Friday 31 July 2015

PARTAKING IN DIVINE AGENDA– Friday July 31st 2015

PARTAKING IN DIVINE AGENDA– Friday July 31st 2015
Memorise:
And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Luke 1:33
Read: Luke 1:31-33
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Bible in one year: Nehemiah 4:1-6:14, John 7:1-24
Message:
When God says He will do a thing, He is telling you what He has already done in the realm of the Spirit. It is already a settled matter. If He says He will give you peace, it means that peace is already released to you. Every good promise that God has made to you shall become reality shortly in Jesus’ Name. When Jesus made this promise in Matthew 16:18:
“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
He was simply saying something He had already done. He was telling Peter what He had already finished, long before Peter was born. Luke 1:33 declares that there is no end to the increase of God’s kingdom. This means that whether the devil and the world like it or not, the church will keep marching on. It also means that even when you do not know how to access to the funds you need to build that local assembly to the glory of God’s Name, God knows. He has already provided for all the churches that would be built in His Name, even before the foundation of the world was laid. This is why I know that you will not be stranded or frustrated over the assignment of enlarging God’s kingdom on earth. God’s provision for your assignment shall be evident this season in Jesus’ Name.
Moreover, it is important to note that since God has set out to build His church, if you cooperate with Him, He can use you to build His kingdom. Building His church is God’s agenda. God is looking for those who will cooperate with Him to establish His agenda of building His church. Are you willing to partner with Him? Long ago, God decided that He would take a general from the Syrian army and turn him into a worshipper of Jehovah (2nd Kings 5:1-19). In today’s setting, it is like saying God wants to take to take the Sultan of Sokoto (the traditional head of Muslims in Nigeria) and turn him into an evangelist or a pastor. Some people will say this is impossible, but with God nothing shall be impossible (Luke 1:37). Once He has set out His plan, and His Word has gone forth, He will do it. To get Naaman to become a worshipper of the Living God, the Lord needed someone to cooperate with Him. It was a housemaid in Naaman’s household who told her mistress that there was a prophet in Israel who could cure her husband’s leprosy. Like this housemaid, are you ready to cooperate with the Lord in building His church?
Action Point
Every child of God has a role to play in building the kingdom of God. So, don’t just sit on the fence!

Thursday 30 July 2015

Response To Discouragement - Thursday July 30, 2015

Response To Discouragement - Thursday July 30, 2015

Memorise: Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. - Joshua 1:9

Read: 1 Samuel 30:3-8 (KJV)

3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.

4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

5 And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.

8 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.

Bible In One Year: Nehemiah 1-3; John 6:52-71

MESSAGE:

David's response to the distress he was confronted with, after his family and those of his men were taken captive, should serve as an example of what our response should be in the face of discouragement. The Bible in 1 Samuel 30:8 says:

"And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all."

Whenever you experience a loss, you need to go back to God to find out if it is possible to recover what was lost, and how such recovery would be achieved. Do not take it for granted that every loss must be recovered. Sometimes, when the Lord calls home a loved one who is very ill and going through excruciating pain, there might be no need for Him to return such a fellow back to life, except of course if He wants to heal such a fellow. Also, if a blessing is already becoming a curse or something else, it may be preferable for such a blessing to go for the greater good. Have you taken time to ask God about His will concerning your losses? Have you also asked how such losses can be recovered?

We can see from today's Bible reading that people respond to discouragement in different ways. Some people do not mind going to any extreme when they are discouraged. At the point of discouragement, David's men suddenly blamed the same leader who had been protecting them. They began to see their helper as the source of their loss. They began to speak against him and even planned to stone him to death! This shows the destructive power of discouragement. How do you handle situations when you are discouraged? Do you turn your helpers into enemies? There are some believers including ministers, who at the height of discouragement deliberately step out of righteousness and return temporarily to the sinful lifestyle they abandoned several years ago. This type of response is wrong. When faced with discouragement, encourage yourself in the Lord. Study God's word to receive a word of encouragement and direction. Pray to God, praise and thank Him for all past blessings and worship Him. Doing these may be difficult, but ask for grace to do so. Seek counselling from godly people. Also, ask yourself: what does Satan want me to do in this situation? Ensure you don't act according to his expectation.

Key Point: Discouragement is an arrow that must be returned to its source with haste.

Wednesday 29 July 2015

Ask For Permission!- Wednesday July 29, 2015

Ask For Permission!-  Wednesday July 29, 2015

Memorise: Thou shalt not steal. - Exodus 20:15

Read: Genesis 49:3-4 (KJV)

3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:

4 Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.

Bible In One Year: Ezra 8:24-10:44; John 6:25-51

MESSAGE:

One commandment that God gave to the children of Israel in the wilderness, which is still very relevant to us today, is the commandment not to steal (Exodus 20:15). Stealing can occur physically, in the realm of the soul and spiritually. Physical stealing can further be classified as stealing from man and stealing from God (Malachi 3:8). To steal is to take another person's property without their consent or approval, particularly with the intention of not returning it. As a growing child, teenager or youth, if you take your parent's money without their consent, you are a thief. Some youths will say "Whatever belongs to my father belongs to me. I should be free to take any of his things whenever I like." No sir! Your parents have plans for all that they have. Taking their things without their approval can destabilise some of those plans. It can also inflict pain, sorrow and untold hardship on your parents. A child who is well brought up will ask his or her parents for what they want and give them the opportunity to approve or deny the request. The right rule to live by is: anything your parents are not ready to give you must not be taken. If you take it, you are a thief and not better than any robber out there.

Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, slept with Bilhah his father's concubine on his father's bed (Genesis 35:22). According to their tradition, after his father's death, he could have inherited her as the firstborn, but he could not wait for his time. Jacob kept quiet about this when he heard it. Reuben did not realise that Jacob knew, and he did not restitute. Eventually, when it was time to receive the generational blessing, Reuben was cursed and his destiny was thwarted (Genesis 49:3-4). A curse awaits children who steal from their parents. Zechariah 5:3 says:

"Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it."

Even the prodigal son knew well enough to ask for his share of his father's property before spending it (Luke 15:12). Today, some children either neglect their parents or fast-track their death so that they can have faster access to their wealth. Doing such is murder and robbery! No doubt, the blessing will surely turn into a curse. Children, as long as you live with your parents, totally submit to them like Jesus did. Never take anything that belongs to them without their willing consent. Also, do not threaten them to accede your request.

Action Point: Return all that you have taken without the consent of the rightful owners from today.

Tuesday 28 July 2015

Not Moved By Tears! - Tuesday July 28, 201

Not Moved By Tears! - Tuesday July 28, 2015

Memorise: I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. - Psalm 138:2

Read: Psalm 138:1-3 (KJV)

1 A Psalm of David. I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.

2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

3 In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.

Bible In One Year: Ezra 6:13-8:23; John 6:1-24

MESSAGE:

If there is anything we need so dearly to succeed in life, it is wisdom. In God's manual for life, wisdom is declared to be the principal thing (Proverbs 4:7). What then is wisdom? Practically speaking, wisdom is the correct application of knowledge. The fellow who is educated but fails to apply what he or she knows appropriately will be considered a fool. This is why education alone does not confer wisdom. There are several professors who, in spite of all their chains of degrees, still operate in folly. If knowledge alone is wisdom, then no doctor would engage in smoking because all doctors know that smoking is injurious to health. A particular doctor who smokes was asked "You are a doctor; you know smoking is bad for your health and yet you still smoke. Why?" Can you believe his reply? He said "Everybody will eventually die by one means or the other someday. Some will die in an accident; some will die by an assassin's bullet. I have chosen to die by smoking cigarettes." Wisdom therefore is having knowledge and applying it correctly for your personal benefit. Are you an educated fool? It is time to change your ways.

