PAINS OF EX-CHAMPIONS

Memorise: But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house. (Judges 16:21)

Read: Judges 16:20-21

And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him. (Judges 16:20)

But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house. (Judges 16:21)

Bible in one year: Mark 4-6

Message

To maintain a champion, there are certain activities that must be sustained, failing which the champion will lose his position. You shall not be dethroned in Jesus name. activities such as prayers, fasting, self denial and regular study of God’s Word do not respect educational level, wealth, status or marital status. In other words, if you were very prayerful during your secondary school days, but now believe that since you have bagged your doctorate degree, you do not need to pray as much again, don’t be surprised if you end up in the teeth of lions.

If you were poor but prayerful, now that you are rich, you should pray more not less. If you could pray and fast while still young, now that you are older, do not diminish in your prayer and fasting so that what the enemy could not do to you when you were young, he would still be unable to do it to you now that you are old. This is why Mark 13:13 says only those who endure to the end will be saved. Your sacrifices and efforts must continue until you reach the finishing line. Philippians 3:12-14 says your past must not come between you and your future. If you think the cost of remaining a champion is too much, then you may consider the alternative

– being an ex-champion. It is better to pay the price to remain a champion than to face the horrors of being an ex-champion. After Samson was dethroned, judges 16:21 says, “But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.” It is horrible to be an ex-champion. It is better never to have been a champion than to be an ex-champion. Samson lost God’s presence, his sight and freedom. An international champion became a local prisoner, a laughing stock to those he once terrorized. Do everything possible to refuse compromise, as the goal of that seemingly harmless temptation is to make you an ex-champion. Just one sin is all the camp of enemies requires to shut you up permanently. There are many ex-champions around us today who are savouring the shame and losses of their new status. Are you an ex-champion? Come back to God in repentance, restitution and humility. Make 100 percent obedience your watchword henceforth. If you are sincere and steadfast, it is possible that God may reconsider using you again.

PRAYER POINT

Thank God for your nation. Pray that God’s plan and purpose will be done and that God will uproot every hindrance on your path.

RELATING WITH ENEMIES

Memorise: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. (1 Peter 5:9)

Read: 1 Peter 5:8-9 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (1 Peter 5:8) Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. (1 Peter 5:9)

Bible in one year: Job 38-42

Message

The Lord Jesus Christ gave three orders to His army on earth. First, we are to love, which is the greatest of all. Second, we are to recruit civilians into His army. The third order has to do with our relationship with the enemy. James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

If you are a soldier of Jesus, you are expected to resist the devil. To resist entails applying force in preventing something from happening. If you do not understand you relationship with your enemies, you will waste God’s valuable resources and turn yourself into a laughing stock. For instance, many people bind the devil while they are expected to resist him. He will only laugh at them and continue to do what he was doing. Such a Christian may think that the devil has either become powerful or God’s word has become less potent, not knowing that the problem is with him or her. Stop straying from the code of conduct guiding God’s army! According to Revelation 20:1-3, the only time Satan will be bound is sometime in the future. One big angel with great authority will bind the devil and throw him into his prison – the bottomless pit; he will be there for 1000 years. On the other hand, you can bind demons or evil spirits and cast them out.

How do you resist the devil? It is by being steadfast in the faith. Satan is a very persistent opponent, in resisting him you must be unmoveable. You must doggedly refuse to shift grounds. Satan knows how to muster several demons to put pressure on someone to give in. he cannot sustain this for too long but within that period, the fellow will be virtually under immense pressure. At such a time, leave the vicinity of that temptation, shut the eyes of your mind to that temptation, pray in the spirit and consciously affirm that you are not yielding to Satan’s pressure. Confess in the name of Jesus Christ, I resist you Satan. Every demon assigned against me on this matter, I bind and cast you out of this situation. In the name of Jesus, I refuse to

yield my members to sin but to righteousness (Romans 6:11-14). Sin shall not dominate my body because I am now under grace, etc. As you continue to resist even in tiredness, the devil will flee from you. So always use the word of God to ward him off.

ACTION POINT

Pray that God will grant you grace to increase your resolve and not to yield to Satan as Satan increases his resolve to bring you down.

