for things that do not appear to be to our advantage.

Such heart will always be full of heavenly joy, accompanied with a whisper of: all things work together for good to them that love God (Romans 8:28). Besides, for those that are baptized in the Holy Spirit, the ability to pray always is easier, as such a person can almost ceaselessly carry on praying in tongues quietly, irrespective of what he or she may be busy doing, except when he or she needs to pause to attend to someone. So much gets accomplished while praying in the Spirit. The whole demand in Ephesians 6:18 can easily be accomplished by doing so. That is the reason why you should get baptized in the Holy Spirit if you are not.

Prayer Point: Pray that God will help you to be more disciplined in praying.

My Body, His Property 12/11/2014

My Body, His Property 12/11/2014

Memorise: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. - Romans 12:1

Read: 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 21:19-23:27

MESSAGE:
The passion of God behind the admonition in today’s memory verse is evident. The goodness of God and His commitment to our well-being is far beyond our imagination. Can you comprehend this: that having paid the ultimate price for our redemption, He is still passionately pleading with those of us that are His, for our own sake, to keep our bodies? Though it is in our own best interest, yet He pleads with us. To start with, a person that says he or she is enjoying himself with cigarette smoking or taking of hard drugs does not know what he is saying. Such a person is destroying himself in bits.

Likewise, the fellow given to alcohol is destroying and cutting short his age systematically. What about the fornicator and adulterer? The major vehicle for HIV infection is no other than sexual immoralities such as pre-marital sex, homosexuality, lesbianism and the likes. Presenting your body as a living sacrifice means denying your body the fashion or pleasures that are at variance with the ways of the kingdom you belong to. This includes denying yourself such aberrations like exposing your body through clothes that are in vogue.

If the body of the believer in Christ is the temple of God, and God is holy, how does a child of God think he or she will be full of the Holy Spirit while unabatedly indulging in evil habits?

Somebody must be deceiving himself or herself somehow. The Bible warns us not to grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). What other possible ways could the Holy Spirit be grieved, if not by rendering His habitation non-conducive for Him to dwell in? Is it not that those defiling His temple (our bodies) are asking Him (the Holy Spirit) to pack up and go elsewhere?

The care of our body includes feeding it with the right things – good food and not junk food that causes obesity, and taking the right quantity of food at a time (gluttony is condemned by the Bible). Likewise, drinks must be non-alcoholic and non-nicotinic. Spiritually, feed on the word of God.

Besides, treat the body with natural means for its refreshing like sleeping moderately and not inducing yourself with drugs to sleep. Also, use your body rightly. It is good to work hard, but then, learn also to give it its due rest. Don’t use the body for immorality in any form. Learn not to pamper your body either, it may crave those things that would make it to incur God’s wrath, it is your duty to deny it those things. You can do all these because the power of God through Christ is now in you. God is not demanding what you cannot do.

Key Point: God desires purity of the heart as well as purity of the body.

Beware Of Pride II - 11/11/2014

Beware Of Pride II - 11/11/2014

Memorise: And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him. - Ephesians 6:9

Read: Romans 12:3-10
12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
12:4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
12:7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
12:8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
12:9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 19:8-21:18

MESSAGE:
Do you know that there are many people who have lost precious opportunities that God meant for their breakthrough or turn-around, all because they think highly of themselves beyond what they really are? Quite a good number of God’s people are suffering unnecessarily just because they despised lofty opportunities in the form of persons, situations, gifts and relationships packaged in simple, unattractive and lowly boxes.

Some of our sisters would not want to get married to anyone that is not at least at the same level as they are, due to their high educational qualifications, fast promotion to the position of executive in blue chip companies or because of their famous and wealthy backgrounds. As a result of this, they are not prepared for the will of God. God does not see the way we see; He has a purpose for us His people. It doesn’t matter if you are already an MD of a multinational corporation at age 25, God may say a first degree holder management trainee is your husband. Would you be humble enough to accept? Many have allowed their earthly privileged position or possession to make them miss out of God’s will for their lives; thus, a fulfilled and blissful marriage experience has eluded them. Young lady listen! If you were brought up with a silver spoon in your mouth or you are a high flyer and you are unmarried, be wise, you are now a child of God, your heavenly Father knows all about you, He determines who becomes this or that. Trust in Him with all your heart, He has your best interest at heart. That man God is saying is your husband, though he does not seem to measure up to your standard as you may claim, God is taking him somewhere. He is not at the bus stop of his life yet. All you need to do is to confirm if he is God’s will for you. If this is ascertained, you would be wise to accede to his proposal to you. But go into the relationship following the laid down guidelines of your church. If you do, you will not get your fingers burnt.