As a worker in God's vineyard, it is important to know that God is not moved by emotions, tears, or by rolling on the ground. Rather, He is moved by the correct application of the principles contained in His Word. His Word is declared to be forever settled in Heaven (Psalm 119:89).  God is a God of principles; hence, a mathematician like me finds it easy to enjoy Him, because mathematicians are not often moved by emotions. Take for instance this equation: 2 + 2 = 4. Whether you like it or not, it always remains the same. If you like, you can weep from morning till evening saying "I want 2 + 2 to be 6." It will not change anything, because 2 + 2 = 4 will ever remain the same, be it on earth, on the moon or under the sea. When you know that God is not moved by emotions but by His Word, wisdom demands that you apply His Word more often. Psalm 138:2 says,

"I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name."

Obeying God's Word moves Him. God honours those who stand on His Word. This means that you need to increase in the knowledge of God's Word so that you will be able to stand on it. Give more time to knowing His Word and stand on it today.

Action Point: Pick a problem confronting you, and find out God's principles on how to solve it. Simply apply these principles, and check out the result you will obtain.

Monday 27 July 2015

Stagnancy Is Not Your Portion - Monday July 27, 2015

Stagnancy Is Not Your Portion - Monday July 27, 2015

Memorise: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. - Deuteronomy 28:2

Read: John 5:2-9 (KJV)

2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

Bible In One Year: Ezra 4:1-6:12; John 5:19-47

MESSAGE:

On the 20th of July, we looked at the states of progress represented by retrogression and repression. One lesson we must learn is that sometimes, repressive forces are not necessarily interested in taking over the harvest of their victims; rather, all they want to do is to ensure that all the labour and efforts of their victims are wasted, so that they can mock and laugh them to scorn (Judges 6:3-16). Every repressive force seen and unseen that is interested in wasting all your honest efforts shall be destroyed by the fire of the Holy Ghost in Jesus' Name.

Moreover, another state of progress is stagnation. This is a state of standstill. In this state, there is no forward or upward movement. The fellow operating in this state remains on the same spot in spite of his or her efforts. In a situation of stagnancy, effort does not count, because it appears there is some invisible rope tying the victim to the same spot. In our Bible reading, we read about a man who was sick for 38 years. This man was operating in a state of stagnancy. He was at the pool of Bethesda waiting for an angel to stir up the water. He was waiting for a once-a-year miracle available to just one person. The unfortunate thing is that he was not alone. There was a crowd also waiting to take this same chance. As a result, he kept on waiting for several years!

There are some people who are so full of hope at the beginning of a year, but at the end of that year, they realise that they are still at the same spot. When I was schooling at the University of Lagos, there was a particular student who had been there for eight years, but he never went beyond year one. He kept changing from one faculty to the other and from one department to another. We met him there and left him there. Have you been stagnant? Are all your efforts futile? Have you been so long on the same spot? The Lord will intervene in your situation today! The Lord will turn things around for your good. I rebuke every force keeping you on the same spot. Whatever is tying you down is destroyed now. That miracle that your stagnant situation is trying to deny you is released to you now in Jesus' Name.

Prayer Point: I command every spirit of stagnancy keeping me and my family on the same spot, in the Name of Jesus Christ, pack your load and leave now!

Sunday 26 July 2015

Dividends of Holiness - Sunday July 26, 2015

Dividends of Holiness - Sunday July 26, 2015

Memorise: Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. - Hosea 10:12

Read: Lamentations 3:22-25 (KJV)

22 It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

Bible In One Year: Ezra 1-3; John 4:46-5:18

MESSAGE:

Everyone saved by the precious Blood of the Lamb is called to a lifestyle of holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:7). Believe it or not, a lifestyle of holiness pays great dividends. Proverbs 11:19 says:

“As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.”

There is therefore a link between righteousness and life, just as there is a link between sin and death (Romans 6:23). Although God has promised you long life in Psalm 91:16, it is only when you live holy that this promise can be fulfilled in your life (Psalm 91:14). If you look close enough, you will discover that most of God’s promises have conditions attached to their fulfilment. If you live holy, you will easily have access to long life, but if you live in disobedience or secret sin, you have moved from life to death. Are you holy? Are you still secretly living in sin? Repent today and turn a new leaf!

Another dividend of holiness is mercy. If you sow holiness, you will reap a harvest of God’s mercy. Hosea 10:12 says:

“Sow to yourself in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.”

Holiness is a seed. If you sow holiness, mercy will definitely be part of your harvest. If there is one thing all men need at all times, it is the mercy of the Most High God. Lamentation 3:22 says we are alive today not by our efforts or power but by the mercy of God. Just as holiness is a seed, sin is also a seed. If you sow sin, you will reap judgement and death (2 Corinthians 5:10). Mercy makes God to relate with you not on the basis of your sins, but on the basis of Christ’s sacrificial death and shed blood. Mercy makes God not to give you the punishment you deserve, but sin ensures you are served what you sowed. Sin ensures God relates with you only on the basis of your crimes or evils. God has said that the soul who sins shall die (Ezekiel 18:20). If God were to relate strictly with us on the basis of our sins, everyone on earth would have died by now (Psalm 130:3). If you want to live long and enjoy God’s mercy on a continuous basis, live holy. Live to please God and God alone.

Key point: The wisest people on earth are those who live according to God’s commands.

Saturday 25 July 2015

Holy Living & Healthy Living - Saturday July 25, 2015

Holy Living & Healthy Living - Saturday July 25, 2015

Memorise: The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. - 1 Corinthians 15:56

Read: 1 Timothy 4:6-9 (KJV)

6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.

7 But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.

Bible In One Year: 2 Chronicles 35-36; John 4:16-45

MESSAGE:

At the time of man’s creation, there was no notion of sickness. There was indeed nothing like sickness. There was no expectation of death either. The human body was created to be self-sustaining through regular contact with God’s glory, and maintained by the foods provided by God. But when man fell, he lost so much, most importantly, the sustaining power of God’s glory.
He had to begin to virtually rely on food for sustenance. As good as food is, it is limited in its ability to keep a man healthy. Although a daily diet of good food, vegetables, fruits and exercise is very important to living healthy, the final result will depend largely on the spiritual lifestyle of the fellow involved. For instance, if an individual is born-again and living a righteous life, this healthy lifestyle will work well for him, but if a fellow is living in sin, the result may be in bad taste. The reason is because sin itself is a killer (James 1:15). Sin does not often kill drastically but subtly, gradually and surely. Sin kills spiritually by sending the sinner to Hell, and it also kills physically.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” -Romans 6:23

Never underestimate the power of sin! Believe it or not, sin serves the sinner a cup of death. Every sin an individual commits dishes the fellow a dose of death, working against his or her health and gradually killing him or her. Take for instance a believer who eats the best meals but refuses to pay tithes; such a person will provoke God to curse him. No medicine or healthy meal can cure the effects of such a curse! Always remember that the spiritual always controls the physical. What unhealthy meal did Miriam eat that made her leprous for seven days (Numbers 12:5-15)? She only spoke against Moses, and that sin served her leprosy. Beloved, to consistently live in good health, it is important you place spiritual considerations side by side with healthy lifestyle choices. If you want to continue in sin, you are not serious about staying healthy. While some sicknesses are caused by poor eating habits, others are caused by sinful indulgences or violation of divine laws. Ensure both sides are properly taken care of. It is well with you.

Key Point: Healthy meals + exercises + holy living = Good health

Monday 20 July 2015

Regression and Repression - Monday July 20, 2015

Regression and Repression - Monday July 20, 2015

Memorise: And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.-Isaiah 65:21

Read: Judges 6:1-6 (KJV)

1 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

2 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.

3 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;

4 And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.

5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.

6 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.