AVOID PRAISE SINGERS!

Memorise: That no flesh should glory in his presence. (1 Corinthians 1:29)

Read: 1 Samuel 18:5-9

And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants. (1 Samuel 18:5) And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick. (1 Samuel 18:6) And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. (1Samuel 18:7) And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? (1 Samuel 18:8)

And Saul eyed David from that day and forward. (1 Samuel 18:9) Bible in one year: Job 35-37

Message Another tool Satan can use to derail you from your trip to Heaven is the friend you trust. It is good to have friends – good and God fearing ones at that. Yet you have to deal cautiously with such friends so that you don’t fall if the devil decides to use them. Learn from the relationship between Jesus and Peter. Peter was very close to the master and loved Him greatly. One day, Peter received a revelation from God and Jesus openly commended him. When the devil saw this, he immediately used the same Peter in bid to derail God’s plan for Jesus (Matthew 16:15-17, 21-23). Be watchful of prayer warriors! If the devil sees they are used of God to strengthen and direct you, he might want to speak through them to derail you. You shall not fall into Satan’s trap!

Moreover, another tool Satan can use to derail you is people showing gratitude. It is good to be grateful. But if the devil knows that you like to be appreciated a lot, he may use someone who is very , very grateful and at the end, it will be a different story. There are some grateful ladies who started by just going to thank the pastor for the way the Lord used him to bless, help or deliver them. They kept going to thank them until they were a little grateful, and before long, they got pastor into adultery. Beware of very grateful people! One way out of this is to point the fellow to the one who did the miracle – God. He will not share His glory with anyone else, not even the vessel He used! In 1 Samuel 18:5-9, after David defeated Goliath by God’s backing, the women were so grateful that they compose a song of praise just to say, Thank you to David. From that day, that song created problems for David and he knew no rest for several years. Never allow those who are praising you to derail your trip to Heaven!

KEY POINT

When men thank you, never receive it, simply forward it to God. It is to

save your neck.

GOD, SO APPROACHABLE

Memorise: Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, (Hebrews 10:19)

Read: Esther 5:1-3

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

And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre. (Esther 5:2)

Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom. (Esther 5:3)

Bible in one year: Job 32-34

Message

When Queen Esther went to the inner court of the king, she risked her life, but because she obtained favour, the king stretched the golden sceptre he was holding towards her. She was then allowed to approach the king and he made her an incredible offer. The first thing we learn in this story is that powerful kings are not easily approached except according to laid down rules, otherwise the individual could lose his or her life. As it is with earthly kings with regards to access, so is it with King of kings. When God was about to come down on Mount Sinai, He gave specific instructions to the children on Israel. For them to approach His presence, they were to be set apart for two days, abstains from sex, wash their clothes and make themselves presentable. Yet while in God’s presence, they must keep a safe distance from the mountain. Whosoever touched the mountain – be it man or beast would have to die (Exodus 19:10-13). Not even the priests were allowed to climb up and meet the Lord at the top of the mountain; any priest that dared violate God’s instruction would be personally dealt with by God (Exodus 19:22).

Similarly, during their worship in the temple, while everyone else could worship at the outer court, only the Levites could access the inner court, while only the high priest was allowed once a year, to enter the innermost part – the Holy of holies, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. While going in, the high priest will have a rope tied to his leg and some bells were attached round about the lower ends of his apron, so that if he goes in and is not clean enough and dies in God’s presence, the rope will be used to pull him out. But while ushering in the New Testament by His blood, our Lord Jesus Christ changed this. When He died, the curtain preventing people from seeing the Holy of holies was torn into two, meaning through Jesus Christ, we can now access God directly (Hebrew 9:1-8; Matthew 27:50-51). Today, to access God’s presence by the blood of Jesus, all you need to do is to come to Him with thanksgiving and to worship Him with praises. However, never take such easy access for granted! It cost Jesus Christ His life! But if you come before His presence with sin in your life, you will not be able to gain access except you first repent and forsake the sin. You must have clean hands and a pure heart, a right spirit and humility. Come with praises and thanksgiving. Come in the name of Jesus and you will gain entry. Thank God for the easy access we now have into God’s presence.