Some of us also allow our position and wealth to interfere with the way we relate with people that are not as privileged as we are at this particular time. I write at this particular time because such people may be going somewhere with God like Joseph in Egypt. One thing we should bear in mind as children of God is that, God has a purpose for those He brings around us, including the driver, the house help, the gardener and others; they deserve to be treated with dignity.

Action Point: Review the way you relate to those who are less privileged around you and prayerfully correct any issues you observed.

Beware Of Pride 10/11/2014

Beware Of Pride 10/11/2014

Memorise: Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. - Proverbs 16:18

Read: Isaiah 40:13-17
40:13 Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
40:14 With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?
40:15 Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
40:16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.
40:17 All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.
MESSAGE:

A person that is self-existing and is self-sufficient is the only one that has the right to be proud. There is however no single person in all of human history that is self-existing or self-sufficient.

Only God, who is the creator of all things that there is – man, animals, elements, molecules, atoms etc, is self-existing and self-sufficient. The Bible in 1 Timothy 6:16 says this of Him:
“Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.”
It is therefore only God that has the exclusive right to pride. Yet, it is obvious that even God does not exhibit pride. This is shown in the regard He has even for lesser beings of His creation.

Considering the infinite superiority of His being to anything or anyone else, one would expect Him to relate with us with impunity and not to be mindful of us at all (Psalm 8:4). In spite of the gap between his awesomeness and our lowly estate, God still condescend to relate with us. He shows concern for us in all of our predicaments, even to the point of making the ultimate self sacrifice. He gave His son to die for our sins so as to deliver us from the grave consequences of sin. God, the Almighty, the creator of the universe, the One larger than all that is and can ever be imagined, still makes Himself available to us at our beckoning. He protects, provide for, deliver, wipe tears from our eyes and pat us on the back etc, we mere mortals! Who then are you to be full of yourself, to be high minded, haughty or to look down on everyone else, just because of your position in your office, your wealth, talents, skills or beauty? All these are privileges; it is the Almighty God that gave you all these. No man receives anything except it is given by God (John 3:27, James 1:17).

You should therefore be wise and come down from the dangerous position you have allowed pride to put you in. Your pride is essentially putting you in the position of God. This perhaps is not known to you, and may not be your intent, but unknown to you, that is your state. The mercy of God is being extended to you through this devotional this day, so that you may repent and not allow the unpleasant experience of the wrath of God meant for the proud to come upon you before you learn. Ask King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4:1-34, he would tell you better.

Key Point: Destruction is the reward for pride.

Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 17:24-19:7
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Shine the Light - 9/11/2014

Shine the Light - 9/11/2014

Memorise: Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. - Matthew 5:16
Read: Matthew 5:14-16
5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
5:15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 15:17-17:23
MESSAGE:

Just as “Arise” from yesterday’s Bible reading is a command, ”Shine” in today’s passage is also a command. The command to shine is a call to you to show the light inside you. This implies that you should show forth your good works and show the world that you belong to God. Action they say speaks louder than voice. Jesus Himself said by their fruits ye shall know them (Matthew 7:20). It can also mean to roll back or resist darkness. In the natural world, when light shines where there has been darkness, the darkness recedes. Therefore you as a child of God are to kick out the devil; kick him out of your family, out of your workplace and out of your community (Mark 16:17). Sicknesses, failure, demonic oppression, bondage and sorrow are all manifestations of darkness. It is your duty to kick them out.

The command to “shine” could also mean, “Show your potential”. We as children of God are destined for greatness (Ephesians 1:18-23). It also means that you should use your talents (Matthew 25:14-30). We all have certain talents given to us by our Master that we should put to use and make gains for Him with. We should be wise and not behave like that wicked and slothful servant, who went to hide his Master’s talent in the ground. Of course, you know that the end of that servant was terrible; he was cast out into the outer darkness after the one talent he refused to use had been given to the servant who made use of his own five and gained five more. May you not end the way this wicked servant ended in Jesus’ Name.