Bible In One Year: 2 Chronicles 25:14-28:4; John 1:1-28

MESSAGE:

A man's state of progress can be classified into seven basic categories; one of which is regression. The state of regression is that in which mean forces beyond one's control continuously push one backward. An example of this is the woman with the issue of blood (Mark 5:25-34). She went through a lot in the process of seeking help from different doctors. She spent all she had but instead of getting better, she grew worse, because unseen forces kept on pushing her backward. Have you found yourself in a similar situation, where every effort you put in to take you forward moves you backward, or where every effort you put in to improve your lot only complicates matters? The Lord will step into your situation today and deliver you. Every regressive force working against your life, health, progress or destiny is terminated today in Jesus' Name.

Another state of progress is repression. This refers to a state in which negative forces push a person down and try to hold him or her down, frustrating every attempt to move up. This can manifest in the hearing of voices that lead one to the other side of progress. In Judges 6:3-6, the children of Israel encountered repression from a particular group of people who decided to afflict them. Whenever the Israelites were sowing in the fields, this group of people pretended not to notice. They never stopped them from exerting their energy or from expending their time and money on their farms. But as soon as their crops were harvested, they swarmed in like locusts and destroyed everything. Thereafter, the Israelites will have to start all over again, after which these enemies would again waste or destroy their harvest in a vicious cycle.

When I was very young, there was a very notorious thief who gained so much notoriety that musicians waxed a song about him. His name was Anikura. The lyrics of the song said: "Anikura won't ask you not to trade. He won't ask you not to gain, but he will ensure that you do not take the gain." This epitomises repression! If you are in a state of repression, you will continue to work for devourers and never benefit from your labours. Are you a victim of repression? Do you labour and yet you are unable to enter into your harvest? That repressive force is paralysed today in Jesus' Name. Jesus sets you free from repression! You will eat from your labours from now on in Jesus' Name.

Prayer Point: Father, today, let your fire consume every force working against me and trying to stop me from taking the good harvest of my labours, in Jesus' Name!

Sunday 19 July 2015

Called Unto Holiness - Sunday July 19, 2015

Called Unto Holiness - Sunday July 19, 2015

Memorise: But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; -Matthew 5:44

Read: Matthew 5:43-48 (KJV)

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Bible In One Year: 2 Chronicles 23:16-25:13; Luke 24:36-53

MESSAGE:

The call to salvation is a call to holiness. The day you were invited to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, you were automatically called to a life of holiness. The Bible in 1 Thessalonians 4:7 says:

“For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness”

Have you responded to this call? The reason why many Christian leaders are heading for Hell today is because they have not answered the call to holiness. This ingredient is so indispensable to the Christian faith that having salvation without holiness is like leaving the substance and taking the chaff that can be easily blown away. Without sanctification, the salvation experience may not know stability. The accounts for the rising-and-falling syndrome being experienced by many Christians. When you are sanctified after receiving Christ into your heart, your faith in Christ is given the strong roots it needs. Hence, when the winds of affliction, temptation, persecution and other challenges of life blow, your faith in Christ will be unshaken, because it is deeply rooted.  While the experience of salvation is akin to cruising in God’s shallow waters, experiencing sanctification is like launching out into the deep oceans of God’s nature. You need this experience!

When you are sanctified, you will have control over your emotions. If you have been battling with lust and sexual sins, ask God for a sanctified heart and you will overcome. Do you know that many leaders still have problems with anger? When they are angry, they can destroy just about anything. They become filled with rage and behave irrationally. What they need is sanctification. When you are holy, you are not easily provoked.  In fact, after several failed deliberate attempts to make you angry, people will wonder whether you can ever get annoyed. If you are sanctified, you will find it impossible to cheat anyone, how much more your fellow Christian brother. With a sanctified heart, you will easily forgive your persecutors like Stephen and Jesus did. You will make excuses for those who fall below your expectations. You will have grace to love the unlovable, and pray for those who spitefully use you. When Jesus gave the instruction in today’s reading, He was actually calling us to holiness. Have you accepted this call? Have you received a new heart?

Prayer Point: Father, as I renew my mind with Your Word, sanctify me wholly that I may live to please You.

Saturday 18 July 2015

Ascending God’s Hill - Saturday July 18, 2015

Ascending God’s Hill - Saturday July 18, 2015

Memorise: Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?-Psalm 24:3

Read: Psalm 24:3-5 (KJV)

3. Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who shall stand in his holy place?

4. He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

5. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Bible In One Year: 2 Chronicles 21:1-23:15; Luke 24:13-35

MESSAGE:

The anointing plays very important roles in the actualisation of destiny in the life of the anointed. These roles include: facilitating and accelerating connection of the anointed to destiny helpers, causing destiny helpers to see the anointed in favourable light, and compelling destiny helpers to deliver the help ordained by God to the anointed. May the anointing play these and many more roles in your life and in your family in Jesus’ Name.

Moreover, the anointing helps you to ascend the hill of the Lord, which is not an easy thing to do. In other words, the anointing simplifies kingdom tasks and responsibilities. In our Bible reading, David asked this question: who qualifies to ascend the hill of the Lord? The Holy Ghost gave him the answer in Psalm 24:4:

“He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifed up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.”

After Saul was anointed as king by Samuel, he was told to ascend the hill of God (1 Samuel 10:5). The anointing had qualified the unqualified. Where only priests and prophets cold go, Saul was allowed to go. This season, the anointing will grant you access into areas you were not allowed to enter in Jesus’Name.

From the experience of Saul in 1 Samuel 10:10, we understand that when the anointing comes, the manifestation of the Holy Spirit also comes. Oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Whenever God is anointing an individual through His servant, He releases the power of His Spirit to actualise the purpose of that anointing; but whenever God is not behind the anointing of an individual, although the oil may be poured on the head, the power of the Holy Spirit will not be released. The manifestation of the Holy Spirit opens the doorway to the gifts of the Spirit and the supernatural. People were amazed that Saul who was not a Prophet was prophesying like the prophets. When the anointing comes upon you, you will begin to operate in the things of the Spirit. His gifts will begin to operate in the things of the spirit. His gifts will begin to manifest through you, and many people will be surprised. If there is one thing you need to ask for after you become born-again, it is for more and more of the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer Point: Father, give me more of your power, and fill me with more of your Spirit.

Friday 17 July 2015

Breaking Limitations - Friday July 17, 2015

Breaking Limitations - Friday July 17, 2015

Memorise: Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? - Jeremiah 32:27

Read: Isaiah 40:6-8 (KJV)

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:

7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.

8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

Bible In One Year: 2 Chronicles 18:28-20:37; Luke 23:44-24:12

MESSAGE:

Your ability to perform well depends largely on the power and resources available to you. Every human being will be faced with the reality of insufficient resources in the face of a pressing need at one point or the other. Hence, economists advise us to forgo certain alternatives, and draw up a scale of preference on our needs. Man’s limitations have caused the introduction of certain words and phrases into our vocabulary, such as: impossible, cannot, too late, irreversible, etc. All these reflect our state of human limitation and incapacity. Even God recognises man’s limitations. Psalm 103:14 says:

“For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.”

Our natural frailty and limitation is exposed in today’s Bible reading, where man is described as grass that withers easily. Also, Bildad the Shuhite describes man as a frail worm in Jobs 25:6:

“How much less man, that is a worm? And the son of man, which is a worm?”

It is therefore evident that as long as we are confined within our natural sphere, human beings remain seriously limited.

However, God is not limited. He declared in Jeremiah 32:27 thus:

“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?”