PRAYER POINT

Father, thank you for giving me access into your presence. Lord, let me never be denied this access both now and in eternity.

SUSTAIN YOUR SACRIFICES

Memorise: I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14)

Read: Philippians 3:12-15

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12)

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, (Philippians 3:13)

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14)

Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. (Philippians 3:15)

Message

Life is full of battles, contests and struggles. When you win an opponent in a contest, you become a champion or winner. It is not easy to be a champion as it requires great efforts, but to sustain being a champion is even more challenging. All those involved in a contest are potential champions. However out of these, some may never experience what it is like to be a champion. For those who succeed in making it, being a champion is not the end but the beginning of the story. After making several costly sacrifices to become a champion, more daily sacrifices will be required of you to remain a champion. An adage says: “the price of safety is unrelenting vigilance”. For your light to continue to burn brightly there must be constant supply of fuel. There are some spiritual exercises that you cannot afford to stop doing in order to remain relevant. Why do you think Paul said we should pray without ceasing? Or, why do you think he fasted often as recorded in 2 Corinthians 11:27?

You cannot say because you prayed throughout January, there is no need for you to pray for the remaining part of the year. Why? The prayer effort for January cannot sustain you to the end of the year. Certain things must be repeated in order to achieve greater impact. As it is in the spiritual, so is it in the physical. Take a cue from the daily ritual of bathing, when you clean up your body on 1st of January, would you refuse to clean up on subsequent days? When you cut your nails, not long after you will discover they are grown again. 1 Kings 18:1-24 indicates there is no stopping until you get to your destination. After the monthly Holy Ghost service, some who attend never bother to have their own vigil. In the same vein, some people who take part in the month of fasting early in the year never bother to fast for the rest of the year. That you attend bible study on a particular Tuesday does not mean that you should not make out time to personally study the bible for the rest of that week. You must never forget who you are! Usually, when believers fail to do what they are expected to do, it is because they have forgotten who they are. You are a divine champion. You are created to stay that way. But what are you doing to stay a champion? Every daily effort you fail to make gradually erodes your position. Pay the price today!

PRAYER POINT

A champion who fails to sustain what took him up will soon be an ex-champion. Father, by all means help me that I may maintain my position as a champion.

NEW FOCUS

Memorise: And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. (2 Timothy 2:2)

Read: Numbers 11:10-17

Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased. (Numbers 11:10)

And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me? (Numbers 11:11)

Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers? (Numbers 11:12)

Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat. (Numbers 11:13)

I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. (Numbers 11:14)

And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness. (Numbers 11:15)

And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee. (Numbers 11:16)

And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone. (Numbers 11:17)

As you advance in age, there is need to adopt more effective ways of serving the Lord. There is need to move from hitting the rock to speaking to the rock. There is need to shift from human wisdom to divine wisdom. You will need to move from doing things in your strength to doing things in His unlimited strength. Furthermore, according to Exodus 17 : 8-13, you should learn to apply the principle of division of labour to be more effective. It is not possible to do everything by yourself. Even if it were possible, result will come to you at great expense. Let everyone play their God-given role, you just create an atmosphere conducive for them to work. Delegate more responsibilitie s without abdicating your supervisory role. When you delegate, release the commensurate authority for the fellow to perform. In Numbers 11:10-17, the Lord asked Moses to enlist 70 elders to help him with his assignment. Before then, Moses carried all the anointing alone.

Some leaders fail to delegate responsibilitie s to younger ministers and pastors because of fear of the unknown. They are afraid that such minister may fail. It is possible they fail, but if past leaders never trusted you to a point of giving you the opportunities you had, where would you be today? A true leader will create opportunities for those under him to grow. What opportunities are you giving to those under you? It is your responsibility to train those who will take over from you. Your degree of success in ministry or otherwise will depend on how many seemingly unusable or untrained brethren the Lord used you to turn around into reliable dedicated workers and ministers. Besides, as you grow older, you must increasingly work on your intimacy with God. Zechariah 4:6 says it is not by your ability but by His ability. When divine goals are set, you need divine strength, wisdom and grace to accomplish them. As you grow older you should reappraise your focus. You should be thinking more about Heaven and hold Colossians 3:1-2 dear to your heart. You should be working towards your Heavenly crowns and loading your heavenly bank accounts. Some people are still so committed to pursuing money even at old age that you would wonder if they have anything at stake in Heaven. In what direction is your labour, heart and focus tilted to – to the earth or Heaven?