To shine can also mean “Do exploits” (Daniel 11:32). Exploits means “Great things”. To shine also means to excel, to be above all others, just like Daniel and his friends excelled above all the wise men of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 1:17-20). To shine can also mean to generate or produce light. This further means that, Jesus, being the Light of the world, is reproducing His light in us (John 9:5).

There is no way you will generate light without producing heat. This is what makes the difference between the sun and the moon. The sun generates light on its surface and its heat is felt on earth, though it is 93 million miles away. The moon however does not generate light, it only reflects the light from the sun, and hence we do not feel any heat from it, though it is only about 239,000 miles away. This indicates that as you generate light, the heat of persecution is bound to come along. You do not need to be frightened or scared; you just need to be prepared for it.

Action Point: Pray that God will help you to shine more brightly.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God

Arise Now!- 8/11/2014

Arise Now!- 8/11/2014

Memorise: And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. - Hebrews 12:13

Read: Isaiah 60:1-3
60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
60:2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
60:3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 13:1-15:16

MESSAGE:
When God speaks, it can be in various forms: it can be an advice, an invitation, an encouragement, a warning, a declaration or a command. The word “Arise” in the divine statement of today’s Bible reading is purely a command. Just like in Genesis 1:3, where God commanded light to appear in the midst of prevailing darkness, “Arise”, is a command from the Commander-in-Chief Himself to you today.

Your spiritual position or posture, prior to receiving this command to arise, will determine the type of response expected of you. Hence, to an already dead fellow, arise means come back to life. If your spiritual case can be said to be a dead situation, this day, you will come back to life in Jesus’ Name.

To the one who is asleep, arise means wake up. If you have been spiritually asleep, by God’s mercy you are being awoken from your slumber in Jesus’ Name. To the one who is sitting down, arise means stand up. To be sitting is better spiritually than to be asleep, yet this is far from what God expects. If you have been spiritually sitting or you are spiritually a lame person (Hebrews 12:13), your spiritual feet receives strength now and I command you to be upstanding in Jesus’ Name. To the fellow standing, arise implies that he should jump into action, this was the situation of Samuel in the house of Jesse (1 Samuel 16:12-13). If however you are already walking, arise to you means that you should begin to run. David was already in action against Goliath, but a time came he stepped up his action by running towards Goliath before releasing the stone from his sling (1 Samuel 17:48). This implies you need to add speed to your action. Suppose you are running already, arise to you means that you should begin to fly. Possibly, you are already in the air flying, then arise to you implies that you should begin to soar (2 Corinthians 3:18).

All these changes in position are possibilities with God, not just by your own strength. Once you are willing and you trust in Him, you will experience your desired change. However, you have to recognise your current state. A dead fellow feels nothing, for such people, no matter what they hear they are not touched, they don’t feel it. Unfortunately, there are even some ministers of God like that; they are impervious to the voice of God. “Arise now” may be the last chance for such to come alive.

Whatever your state may be, a change for the better is possible, and it is coming your way this season in Jesus’ Name.

Action Point: Sincerely assess your spiritual position and pray accordingly.

God’s Ownership of All II -7/11/2014

God’s Ownership of All II -7/11/2014

Memorise: Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? - Romans 2:4

Read: Isaiah 40:13-18
40:13 Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
40:14 With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?
40:15 Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
40:16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.
40:17 All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.
40:18 To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?

Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 10:18-12:21

MESSAGE:
If only men would think deeply, then they will be better able to put things in their proper perspective.

It is baffling the way we mere mortals behave at times due to lack of depth of thought; this includes even the children of God. Sometimes, we behave as though we were the one who created ourselves or as if the abilities we possess and exhibit are self-given. We sometimes boast of things to the extent that but for the mercy of God, if He were to prove us wrong, a devastating and regrettable experience would ensue. Some people boasts of the prowess of some parts of their body and even lay claim to ownership of the same. God created you with the features of your body and they are meant to be used correctly to His glory. Psalm 12:3-4 says,
“The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things: Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?”
What if God had made you dumb or deaf? God is the owner of everyone and everything. It is foolish of anyone to think and act as if he owns himself and therefore can dictate to himself what he will do and what the outcome of such actions will be.