Since He owns the Heavens and the earth and everything in them, and because He has all power, He is able to do all things. He does not accommodate limiting words in His vocabulary like men do. How then can we break the yoke of limitation in our lives? It is by being connected to the only One who cannot be limited. When such a link is in place, whatever cannot limit God cannot limit you. What cannot stop God cannot stop you. This is because you have become a partaker of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). But you must renew your mind to walk in this reality. To this end, it is necessary to re-examine your vocabulary and delete all limiting words from it. You are what you think; your mindset determines your reality. Many people who had the potential of reaching great heights in their lifetime were stopped by their wrong belief system and limited mindset. You would be amazed to know that what witchcraft cannot stop cannot be stopped by the limiting thoughts you hold about yourself. Beloved, from now on, do not limit yourself. Rather, believe everything God says about you and confess it. Speak God’s Word over that impossible situations, and you shall see it change to conform to your confessions.

Prayer Point: Father, in everyway, I have limited myself, I release myself from it today in Jesus Name.

Thursday 16 July 2015

Positioned For Generational Blessing - Thursday July 16, 2015

Positioned For Generational Blessing - Thursday July 16, 2015

Memorise: There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous. - Psalm 14:5

Read: Genesis 48:13-19 (KJV)

13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him.

14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.

15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,

16 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

17 And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head.

18 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.

19 And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

Bible In One Year: 2 Chronicles 16:1-18:27; Luke 23:18-43

MESSAGE:

Shortly before Israel’s death, Joseph his son visited him with his two sons. When it was time to bless the boys, he positioned Manasseh his firstborn to come under his father’s right hand, while Ephraim would come under the left. He knew the implication of position and blessing. But when Israel stretched his hands to bless the boys, he crossed his hands, placing his right hand on the younger and his left hand on the older. Joseph protested but Israel insisted. Let us draw out a few lessons from this passage. The first of these is that after a period of service comes a time of reward. Hence, John the beloved warns in 2 John 8 that:

“Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.”

It is therefore possible to labour for something and never get the reward.

There will always be a time to reap after sowing. Hence, you need to be very careful what you sow, because the harvest is always around the corner. Another lesson from today’s Bible passage is that after a long stretch of service, there comes a time for the impartation of generational blessings. That is, after serving God for several years, a time comes when the blessing that transcends you will be delivered to your children. This can only be done if you have brought up your children in the way of the Lord. Generational blessings come from God. It is more than just a right; it is a reward for quality and consistent service. Psalm 23:30 says:

“A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.”

When the time comes for a generational blessing to be transferred to your children and your grandchildren, may they not be found wanting in Jesus’ Name. The implication of this is that whatever effort you put into God’s Kingdom is duly recorded, and that for all your efforts in God’s kingdom, a reward awaits your children. This is why you cannot afford to get tired of loving, serving, pleasing and sacrificing to God. Such efforts help to lay a solid foundation for your children’s future. To what extent are you preparing your children for their tomorrow? Abraham served God and it created a higher platform for Isaac. Isaac also served the Lord and Israel rode on the pedestal. Israel continued from there and Joseph was given a soft landing. Joseph loved the Lord and it affected his sons positively. What kind of blessing will be transferred to your children through your service?

Key Point: Whether your children will have a smooth ride to destiny or not depends on your relationship with God today.

Wednesday 15 July 2015

Accomplice to Sin? - Wednesday July 15, 2015

Accomplice to Sin? - Wednesday July 15, 2015

Memorise: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. -Romans 1:32

Read: Romans 1:29-32 (KJV)

29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Bible In One Year: 2 Chronicles 13:15; Luke 22:63-23:17

MESSAGE:

In trying to rationalise and condone certain types of sin, some people have painted them in different colours. Take lying for instance. This evil act has been categorised by some into white, black and so on. Whether it is a grave lie or a lie that cannot hurt a fly, a lie is a lie. Leviticus 19:11 says it is wrong to lie to other brethren. The devil is the father of all liars according to our Lord Jesus Christ (John 8:44). If you wilfully engage in lies, you definitely have the devil as your father. The Bible declares that outside the gates of Heavens are liars:

“For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.” -Revelation 22:15

If a lie is as trivial as people say it is, why would liars be categorised with fornicators, murderers and idol worshippers? If a lie is not grievous, why would the gated of Heaven be shut against liars? Also, in the above Scripture, a distinction is made between those who love lies and those who tell the lies. In other words, some people are branded liars and not because they told a lie, but because they are in accomplice to a lie. If you cover up someone who has lied, you are an accessory to the lie and as a result, a liar yourself.

We understand from our memory verse that while two people may commit a particular sin, ten others may be punished along with them for complicity. This is why you must be very careful. In the process of recommending someone for ordination for example, the fellow may lie that he is a house fellowship leader and provide an address, whereas he is not. If his pastor knows the truth but turns a blind eye and goes ahead to present such a candidate for ordination, he has become an accomplice to a lie and might be on his way to Hell unless he repents. This goes for everyone who knows the truth but cover it up. Do not be taken over by the sin of others! If some people choose to sin, let them face its consequences all by themselves. Never support, sponsor or encourage anyone over sinful act. You must be able to tell the fellow that he or she has sinned and condemn that action with all gravity. Never become the pillow on which the sinner will find solace whenever he or she wants to sin, or else, you will partake of divine judgment and end up in Hell together.

Key Point: A lot of people will go to Hell because they take pleasure in those who sin.

Tuesday 14 July 2015

Philippians 4:19 Was Earned - Tuesday July 14, 2015

Philippians 4:19 Was Earned - Tuesday July 14, 2015

Memorise: Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. - Philippians 4:17

Read: Philippians 4:14-19

14 Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction.

15 Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.

16 For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.

17 Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.

18 But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.

19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Bible In One Year: 2 Chronicles 9:29-12:16; Luke 22:39-62

MESSAGE:

If you are enjoying God’s love, you must be ready to give something in return to him as a demonstration of your love for Him. This was demonstrated by the church at Philippi in today’s Bible reading. Paul reported that they were the only ones who stood with him during the period of his trial and need. After he left Macedonia, some churches used that as an excuse not to support him anymore, but not the brethren at Philippi. Even after he travelled to Thessalonica, they repeatedly sent provisions to meet his need there. Today, some people still hide under the cover of distance to shy away from showing love through giving. They would say “You are so far away and that is why it is so difficult to send assistance to you.” If it is difficult to send assistance now, it was much more difficult to do so then. As challenging as it was then, the brethren in Philippi found a way around the difficulties and supported Paul. They knew what they were doing. They become a major financial backbone of the ministry of Paul. Paul declared that by virtue of their being so sacrificial in giving, he was full, having all his needs met. It was based on this that he prayed that God would supply all their needs in Philippians 4:19.

Just as you have needs, so does God have needs. If you can meet Gods needs, He will surely meet yours. The project of expending God’s kingdom on earth has needs. There is therefore a need to support anymore or any cause that is dedicated to meeting these needs. Why did Paul not pray the same prayer for the other churches? It is because a person has the responsibility to provoke the blessings that come to him or her as an individual, family or church. Before you expect so much from God, ask yourself what you have done to provoke what you are expecting. As revealed in Philippians 4:17, know that everyone has an account with God:

“Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.”

Everything you give to God grows that account. It is when your account is full that your harvest will come. The church at Philippi got their harvest. What about you? What have you given to God in demonstration of your love for Him? What contributions have you made to grow your local parish and meet their needs? How have you met the needs of your pastor and his family?

Key Point: Can your pastor say like Paul that he is full and has no needs as a result of your care?

Monday 13 July 2015

Fasting is Relevant - Monday July 13, 2015

Fasting is Relevant - Monday July 13, 2015

Memorise: In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.  - 2 Corinthians 11:27

Read: Matthew 17:14-21 (KJV)

14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,

15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.

16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.