KEY POINT

The overbearing attitude of some leaders has robbed them of their helpers and fast-tracked their untimely exit from the earth.

SECURED FUTURE

Open Heaven of Wednesday 20th March 2013.

Memorise: Therefore For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Read: Psalm 33:8-12

Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. (Psalms 33:8)

For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. (Psalms 33:9)

The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. (Psalms 33:10)

The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. (Psalms 33:11)

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. (Psalms 33:12)

When Elijah arose from sleep and started to eat of the meal from Heaven in 1 Kings 19:5-8, his hope was on the rise, and he began to say, ‘I may be down but I shall not end in defeat’. It is one thing to fall and rise and another to fall and stay down. For the first category, falling is just a bus stop, and you know, you will have to go through several bus stop to get to your destination. For the second category, falling has become the destination. In life, simply remember that every point you fall or fail is a bus stop, not your destination. That you failed or fell several times does not mean that you cannot be celebrated tomorrow if you overcome. Thirdly, know that you are falling or failing because there is a great destination for your life which is worth all the fight, struggle and suffering. However, no child of destiny will turn his bus stop into final destination. Are you down? Rise up this moment, dust yourself and continue the march to Heaven. Has your hair been shaven like Samson out of carelessness? Your hair shall grow again (Judges 16:20-22).

Or have you been killed or buried with a big stone placed over your tomb like Jesus? Like Jesus, you shall arise; you shall be brought back to life (Luke 24:1-7).

When the angel came the second time to Elijah with a second meal telling him to rise and eat because of the journey ahead, he then was sure that God was not through with yet. Sometimes, people write themselves off. If God is not through with you, you cannot afford to give up on Him; else you will be committing great harm against yourself. If you retire yourself from God’s work before your appointed time of retirement, you will face a query in Heaven instead of a commendation. God is not through with you and His counsel for your life will ultimately stand in spite of your circumstances (Psalm 33:11; Jeremiah 29:11). When Elijah ate the meal, he knew there was hope for brighter tomorrow. Isaiah 3:10 says your future is very bright. Forget the darkness that is presently surrounding you. According to Proverbs 4:18, it will gradually give way to God’s glorious light. Rise up and serve Him. Praise Him. Obey Him, knowing that your tomorrow is secured in Jesus.

ACTION POINT

There is no place for giving up in God’s plan for His children. Ask that God will give you the strength to fight the fight of faith to the end.

ON HEAVENLY GREATNESS

MEMORISE. : Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Mark 11 : 24.

READ : Matthew 5 : 17 – 20.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Habakkuk 1 – 3.

If you accept favourable scriptures but reject the one’s you don’t like, you will not only negate your faith but also be unable to receive full dividend from the Word. Ask and receive grace to ‘eat the whole lamb’ as was the case with the children of Israel on the night of their departure from Egypt. Every Word of God is important. We must never trivialise any of Christ’s commandments because they have eternal consequences. In this regard, Christian leaders must be very careful about what they teach, preach and practice. In Matthew 5 : 19, Jesus says,

“Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of heaven : but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of heaven.”

Some people are seen as great in the Kingdom of God on earth, but in Heaven, they are very unpopular, unknown or occupy the least positions. Every erroneous doctrine that leaders teach is capable of derailing multitudes. When we get to Heaven, if such leaders are saved and finally make it to Heaven, their false doctrines on earth would have eroded their heavenly rewards. Stop teaching or preaching vain philosophies of men! Preach Jesus! Teach the whole counsel of His Word. Stick with the full Gospel until He returns or calls you home. Aside this, Jesus says you must do before you teach others the whole counsel, before you can be called great in Heaven. In other Words, it is not enough to teach the whole counsel of God. If you don’t practice the whole counsel of God that you teach, you can never attain heavenly greatness. Lastly, whatever step you take must be based on God’s Word like Peter ( Luke 5 : 1 – 7 ). If you are going to choose a particular sister as your wife, or take up a particular job, or even relocate to a particular place, let that decision be because God said so. Never act on your own. Act on God’s Word. Confess the Word in every contrary circumstances according to Mark 11 : 23 – 24 and see it prevail. Never accept the negative situations that come your way but confess what God says about them and stay on God’s Word no matter how long it takes, and you shall eventually be victorious.