God Himself tried to consider the value of man relative to His own worth in Isaiah 40:15-17. He started by saying even the nations are like a drop of water in a bucket, and then he said they were like small dust on a balance scale. All these yardsticks seemed too much for man’s value, hence in verse 17, He said all nations before Him are as nothing, and in fact they are counted to Him less than nothing. Does this not make you to shiver? What then is your pride? It is a great honour and privilege for God to be so mindful of man to the extent of Him sacrificing His utmost for man’s salvation. If you are wise, you will just continue to cherish and treasure this privilege as a child of God and keep enjoying His goodness by giving Him the prime place in your decisions, choices, thoughts, actions and attitude. You will always be grateful to Him for everything, even in what may seem like a little and insignificant providence you enjoy. Many of God’s children take things for granted too much. In every aspect of our lives, we must acknowledge and give thanks to Him always. Every moment of our continued existence is only by His mercy. Every accomplishment is by His grace.

Action Point: Praise God for His awesomeness in your life.

God’s Ownership of All I - 6/11/2014

God’s Ownership of All I - 6/11/2014

Memorise: The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. - Psalm 24:1

Read: 1 Chronicles 29:10-16
29:10 Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.
29:11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.
29:12 Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
29:13 Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.
29:14 But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.
29:15 For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.
29:16 O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own.


MESSAGE:
Only God is self-existing. He is the only one whose ground of existence consists in Himself i.e. His existence is self-determined. The existence of every other being or thing is determined by external entities and not by themselves. That external entity is God (Acts 17:28). God’s existence is not determined by anyone, but He determines the existence of all that have ever existed, all that now exist, and all that will ever exist, be it spirit, human, physical or non-physical elements – all and everything. Our God is truly awesome! It therefore follows that, He is the One that owns everyone and everything everywhere (Psalm 24:1). Also, the implication of this is that: nobody else really owns anything by himself because both an individual and the abilities he exhibits – the talents, physical prowess, intelligence and ability to acquire possessions, all belongs to God (Daniel 2:20-22, Deuteronomy 8:18). This implies that man is just a steward of his own life and anything he may claim to own. He is accountable to God on the way he lives and on what he uses his possessions for (Revelation 20:12).

Wisdom therefore teaches us that we should not hold tenaciously to any possession which God desires from us. This is what David meant in his statements, after leading the people of Israel in making preparation for the building of the temple of God by giving. After he and the people had given of their possessions very bountifully, he expressed with humility his acknowledgment of the fact that both they and all that they contributed actually came from God; God owns them all. If you labour and God refuse to bless your effort, what would you do? This is where our attitude must also change; especially those who when giving a testimony would say, because I fasted many days and prayed very well, so what I desired happened, as if it was just their efforts in prayers that got it done.

No! If you pray and God does not answer, what would happen? Our testimony should not direct the attention and glory of the accomplishment to us, but to God.

When you therefore realise that it is God that owns you and gave you the ability to perform all that you do, and that the results you get also belong to Him, you would not find it difficult to give Him whatever He desires of you. When you do so, you will continue to flourish even in generations after you because God would establish a personal covenant with you.

Action Point: Bless the Lord for His greatness and for being mindful of you.

Worshipping Blindly - 5/11/2014

Worshipping Blindly - 5/11/2014

Memorise: Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. - John 4:22

Read: Exodus 32:2-4
32:2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.
32:3 And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.
32:4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
MESSAGE:

The void created in man, following the departure of God’s glory from him as a result of the great fall in the Garden of Eden (Romans 3:23), yearns to be filled up. Unfortunately, the archenemy of man - Satan, has blinded the eyes of many to the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the only means by which this void can be filled (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Jesus is the only way back to God. John 14:6 says,
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
When people appear religious without a real encounter with the gospel of Jesus, or refuse to open the door of their hearts to Jesus, though they are full of activities in the house of God, they are merely worshipping blindly. In the words of today’s memory verse, they are worshipping what they know not of. Some are high up there in leadership positions, but they are like Aaron, they are acquainted with all the spiritual terminologies of the Christian life, but do not know God. Aaron was next to Moses in leadership over Israel, but the man Aaron could not be said to really know who God is. If he did, when the people were clamouring for a god because of the long absence of Moses, he would have known that God cannot be found in objects.