17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

Bible In One Year: 2 Chronicles 7:11-9:28; Luke 22:14-38

MESSAGE:

When you pay the price for greater heights in your relationship with God and in ministry, you will be moved up to operate at a new level. When the price is paid, you will not only see the invisible, you will also hear the inaudible. In 1 Kings 18:41, while others were busy discussing the miracle fire that fell suddenly from Heaven, Elijah rose up and declared the sound of abundance of rain. Note that no other person saw the sign or heard the sound. You shall hear the inaudible from today in Jesus’ Name! However, to operate at this level, you must be given to fasting and prayer. In 2 Corinthians 11:27, Paul said that he fasted and often. The moment you sign up for this level of ministry, the struggle between your flesh and your spirit will take a new dimension. While the flesh will be pulling you forcefully to the left, the spirit will be pulling you to the right. You need fasting in order to weaken the flesh and strengthen your spirit.

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” - John 6:63

Using the arm of flesh at this level of ministry will definitely meet with disappointments. You need to walk in the Spirit by following the Holy Spirit’s directions; this empowers your spirit-man and subdues the flesh. A while ago, one of my sons asked me “Daddy, now that you are over 70, will you stop fasting?” I laughed and replied, “The moment I quit fasting, you can begin to expect my departure, because I have resolved no to be a relic. As for as I am concerned, the day I cease to be relevant, I go.” Elisha remained relevant until death. Even on his deathbed, he was still dictating the future, instructing the king on what would happen and how he could have victory. In the Name of Jesus, you shall not be lost in oblivion. You shall be relevant in your generation and beyond your generation. Are you prepared to subdue your flesh? The flesh has pegged the rise of many a child of God. If you do not have control over your stomach or appetite, you are not prepared for the ministry of signs and wonders. If you are still indulging in sin, you are not yet serious about the move of the miraculous in your life. Consider what is outstanding in your life and strive to meet up today!

Key Point: If you want heavenly results, feed your spirit. If you feed your flesh, it will deliver sin to you.

Sunday 12 July 2015

Touch Not - Sunday July 12, 2015

Touch Not - Sunday July 12, 2015

Memorise: He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes, Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophet no harm. - 1 Chronicles 16:21-22

Read: 1 Samuel 30:1-8 (KJV)

1 And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;

2 And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.

3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.

4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

5 And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.

8 And David inquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.

Bible In One Year: 2 Chronicles 6:12-7:10; Luke 21:25-22:13

MESSAGE:

In today’s Bible reading, while David and his men were away, the Amalekites invaded Ziklag, defeated the city and set it on fire; after which they took members of their families – wives, sons and daughters as captives. When they returned and saw the situation of Ziklag, David and his men were really distressed, disappointed and discouraged. It was more so for David because the incident brought so much disaffection, bad blood and misunderstanding between him and his men; to the extent that they blamed him for the incident and spoke of stoning him to death. 1 Samuel 30:6 says:

“And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.”

There are some lessons we can learn from this. The first thing we see here is that whenever you arise to fight the people of God, you lose your defence and you or your family may suffer for it. David was running from King Saul and he went to take up refuge with the Philistines, who were enemies of God (1 Samuel 27:1). When a battle ensued between Israel and the Philistines, he decided to team up with them to fight his own people (1 Samuel 29). Thank God he was sent back home by the Philistines who realised who he was. By the time he go back home, the covering over his family was blown, and his loved ones had been taken captive. Never team up with the enemy against the people of God! Whatever your justification might be, never fight anyone who is named after the Name of Christ, irrespective of how long he or she has been in the faith. You will blow your cover and endanger innocent lives. Certain things that should not be heard of are happening to believers today, because they are busy fighting one another. The second lesson here is that even when he had not fought against his people, just because he had pitched his tent with the enemies of God, his family suffered for it. If you pitch your tent in Sodom, when the fire comes to destroy Sodom, it will equally engulf you. Check your life today! Are you fighting, speaking against or treading upon on any child of God? You are courting trouble! Have you partnered with unbelievers to torment, oppress, rob, deny, persecute or deal with a believer in Christ? Repent today, apologise and desist from such actions before they boomerang on you or your family.

Key Point: God strictly warms that His bona fide children must not be touched. Anyone who touches them will definitely pay dearly for it.

Saturday 11 July 2015

Connecting Destiny Helpers - Saturday July 11, 2015

Connecting Destiny Helpers - Saturday July 11, 2015

Memorise: My help cometh from the LORD, which made heavens and earth -Psalm 121:2

Read: 1 Samuel 10:3-4 (KJV)

3. Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Beth-el, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine:

4. And they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands.

Bible In One Year: 2 Chronicles 4:1-6:11; Luke 21:1-24

MESSAGE:

God created us to be interdependent. This is why there are several parts in the human body, but all of them work towards the same goal. No man or woman is an island. For you to fulfil your destiny, here are certain people God has sent your way to help you. The degree of success you record and the pace of speed at which you moved will depend to a large extent on your ability to meet your helpers and gain access to their help. On the road to his destiny in Egypt, Joseph was at a loss, wandering in a field while looking for his brothers. God sent him a helper who connected him to their location in Dothan. Genesis 37:15 says:

“And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What sleekest thou?”

This is one thing that the anointing can do for you. It connects you with your destiny helpers and compels them to help you. After being anointed, Saul was told of certain men he would meet on his way, who would help him. One way the devil keeps people on the same spot for years is by preventing them from meeting their helpers. If this fails, he blindfolds them so that they do not recognise their helpers even after they meet them. Every plan to separate you from meeting with or recognising your helpers shall be destroyed in Jesus’ Name.

However, some people meet their helpers but never find favour before them. This also is one of the ways the enemy hinders people’s progress. But when you are anointed, your helpers will not only favour you, the anointing will compel them to help you. Saul and his father’s servant had exhausted their supplies while returning home; but on their way, they met three men loaded with provisions who offered them some even without being asked.

“And they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands.” - 1 Samuel 10:4

Saul and his servant had no choice but to accept what was offered to them. The anointing covered their shame, so much so that even when they did not have, they did not have to beg, this season, the anointing will connect you with your destiny helpers and compel them to help you. Even before you express your need, the need would have been met; the anointing will cover your shame. By the anointing, all your helpers that have abandoned you shall locate you and help you in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point: Father, expose all my helpers to me and connect me to them.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

Friday 10 July 2015

Wonderful Miracle - Thursday July 9, 2015

Wonderful Miracle - Thursday July 9, 2015

Memorise: Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.-Romans 15:19

Read: Ezekiel 37:1-10 (KJV)

1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,

2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.

3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.

4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.

5 Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:

6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.

8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.

9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

Bible In One Year: 1 Chronicles 28:9-29:30; Luke 19:41-20:18

MESSAGE:

Miracles have a lesser degree of awesomeness when compared to wonders. Let us closely look at examples of these. It is undeniable that the raising of the dead through prayer is a great act of God. In 1 Kings 17:17-24, when the son of the widow of Zarephath died and Elijah was informed; he prayed, paced up and down, threw himself on the child about three times and the child came back to life. This was a miracle no doubt; but when dead bones cause the dead to be raised to life, it is a greater miracle. This happened in 2 Kings 13:20-21. Someone died and was being conveyed to the burial site, but because the mourners sighted a band of enemy soldiers heading in their direction, they threw the corpse into a nearby grave. Coincidentally, that was where Elisha had been buried. Elisha's body had decayed, leaving only his bones behind. As soon as the corpse touched his bones, the dead man came back to life and ran after his fleeing relatives.