KEY POINT :

Heavenly greatness is not by chance, wishful thinking or mistake. Every great fellow in Heaven earned that greatness through obedience.

DOWN, NOT OUT

MEMORISE.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me fre from the law of sin and death. Romans 8 : 2.

READ : Romans 7 : 18 – 25.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Hosea 11 – 14.

Going by the personal experience of Elijah in 1Kings 19 : 3 – 8, we see that God gives hope to the hopeless in ways we cannot explain. In any way you have lost hope, the Lord will restore it this season in Jesus name. Another lesson we learnt from Elijah who woke from sleep to eat Heaven’s freshly baked food is that, to be down does not necessarily mean to be out. In other words, that the devil hit you and you fell flat on your faces does not mean that you should give up the fight. When a baby is learning to walk, it will fall several times, yet it continues to make the effort. The fact that you can walk, jog or even run only shows that you overcame those failed attempts you experienced while growing up. Are you presently being defeated by a besetting sin? After you confessed and asked God for forgiveness, you promised never to go back to it, and you sincerely meant it; only for you to find yourself at the same bus stop of sin down the line. With this experience continuing for a while, you might begin to think it is pointless trying to serve God.

Are you giving up? Don’t! Such situation is not new to believers. Almost every true Christian has gone through that phase.

Can you believe the greatest of apostles went through it? In Romans 7 : 15, he says,

“For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I”.

This is a state where there is serious conflict between the old and the new nature, between the flesh and the spirit. It does not mean you have not been saved when you go through this. The devil will tell you all sorts of things. Refuse to believe him. To overcome this phase which is also transient, persevere. If you fall into the sin, don’t stay there. Ask God for forgiveness and rise up on your feet again. Never stay down; always find your way back to the Cross, receive cleansing and continue with Christ again. Also, identify that particular area of weakness and begin to pray specifically on it using Romans 6 : 5 – 18, personalizing the scriptures.

Avoid any individual that will easily take you back to that sin and sever such a relationship. Avoid physical locations, tangible items and even resign any appointment that may keep you a permanent slave of sin. Pray regularly in the spirit asking for His help. Have no idle moments with your time fully engaged in what glorifies God.

KEY POINT :

If the Lord Jesus Christ could still commission Peter to continue from where He stopped, after three terrible denials, no matter how low you have fallen, God can return you to His original plan for your life and use you.

CHANGE YOUR METHOD

Thursdayhursday 13th March,2013

CHANGE YOUR METHOD

Memorise:

Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, this is the Word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, not might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. 

Zechariah 4:6

Read:

Numbers 20:7-12

To get the best from God, you need to know when to make requests. When you have the opportunity to access God's mighty presence, explore it to the fullest. A wise believer will optimise every opportunity from God because time is short. Moreover, because of the brevity of time, we should reorder our priorities and move from the unimportant and less urgent matters to the most important and urgent issues. In the same vein, efforts should be made to treat the important but not urgent issues so that they do not end up putting you under avoidable pressure tomorrow. Everything you needed to do which was ignored because it was not urgent, will because urgent at some point, and could cost you much more. Besides this, Luke 9:57-62 tells us that sometimes, an individual, family or group may have to go through self denial in order to please God. Whenever there is a clash of interest - between God's and yours, just let God have His way.

As we advance in years and become older, our days on earth reduce while our strength begins to give way. As a result of this, there is need to derive easier and quicker legitimate means of achieving goals. Take Moses as an example. In Exodus 17:1-6, God ask him to smite the rock for water to come out, while in Number 20:7-12, to achieve the same miraculous result, God asked him to speak to the rock. Although, either way, God can perform the same miracle, yet it is definitely easier to speak to the rock than to strike the rock. When you strike the rock, you exert more energy.