It is only in Jesus that God can be truly seen and known; any other way is an exercise in blindness or groping in darkness. Jesus is the brightness of God’s glory, and the express image of His person (Hebrews 1:3). It thus follows that to truly and genuinely become a child of God, and a true worshipper of God; you must have Jesus alone to the exclusion of any other spiritual object of worship. For those who refuse to surrender their hearts to Jesus, but who say they are of God because they are following the moral teachings of Jesus Christ, it is useless for you to cherish His moral teachings without first accepting His death for you and acknowledging your state of death in sin. You must repent from sin and call upon God for your salvation. You must also accept His Lordship over your life. Refusal to do this and mere adherence to His moral teachings leads you nowhere because your state of sin still remains and no sinner will make heaven. Let it be known to you that everyone that would not accept Jesus is being proud against God. Such an individual is saying that his own efforts can save him. By deeds of the law no man is justified, only by the grace of Jesus (Romans 3:20).

Key Point: Jesus, and Him alone is the way, the truth and the life, there is no any other.

Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 6:24-8:24

Be Not an Esau -4/11/2014

Be Not an Esau -4/11/2014

Memorise: Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. Hebrews 12:16

Read: Genesis 25:29-34
25:29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:
25:30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
25:31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
25:32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
25:33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.
MESSAGE:

The Bible in Matthew 7:6 warns us not to give our precious things to those who will not value them.
“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.”
In this scripture, our God expresses His displeasure at the lack of respect for valuable things, and on how such attitude results in the abuse and mismanagement of such things. God’s displeasure is not only at the attitude, but also for persons exhibiting such attitude. God, who knows all things before they happen, must have seen this evil trait in the man Esau before he was born; hence the rejection of Esau and His preference for Jacob (Romans 9:13). The proof of Esau’s character of carelessness and lack of regard for his heritage can clearly be seen in the attitude he displayed when he came back from the field hungry. He requested to be fed from the pottage of his twin brother Jacob, who in return, asked him to trade in his heavenly apportioned birthright and he agreed. You see, the Bible has a reason for every word it uses in its accounts of events, Genesis 25:30 says:
“And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.”
There is an element of the lust of the eye displayed by Esau here. The redness of the boiling pottage attracted him, coupled with his hunger. But what are these compared to his birthright.

Even his state of being “hungry to the point of death” is not sufficient to justify him exchanging his treasure for food. Within the entire household, there would have been some fast food somewhere, but the red pottage caught his eyes and heart. How on earth did Jacob conjure this request he made of his brother, Esau. I believe Jacob already knew that important things never mattered to his brother and this was why he had the guts to throw that kind of request at him.

True to his assessment, Esau proved to be his real self – careless, negligent and therefore worthless.

Brethren, if you are noticed to be a carefree, careless fellow, those who would take advantage of you would try you out. Some sisters will still be smiling when male co-workers go beyond their boundary by touching them carelessly. Why then would such men not think in their hearts that you wouldn’t mind being asked to bed? Believe me, they would assiduously work towards it.

Action Point: Be careful, don’t be an Esau. It was too late for Esau, when he realised his error.

The Word - 3/11/2014

The Word - 3/11/2014

Memorise: For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. - Hebrews 4:12

READ: Isaiah 40:6-8
40:6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
40:7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 3:1-4:37

MESSAGE:
The word of God is God communicating with us and the word of God is God revealed to us. In it we see His nature and His character. The word of God is forever settled in heaven. The word of God is a living spirit (John 6:63). The word of God reveals the mind of God and therefore His will to us. What can man do without the word of God? Nothing! It is the word of God that gives us the means of salvation from sin. It confronts us with the reality of our fallen state, the doom of sinners and the way out through the love and mercy of God. It is the same word that serves as our compass on our journey to Heaven (Acts 20:32).The word of God also reveals God’s provision for our successful and victorious living here on earth, and how to harness His promises in our lives. What would we do without the word of God? Any congregation of God’s people that give prominence to the word of God, teaching and preaching it, and patterning their lives according to it will be blessed. But those that do otherwise are treading on very dangerous grounds.
“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” - Isaiah 40:7-8
The word of God will outlast anyone. Though heaven and earth shall pass away, the word of God shall not pass away (Matthew 24:35). What should your attitude towards the word of God be? The word itself reveals this: “Tremble at God’s word” (Isaiah 66:2). This directs God’s attention to you for favour and victory (Isaiah 66:5). You are to uphold the word of God in your life irrespective of circumstances. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego upheld the word of God even at the point of death, and God did not disappoint them. You are to feed your mind the word of God. This will renew your mind to think the way God thinks and will restrain you from sin (Psalm 119:11). The word of God coming out prophetically from the mouth of God’s anointed servants is as powerful as the written word. The story of the official in Samaria, who derided the word of God from the mouth of Elisha attests to this. He paid for it with his life (2 Kings 7:18-20). I encourage you to tremble indeed at God’s word; study it, meditate on it, obey it and you will prosper (James 1:25).