However, when you compare all these great miracles with Ezekiel's experience documented in today's Bible reading, you will conclude that they are incomparable in awesomeness. What Ezekiel experienced was a wonder. Ezekiel was taken to a valley full of dry bones and God asked him if the bones could live again. This man of God immediately realised he had come face to face with a situation his faith could not handle. "Lord, this is beyond my faith. Only You can tell", he replied. God then said to him, "Don't pray, don't touch, just prophesy to them and say, Dry bones, hear God's word and come together, every bone to its bone as it was originally". Oh! That was easy to say, and he said it as he was commanded, even though he knew it sounded far-fetched. How can you ask dead, dry bones to hear? Oh yes, they can hear, though not your words but God's Word. This is why you should not stop speaking the Word of God to dead situations, people and things. They all have ears to hear God's Word and they respond to it. Meanwhile, as the dry bones began to move to form their original bone structure, Ezekiel must have been saying, Wonderful! But God was not done yet; He commanded Ezekiel to prophesy to the wind. Now, this was a bit more outlandish! At least the bones he could see, but the wind he could not see. He however obeyed, and the wind began to blow. Breath came into the lifeless entities that had been formed from the dry bones. In no time, a valley full of dry bones was taken over by a strong and able army. Always use God's Word to call up what you want to see in the Name of Jesus Christ, and it will be so.

Prayer Point: Father, in my life, family, workplace and ministry, make us recipients of your wonders.

Thursday 9 July 2015

Wonderful Miracle - Thursday July 9, 2015

Wonderful Miracle - Thursday July 9, 2015

Memorise: Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.-Romans 15:19

Read: Ezekiel 37:1-10 (KJV)

1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,

2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.

3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.

4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.

5 Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:

6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.

8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.

9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

Bible In One Year: 1 Chronicles 28:9-29:30; Luke 19:41-20:18

MESSAGE:

Miracles have a lesser degree of awesomeness when compared to wonders. Let us closely look at examples of these. It is undeniable that the raising of the dead through prayer is a great act of God. In 1 Kings 17:17-24, when the son of the widow of Zarephath died and Elijah was informed; he prayed, paced up and down, threw himself on the child about three times and the child came back to life. This was a miracle no doubt; but when dead bones cause the dead to be raised to life, it is a greater miracle. This happened in 2 Kings 13:20-21. Someone died and was being conveyed to the burial site, but because the mourners sighted a band of enemy soldiers heading in their direction, they threw the corpse into a nearby grave. Coincidentally, that was where Elisha had been buried. Elisha's body had decayed, leaving only his bones behind. As soon as the corpse touched his bones, the dead man came back to life and ran after his fleeing relatives.

However, when you compare all these great miracles with Ezekiel's experience documented in today's Bible reading, you will conclude that they are incomparable in awesomeness. What Ezekiel experienced was a wonder. Ezekiel was taken to a valley full of dry bones and God asked him if the bones could live again. This man of God immediately realised he had come face to face with a situation his faith could not handle. "Lord, this is beyond my faith. Only You can tell", he replied. God then said to him, "Don't pray, don't touch, just prophesy to them and say, Dry bones, hear God's word and come together, every bone to its bone as it was originally". Oh! That was easy to say, and he said it as he was commanded, even though he knew it sounded far-fetched. How can you ask dead, dry bones to hear? Oh yes, they can hear, though not your words but God's Word. This is why you should not stop speaking the Word of God to dead situations, people and things. They all have ears to hear God's Word and they respond to it. Meanwhile, as the dry bones began to move to form their original bone structure, Ezekiel must have been saying, Wonderful! But God was not done yet; He commanded Ezekiel to prophesy to the wind. Now, this was a bit more outlandish! At least the bones he could see, but the wind he could not see. He however obeyed, and the wind began to blow. Breath came into the lifeless entities that had been formed from the dry bones. In no time, a valley full of dry bones was taken over by a strong and able army. Always use God's Word to call up what you want to see in the Name of Jesus Christ, and it will be so.

Prayer Point: Father, in my life, family, workplace and ministry, make us recipients of your wonders.

Wednesday 8 July 2015

Fake Promises & Scales - Wednesday July 8, 2015

Fake Promises & Scales - Wednesday July 8, 2015

Memorise: Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD -Proverbs 20:10

Read: Proverbs 20:7-10 (KJV)

7 The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.

8 A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.

9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?

10 Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD.

Bible In One Year: 1 Chronicles 26:1-28:8; Luke 19:11-40

MESSAGE:

It is unfortunate that some people make promises and don't bother to keep them. This is one area that requires restitution. Broken promises can stand against you in eternity. This is why you should not make a promise you are not prepared to keep. Politicians easily fall prey here. When they are campaigning for votes, they will promise heaven and earth, but after their election, many of them fail to live up to their promises. If you are a child of God and a politician, let people know the difference between light and darkness by making sure you fulfil your promises. One of the characters of a person who will enjoy the ever-abiding presence of God and make heaven is keeping of promises. Psalm 15:1&4b says:

"LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?....He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not."

There is a user of this devotional: you have made several promises to individuals and even to the Church of God but failed to keep them. Your inability to fulfil them is keeping back certain promises made to you from being fulfilled. If you can repent and fulfil your pending promises, the door will be opened for promises made to you to be fulfilled.

Closely allied to the issue of trustworthiness is the use of fake weights and measures, especially in trading activities. Some people beat in their measuring cups so that they can make more profit. That is fraudulent. Believers should not manipulate their instruments, but measure accurately. Serve completely and charge for it. Sell a full cup for the full amount and not 3/4 of a cup for the full amount. You cannot be asking for God's blessings and be doing what He hates. Proverbs 11:1 says:

"A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight."

Just as individuals offend here, so also do governments and government agencies. For instance, any government agency making people pay for services not rendered is fraudulent and destroying itself. One way this happens is through the use of fixed estimates by power companies. When a person's monthly consumption of energy is 200 units, why must such a person be compelled to pay for 300 or more units? This is serious fraud. This also applies to fuel (gas) stations. Some of them tamper with their meters so that instead of the requested quantity being delivered, fewer litres are dispensed for the same price. They believe people will not know, but what about God? In any way you are delivering below what is expected of you or your organisation, repent and return the difference to the owners before it is too late.

Key Point: Whatever is not originally yours that you take from others by deceit can never truly add to you.

Tuesday 7 July 2015

Love Must Be Reciprocated - Tuesday July 7, 2015

Love Must Be Reciprocated - Tuesday July 7, 2015

Memorise: If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. -John 15:10.

Read: John 15:9-10 (KJV)

9. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

10. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

Bible In One Year: 1 Chronicles 23:25; Luke 18:35-19:10

MESSAGE:

God loves us so much the He gave us Himself as a gift. Giving Jesus Christ to die for us was the same as giving Himself to us (1 Timothy 3:16). But He did not stop there, He went further, pointing out to us in Romans 8:32 that:

“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things.”

However, love should be a two-way exchange, and not one-sided. If you love someone and your love is not being reciprocated, after a while, something will happen to that love. That love may grow cold or even die. The same applies to the relationship between God and us. If you check through the scriptures, you will learn that whenever God does something for someone, He expects them to do something in return. It is one thing to be loved and another thing to abide in that love. While you were in your sins, God demonstrated His love for you by sending Himself, in the person of Jesus Christ, to die for you. When you respond to this divine initiative by repenting of your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, you will be washed by His blood and forgiven. After this, God increases His love towards you, and when you reciprocate, that love increases.

Love begets greater love. If you want to sustain or increase the love that God has for you, reciprocate His love. In today’s reading, Jesus tells us that when He came to earth as a man, He was loved by the Father; but to sustain that love, He had to keep the Father’s commandments. What the Father expected of Jesus is what He expects of us today. There is no way you will continue in God’s love when you deliberately break His commandments or refuses to obey Him. If He has loved you, He expects you to love Him too. He expects your obedience. He also expects you to love other brethren. How have you reciprocated the love of the Lord? Even though afflictions, persecutions, angels, Satan, what we see and what we can’t see cannot separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:35-39), disobedience, manifested by violation of His word, can deal that love a terrible blow.

Action Point: List some things you have never done that you can start doing to reciprocate the love of God. Do them from today!