Also, the one who is striking a rock will feel some formidable resistance. If you keep meeting with resistance while doing what you routinely do, find out better, easier and more productive alternatives. The difference between speaking to and striking the rock is comparable with using human strength and the strength of the Holy Spirit. Beloved, your human strength is largely limited in the things of God; hence you need to wait more on the Lord so as to use His strength to do His work. That way, you get quicker results and you are less stressed. To effectively key into this, find out how you have been working, and the level of result it has been producing so that you can prayerfully consider what to do extra, or a component to be changed for you to get better results.

Bible in one year:

Hosea 8-10

ACTION POINT:

Prayerfully list 5 different ways of doing what you normally do, taking stock of the time requirement and cost implication, and adopt the best alternative.

ATTITUDE OF WORSHIP

Memorise:

I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. 1 Timothy 2:8

Read:

1 Timothy 2:1-8

The wise men who trailed the star that appeared at the birth of Jesus were selective worshippers. There are various postures you can take when worshipping God. You can stand and lift up your hands to the Almighty provided your hands are 'clean'. This position is a way of saying to God, 'Lord, I surrender to you'. 1 Timothy 2:8 says,

"I will therefore that men pray everywhere lifting up holy 

hands, without wrath and doubting".

For this position of worship to be acceptable to God, your hands must not have shed innocent blood, or be defiled with anything shady. Also, there must be no anger in your heart and no room for doubt.

In addition, you could go on your knees to worship God. This position acknowledges that God is superior to you. This was one of Daniel's favourite positions. Daniel 6:10 says Daniel knelt down to pray and thank God three times a day. Some people feel too big to kneel down for the Lord. If you cannot bend those kneels for God, whom would you bend them to? When God was speaking of His 7000 reserves who feared Him, He described them by the fact that they have not bent their knees to an idol (1 Kings 19:18). After you were saved, your knees are no longer to bend to idols but to the true and living God. How often do you kneel to worship God? Bending your knees is humility. It could be painful to go on your knees to pray, yet, you do not mind enduring that pain in humility to the Almighty God.

When last did you bend those kneels to God? The truth is, when you bend your knees to worship God and you do it with all sense of reverence, humility and purpose, sooner or later, situations, circumstances, seen or unseen enemies will be compelled to bow to you. In other words, worship God they way you want things around you to worship or submit to you.

Bible in one year:

Hosea 5-7

KEY POINT:

For quality worship, avoid distractions, absent-mindedness and free from sin

ACCEPT THE WHOLE TRUTH BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

Memorise: For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line; line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

Isaiah 28:10

Read: Isaiah 28:9-10

Bible in one year: Hosea 1-4

Besides hearing the Word and meditating on it, you can also build up your faith by genuine spiritual experiences. For instance, testimonies of others can help to encourage you to the point of delivering your own testimonies. God can repeat whatever He has done irrespective of the age or dispensation. This is why you must not hide God's goodness or faithfulness in your life. Do you know that when you share your testimony and others key into it and trust God for theirs and God answers them, you will be rewarded? Not necessarily by the fellow who received his or her miracle through your testimony, but by God. You can prayerfully use the testimony of your conversion to Christ, how God healed you of a certain sickness, how you had a financial breakthrough, or even how you got to know God's will in marriage. Send these via the internet into people's e-mail boxes and trust God to use these to reach out to them so that they can encounter your God. Such testimonies are powerful weapons in God's hands, hence Revelation 12:11 says it is a means to overcome satanic forces. You can meditate on true divine testimonies and they will build your faith. In addition, you can visit other brethren and share a word of hope with them and they will be lifted up in their spirits. You can build your faith when you regularly fellowship with God's children. God can move at anytime in such a gathering.