Action Point: Prayerfully improve on your reading, studying, meditating and memorising of God’s word.

Blessed Hope - 2/10/2014

Blessed Hope - 2/10/2014

Memorise: Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; - Titus 2:13

Read: Titus 2:11-14
2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 1-2

MESSAGE:
What is our hope as Christians, and why have we chosen to turn our backs on the world and its pleasures? It is the hope of glory, honour, immortality and an eternity spent in the bosom of our Lord (Romans 2:7). This mother of all hopes shall be made manifest at the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Normally, a person hopes for something good and pleasant. However, for the children of God, there is no hope that compares with the return of Jesus to Earth. It is on account of this hope of Jesus returning for His people, that Apostle Paul confidently declared in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 that:
“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”
Jesus is the grace of God that brings salvation by the gospel. The return of Jesus puts an end to all pain, all suffering, all disappointment, poverty, failures, battles, conflicts, sorrows and defeats. For those in Him, who eagerly look forward to His coming, I write this to you: His imminent return is very much around the corner, based on the signs of His return as given to us in the Bible. Note that today’s scripture passage provides certain dos and don’ts for those who have the blessed hope of the return of Jesus. Titus 2:12 says that the Grace of God – Jesus, is teaching us that we should deny ungodliness and worldly lust. Beloved, we are in an age where ungodliness and worldly lusts are becoming the norm; an age where people perpetuate evil without qualms and where mild terms are coined for sin e.g. having an affair when talking of adultery. In spite of this, the Grace of God teaches us that we should live soberly, righteously and godly. To be sober is to be responsible and serious. It means to comport oneself with dignity. To live righteously and godly is to live according to the word of God and to live by the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Besides, Titus 2:14 says we are to be zealous of good works – works of kindness, evangelism, visitation, follow-up, encouraging those needing comfort, interceding for others etc. We are not just to do these works, but we are to do them with zeal. Now the question is: are you giving attention to the teaching of the Grace of God? May the blessed hope be for you a blessed hope indeed when the Lord appears in Jesus’ Name.

Key Point: He that has this hope purifies himself even as he is pure.

How High Is Your Voltage? - 1/11/2014

How High Is Your Voltage? - 1/11/2014

Memorise: Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. - 2 Corinthians 2:14

Read: 2 Corinthians 2:14-17
2:14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
2:15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
2:16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
2:17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 21:17-22:53

MESSAGE:
The level of decadence in the world in these last days is on the increase, just as predicted in the Bible (Matthew 24:12). There is widespread acceptance of degenerate behaviours just like the Bible said it would be (2 Timothy 3:1-8). Believers that are still here on earth, seeing and hearing all these evil on a daily basis, no doubt have a responsibility of ensuring that they operate at a very high spiritual voltage level. A believer at a low spiritual voltage level, risks being overwhelmed by the moral and spiritual current of the world, with the potential of being swallowed up by same. Whereas, the expectation of the Lord is that our high voltage of righteousness would flow and overwhelm the decadence in the world. The pervasiveness and popularisation of obscene acts, requires that a child of God be spiritually hot at all times. Note that a continuous exposure to the same stimulus tends to gradually but steadily gain strength in eliciting a response, which eventually might lead to participation. There is therefore the need for a child of God to always put precautionary measures in place.

The current situation demands that you as a child of God must be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10-13). You must therefore ensure that you wholly apply yourself to the necessary spiritual discipline of prayers (Romans 12:12) and study of the word (James 1:21). You will also have to apply self-discipline in what you look at – you will do yourself a lot of good if you don’t fix your eyes on those seductively dressed daughters of Jezebel (Job 31:1). Self-discipline also has to be applied in the area of what you watch – what kind of programmes you watch on TV, how long you sit down watching the TV, what kind of places you go to when resorting/holidaying and what kind of friendship you keep (1 Corinthians 15:33).

Besides these, you should fellowship regularly with fellow believers. Do not keep away from this for too long. Be involved in your local church assembly. Remember the popular saying that says: it is the idle hands Satan engages? Make sure you particularly engage in soul winning. It will also serve you well to boldly and readily express your identity as a child of God in any new environment you find yourself.

Key Point: How high is your spiritual voltage? Let your speech and lifestyle always reflect your identity.