Monday 6 July 2015

The Price Must Be Paid - Monday July 6, 2015

The Price Must Be Paid - Monday July 6, 2015

Memorise: There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. -Joshua 1:5

Read: 2 Kings 6:15-17 (KJV)

15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?

16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.

17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

Bible In One Year: 1 Chronicles 20-22; Luke 18:9-34

MESSAGE:

After God chose Joshua to succeed Moses, Joshua was afraid, as he wondered how he could ever fit into Moses' big shoes. Therefore, God came to reassure him, calm his fears and promised to be with him. He said to him in Joshua 1:5 that:

"There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."

Thereafter, he had a smooth ride in ministry until the day the children of Israel fled before Ai. Joshua felt disappointed that God had gone back on His promise, so he went back to God and asked Him "Lord, I thought You said nobody would be able to withstand us. How come we are fleeing before a little city like Ai?" God replied "That is correct, but you are now disconnected from me, and until you restitute and deal with the sin, I will not continue with you."

If God will use you for great signs and wonders, you must be prepared to make instant restitution. God is about to do great exploits, but if you are not prepared to pay the price, you will be a spectator and not a key player. Have you stolen God's money, particularly tithes, first fruits and offerings? Pay back immediately! Did your members contribute some money for a particular thing but you diverted it to something else? Restitute! Have you been looking at the wrong direction? Restitute by facing the direction God wants you to take.

There is a price to pay to be a minister or vessel of signs and wonders, one of which is a readiness to operate in both physical and spiritual realms simultaneously. When you pay this price, you will start seeing the invisible. You will not only see angels and the heavenly hosts like Elisha's servant in today's Bible reading, you might equally see demons. This should not scare you. When you can see demons, you will immediately see them in any demon-possessed individual brought to you, and when you cast them out, you will be able to know whether they have really gone or are just pretending to have done so. Asking demons how many they are inside their victim is of no use when the minister cannot see them. Even if there is just one of them, because you cannot see him, he can lie to you. How prepared are you to pay the price?

Action Point: If God's promise to you is not being fulfilled exactly as He promised it, find out what you may be doing wrong?

The Price Must Be Paid - Monday July 6, 2015

The Price Must Be Paid - Monday July 6, 2015

Memorise: There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. -Joshua 1:5

Read: 2 Kings 6:15-17 (KJV)

15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?

16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.

17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

Bible In One Year: 1 Chronicles 20-22; Luke 18:9-34

MESSAGE:

After God chose Joshua to succeed Moses, Joshua was afraid, as he wondered how he could ever fit into Moses' big shoes. Therefore, God came to reassure him, calm his fears and promised to be with him. He said to him in Joshua 1:5 that:

"There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."

Thereafter, he had a smooth ride in ministry until the day the children of Israel fled before Ai. Joshua felt disappointed that God had gone back on His promise, so he went back to God and asked Him "Lord, I thought You said nobody would be able to withstand us. How come we are fleeing before a little city like Ai?" God replied "That is correct, but you are now disconnected from me, and until you restitute and deal with the sin, I will not continue with you."

If God will use you for great signs and wonders, you must be prepared to make instant restitution. God is about to do great exploits, but if you are not prepared to pay the price, you will be a spectator and not a key player. Have you stolen God's money, particularly tithes, first fruits and offerings? Pay back immediately! Did your members contribute some money for a particular thing but you diverted it to something else? Restitute! Have you been looking at the wrong direction? Restitute by facing the direction God wants you to take.

There is a price to pay to be a minister or vessel of signs and wonders, one of which is a readiness to operate in both physical and spiritual realms simultaneously. When you pay this price, you will start seeing the invisible. You will not only see angels and the heavenly hosts like Elisha's servant in today's Bible reading, you might equally see demons. This should not scare you. When you can see demons, you will immediately see them in any demon-possessed individual brought to you, and when you cast them out, you will be able to know whether they have really gone or are just pretending to have done so. Asking demons how many they are inside their victim is of no use when the minister cannot see them. Even if there is just one of them, because you cannot see him, he can lie to you. How prepared are you to pay the price?

Action Point: If God's promise to you is not being fulfilled exactly as He promised it, find out what you may be doing wrong?

Sunday 5 July 2015

Satan Targets The Holy - Sunday July 5, 2015

Satan Targets The Holy - Sunday July 5, 2015

Memorise: Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. - Acts 12:1

Read: Acts 6:8-15 (KJV)

8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

9 Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.

10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.

11 Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.

12 And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council,

13 And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:

14 For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.

15 And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

Bible In One Year: 1 Chronicles 17:19; Luke 17:20-18:8

MESSAGE:

Holiness is very necessary for anyone who wants to fulfil destiny and make it to Heaven. Holiness also makes God to hide you in His bosom (Psalm 91:4). In other words, holiness provides a cover for the holy, whereas sin exposes the sinner. Sin exposes the one who commits it to shame, disgrace and pain, and it makes the sinner vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy. When you combine holiness with being a vessel of honour, you become doubly precious to God. You become like a delicate egg in His hands. This is why Psalm 103:13-14 says God will treat such a vessel with lots of care, remembering how weak and fragile he or she is. From today, the Lord will treat you with special care. You will be special to God and He will hide you in His love in Jesus’ Name.

Moreover, as an instrument of honour, never rest on your oars. Whatever level you may be on presently, you have only started; you have not yet attained the heights that God is taking you to. If you think that you have already arrived with respect to Kingdom tasks, you may attract unwanted things to yourself. Note however that the more God uses you, the more you will be of interest to the kingdom of Satan. Satan never wants any believer in Christ to end up in Heaven; so he will do all he can to stop you. Take Peter for instance: he loved Jesus so much that he vowed never to deny Him. This he said in spite of what Jesus had foretold would happen (Matthew 26:34-35). Satan saw Peter as a vessel of honour in God’s hands and immediately marked him out as a target. He did everything possible to bring him down, but Jesus prayed for him and he overcome.

Similarly, Satan picked on another vessel of honour – Stephen. Stephen was holy, full of faith and full of Holy Spirit. He was also full of wisdom and was used to perform mighty signs and wonders in the early Church. Satan therefore stirred up serious opposition against Stephen, but he overcome them. When this failed, the enemies connived and brought false witnesses to lie against him. Satan never keeps to any rule of decency when he fights. He fights dirty. He kept working at it until he got Stephen killed (Acts 7:56-60). But unknown to him, when he thought he had won the battle, his chief vessel of persecution, Saul, was arrested by God and did even far greater works for God than Stephen did. In the end, the devil regretted his action. He wished he had left Stephen alone to have been spared the immense irrecoverable losses he got from his ex-loyal fanatic –Paul.

Action Point: Pray that every target of Satan in your local church be protected from falling.

Saturday 4 July 2015

The Anointing Speaks - Saturday July 4, 2015

The Anointing Speaks - Saturday July 4, 2015

Memorise: But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. -1 John 2:27

Read: 1 Samuel 10:1-9 (KJV)

1 Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?

2 When thou art departed from me to day, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel's sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?

3 Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine:

4 And they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands.

5 After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy:

6 And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.

7 And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.

8 And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou shalt do.

9 And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.

Bible in one Year: 1 Chronicles 15:16; Luke 17:1-19

MESSAGE:

The anointing creates the opportunity for you to be entrusted with God’s heritage. This great responsibility requires that you have divine information and guidance to carry out the assignment. As stated in our memory verse, the anointing speaks to or teaches the anointed, providing him with divine information. If you have the anointing, it will speak to you; it will tell you the truth. If you say you are anointed but you cannot hear from God, your anointing is very much in doubt. Based on 1 John 2:20, one way you can know that you are anointed is by the divine information released to you. The more the anointing on your life, the more you should have access to divine information (Number 12:6-8). To what extent does then anointing speak to you?