Furthermore, after hearing and meditating on the Word, accept it just as the Spirit delivered it to you and act on it. Some people accept the Word selectively - taking those that offer great promises such as Philippians 4:19 but rejecting others like Malachi 3:10. Some accept Psalm 23 but refuse to accept 1 Peter 1:15-16. You cannot say He is your shepherd without first becoming His sheep. Do you selectively obey God's Word? There are some people who argue that tithing is not for modern day believers and as such, they refuse to tithe, yet they want the blessings God promised Old Testament saints. It does not work like that! God's Word is not divided. Obey every command of the Lord and you will see His promises manifesting in your life.

ACTION POINT: Faithfulness is partly determined by your level of obedience to the Word. Ask God for the grace to be truly faithful to Him.

USEFULNESS OF THE GIFTS

Monday 11th March,2013

Memorise:

He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. Daniel 2:22

Read: 

John 4:15-20

After a long trip, the Lord was weary yet instead of resting, He preached to a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. John 4:8 says, 

“For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy

meat.”

Not only was Jesus tired, He was also hungry. It is commonly said that 'A hungry man is an angry man'. When some people are hungry, you will hardly notice it because of the way they have disciplined their bodies. Yet, there are some people whose bodies will be shaking when they are hungry, due to lack of self control. The question is, how many Christians can go out to evangelise when they are very hungry? It is easy to do this when you have been able to subdue your body under your spirit man. For our Lord Jesus Christ, unpleasant situations will not allow him miss an opportunity to win souls. Have you ever channelled your hunger towards winning souls? If you have not, the next time you are really hungry, shun the canteen or dinning table, go out and look for souls. You will experience the joy that the Lord experienced which surpasses the pleasure from eating.

Moreover, another lesson from the story in John 4:2-38 has to do with the place of the miraculous in evangelism. While preaching to the woman at the well, the Lord engaged a gift of the Spirit and revealed to her that she was with a sixth man who was not her husband. With this information, she knew she was dealing with a prophet and she easily accepted the Gospel and went into the city to bring others to Him. You must not rest on your oars until you fully manifest all the gifts of the Spirit.

There is one of my sons who, while preaching to people on a one to one basis, engages the gifts of the Spirit and reveals certain facts that are known only to them, through this, their defences are destroyed and they submit to the Lord Jesus Christ. In John 8:1-11, when the woman caught in adultery was dragged before the Lord for judgement, they wanted to start stoning her, but Jesus said the only people that should stone her must be those who have not sinned. At that point, He had keyed into the realm of the Spirit ready to reveal their sins to the public had they cast a stone at her. There are many people who build serious fences around themselves. They hide behind such fences thinking they are smart, to reach such people, all the soul winner needs is the gift of the Spirit to reveal their peculiar state to them and they will submit to God.

Bible in one year:

Jonah 1-4 

ACTION POINT: 

When the gift of the Spirit is in operation, the word that would hit the sinner below the belt will always be available. Ask God for this gift.

TIMING YOUR REQUEST

Memorise: 
If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. John 15:24

Read: 
Matthew 9:14-15

If you are doing anything for God, you must be in a hurry, because if you are too slow, your sacrifice, obedience or gift might become irrelevant or unacceptable in His sight. Ecclesiastes 9:10 says,
“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might: for there Is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” Work when you can because a day is coming when you will be unable to perform the same work here on earth. In Matthew 9:14-15, Jesus gave a profound illustration in which He said, there was no need for the children of the Bridegroom to fast while the Bridegroom was with them, but that when the Bridegroom leaves, they will be required to fast. It takes an understanding of the value of the times you are in to exploit this. The Lord's statement clearly speaks of two scenarios – a time in which He is physically present and the other without His physical presence. In the first scenario, because of His physical presence, the Lord supported the disciples with His own faith. Anytime they had to exercise their faith and failed, He was there to help them out and make them learn from it. While He was present, they could ask almost anything they wanted. In fact, He pointed out that they had not even utilised the opportunity they had to ask in His Name (John 15:24). 