What does the anointing teach? If you closely look at Saul’s experience. You will learn that the anointing reveals future events to the anointed. After Saul was anointed by Samuel, the latter told him of a series of events that he was going to experience sequentially, and they happened accordingly. Do you know that God loves speaking to you? God is looking for those He can share certain vital information with before they occur. No wonder Amos 3:7 says,

“Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”

Any information that is only accessible by God is God’s secret. The anointing makes God share His secrets with His anointed. Do you hear God’s voice? How often does He speak to you? Does He confide in you concerning future events that will affect you or members of your family? As we speak, there are some people who are acquainted with divine information of events that will occur in some 2,3,5 or 10 years’ time. May the Lord anoint you afresh and open to you the door of communication, granting you access to knowledge of events long before they happen. When you know what will happen in the future, you will be guided on how to handle your today and tomorrow.

Prayer Point: Father, make me sensitive to Your voice. Help me never to mistake Your voice for that of any other person.

Thursday 2 July 2015

Prayer Can Subdue People - Friday July 3, 2015

Prayer Can Subdue People - Friday July 3, 2015

Memorise: He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet. -Psalm 47:3

Read: Genesis 32:6-12 & 33:4, (KJV)

6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.

7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands;

8 And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.

9 And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:

10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.

11 Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children.

12 And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

Genesis 33:4

4 And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.

Bible in One Year: 1 Chronicles 12:14; Luke 16:14-31

MESSAGE:

When Jacob was told that his brother, Esau, who had sworn to kill him, was coming to meet him with four hundred men, he was justifiably afraid and distressed. However, he prayed to God for deliverance, reminding Him of His covenant with his father. Several things happened to Jacob as a result of this prayer. After he prayed, God changed his name from Jacob to Israel (Genesis 32:28). Prayer can rename a situation or an individual, and it can also terminate the regime of an evil era induced by a bad name. When prayer ends a bad name, there will no longer be any reason to call the fellow by the former name. God told Jacob “From today, nobody will call you that name again.” As soon as He said it, every reproach the name had attached to him was completely erased. Royalty took over from there. From today, you shall no longer be called barren! You shall no longer move around in circles. You shall no longer labour without receiving a commensurate harvest. From today, sorrow, tears and disappointment have ended in your life!

Beside this, prayer gave Jacob power with God and helped him prevail over the anger of his brother. To subdue impossible human beings, you need power with God. The extent to which you can control men will be determined by the power you have with God, because it’s God who subdues men under you (Psalm 47:3). Whenever you pray intensely from your heart, power is produced. The power that prayer generates can be channelled towards achieving any goal. When you pray effectively concerning your business, the power to succeed in it is released to you. If you are struggling in your studies, you need to pray intensely, and the power to enable you all that you should do to succeed in your academics will be released.

Acts 1:8 declares that when the Holy Spirit comes, power comes with Him. When you pray in the Holy Ghost with your heart, power comes. This power may come in the form of understanding difficult subjects you are studying, wisdom to relate with subordinates in such a manner that garners their support to enable you succeed in your assignment or ministry, and so on. Prayer also helps you to be victorious over men. Are people rising up against you? Pray! As you pray, they will be subdued. Is anyone threatening your life like Esau did to Jacob? Pray, and the Lord will subdue them.

Action Point: One weapon every leader requires to keep the loyalty of their subjects and subordinates is prayer. Pray that God will keep those under you faithful to your righteous cause.

Wednesday 1 July 2015

He is Wonderful - Thursday July 2, 2015

He is Wonderful - Thursday July 2, 2015

Memorise: And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:7

Read: Philippians 4:6-7 (KJV)

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Bible in One Year: 1 Chronicles 9:35-11:47; Luke 15:25-16:13

MESSAGE:

One of the names or titles of our Lord Jesus Christ is wonderful (Isaiah 9:6). The word ‘wonderful’ is a combination of these two words: ‘wonder’ and ‘fully’, which jointly mean full of wonders. Acts 2:22 says,

“Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:”

The terms miracles, wonders and signs in this scripture are placed according to their order of awesomeness. It means that wonders are superior to miracles in awesomeness and of a higher grade. When you look at Jesus, you will discover that everything about Him is full to wonders. His Name is Wonderful because it is far highly exalted above every other Name (Philippians 2:9-11). His Name commands the compulsory obedience of every force or power that exists.

Not only is His Name full of wonders, but His love is also wonderful. No one else can love you like Jesus does. He loves you even much more than you love yourself. What about His peace? It is very unique; it is unlike anything the world can offer you (John 14:27). No wonder Philippians 4:7 says His peace passes all human understanding. If God gives you peace? It is equally wonderful. Matthew 28:18 says:

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”

All authority comes under His divine majesty, what about His grace? It is also full of wonders. The richness of His grace goes beyond what we are currently enjoying in this world (Ephesians 2:7). His grace is inexhaustible to the fellow who knows how to relate with Him, which is why He has a throne of grace that we can boldly approach to receive mercy (Hebrews 4:16). Grace made God’s provision available to us at the expenses of Christ sacrificing His life on the cross of Cavalry. In addition, His joy is wonderful, and so is His strength. If you have Jesus Christ in you and you give Him the freedom to do whatever He likes in your life (i.e. you regard Him as Lord and not as a guest), His wonders will be replete in every area of your life. Do you allow Him to do His wonderful works in your life?

Prayer Point: Father, come and perform Your wonders in every area of my life.

Return Reduced Wages! - Wednesday July 1, 2015

Return Reduced Wages! - Wednesday July 1, 2015

Memorise: Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. -Romans 13:8

Read: Genesis 31:36-42 (KJV)

36 And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? What is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?

37 Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both.

38 This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.

39 That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.

40 Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.

41 Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

42 Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.

Bible in One Year: 1 Chronicles 7:14-9:34; Luke 15:1-24

MESSAGE:

God is a righteous God, and as a result, He hates all forms of Fraud. According to Leviticus 19:13, it is a crime to delay your workers salary for 24 hours. Do you promptly pay your staff – whether church or secular? Another aspect of fraud is manipulating your workers’ salaries. One Bible character who was a victim of this was Jacob. All the years he worked for Laban, he suffered a great deal. He was deceived, cheated, made to bear the losses his boss should have borne and earned an ever-decreasing wage. Laban was extremely wicked. But do you know that some employers today are like Laban? They take all the gains of their businesses and push all the losses to their staff, irrespective of what caused such losses. Also, while they plan to make more profit and push their staff to work hard at it, they hardly ever plan to increase their salaries. If anything, they continue to come up with excuses as to why such salaries should remain at the same level, or even be reduced.

Laban reduced Jacob’s wages 10 times. If you are happy to cut down your staff salaries rather than increase them, though your business is not diminishing, you are toying with Hell. If your business cannot afford an employee anymore, it is better to let such staff go after paying their entitlements. Take note of the words of Romans 13:8:

“Owe no man any thing, but to love one another. For he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.”

Every cent, kobo or penny you fraudulently cut off the wages of your staff amounts to a debt you owe them. Also, the fact that you owe your staff shows your lack of love for them. You cannot be cutting down the salary or wages of those you love, while your business is doing fine. Do not be surprised that some employers who claim to be believers in Christ will die and get to the gate of Heaven, only to be told that they cannot enter in because of the debt they owe their staff. At that checkpoint, the entire amount owed will be found on them. They will then say “I am sorry; I am now prepared to pay the debts I owe my staff”, but the angles will say “Sorry, it’s too late.” The money such persons fraudulently stole from their staff will follow them to Hell-fire and torment them there for eternity. For your own good, go and restitute all the wages you have cut off without just cause.

Key Point: Besides pride, another vice that God cannot stand in people is breaking of agreements. If you make a promise, you must keep it.