The second scenario is a time without His physical presence - a time where they had to live by their own faith. Under this period, situations would resist them to a point where they may have to fast frequently.
Given the same opportunity, at what period would you make your requests? – Is it when the Lord is physically present or when He is not? Would it be when grace is available or when it is not? If you have an understanding of time, you will know when to ask what. During large meetings such as the Special Holy Ghost Service, the Convention and the Holy Ghost Congress, the presence of God is awesome and available. It is wisdom to key into such programmes in order to contact the current of the Holy Spirit that is moving at such times. Unfortunately, some people remain complacent because they do not know the difference between such gatherings and smaller gatherings at their local assemblies. If you are wise, when you attend such programmes, ask all your big requests including those that appear impossible and believe, and God will answer you. Maximise God's presence that you have access to!

Bible in one year: 
Joel 1-3

KEY POINT:
If you are making simple requests when God is mightily present, you undermine His ability.

BLASPHEMY SEVERS LINK

MEMORISE: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation. mark 3: 29

READ: Mark 3: 28-30

Bible in one year: Acts 27-28

As long as the branch is connected to the vine, what flows in the vine will automatically flow in the branch. If you want the life of God to continue to flow through your veins, do all it takes to stay connected to Him. You will observe that usually trees do not produce fruits except through their branches. In other words, when the tree passes nutrients to the branches, it is to nurture it and keep it alive as well as to make it fruitful. There is no way a branch will produce fruit if it is severed from the vine.

The severed branch stops receiving supplies and in no time it withers. If you notice that you are becoming dry or no longer feel His presence, check yourself to see if you are still connected to the Vine. If you are a talkative, you might not be sensitive enough to the Holy Spirit to near Him when he says stop. This could strain your relationship with Him to a point where the link between you and the Lord becomes broken. Have you talked carelessly or gossiped to a point of emptiness?

Go to the Lord and cry for help in bridling your tongue.

If you blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, before long, you will observe that He has withdrawn from you. This is far more dangerous in that Jesus said anyone who blasphemes against the Spirit may never receive forgiveness. In other words, a man's tongue can sentence him to the lake of fire without even waiting for the Great White Throne Judgement. 1 Timothy 1:13 connotes that, it is possible to commit such a sin while unsaved, to repent and be forgiven. But after you have received Jesus and have known the truth, there may be no forgiveness for the fellow who willfully does this. To avoid such a sin, be very careful about your comments especially on what you do not understand. You must not speak any malicious or slanderous word against the Holy Spirit or His acts. Never ascribe what the Spirit is doing to the devil. Stop lying against the Holy Spirit by declaring He said what He never did. Be on your guard whenever something happens and you are at liberty to say what is on your mind. Don't let your tongue put asunder what the blood of Jesus has joined together.

Posted by Early Digest at 4:10 PM 

Prayer Point: Father, let the link between You and I never be broken. Pray for orphans all over the world to experience God's love and come to him.

FEED ON HIS WORD

TUESDAY 5TH MARCH 2013 FEED ON HIS WORD

Memorise: But his delight is in the law of the LORD: and in his law doth he mediate day and night

Psalm 1:2

Read: Psalm 1: 1-2

In February, we learnt that faith must be backed up with commensurate works in order to yield the right results. Furtherance to this, faith must be nurtured or nourished in you for it not to become extinct.

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”

Romans 10:17

Faith that is not fed soon dies, and when faith dies, it does not only lead to a situation of no faith, but could also lead to unbelief. Unbelief denies the capability of God; may your faith never become unbelief! To prevent such a negative change, constantly feed your faith. How? By tuning the ears of your spirit man to God’s word. You can listen regularly to audio Bible. Where this is not possible, read the Bible aloud to yourself so that the letter can sink into your spirit man where it becomes life. Every Word of God you hear deposits some measure of faith in your spirit man if it is received. The more you hear God’s Word, the greater your boldness. How often do you hear the Word of God?

To grow in faith, you must meditate on the Word you have heard. While transferring the mantle of leadership to Joshua, the Lord instructed him to always speak God’s Word and to mediate on them day and night (Joshua 1:8). Meditation is what takes you from the letters into the spirit behind the Word. Meditation takes you on a journey from the surface into the depth. The truth is, the Word of God is deep, very deep. Romans 11:33 says,

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out”

It is never enough to scratch the surface, go deeper with the Word through a planned careful study of the Bible and meditation. Meditation brings understanding. It also brings divine blessings. According to today’s reading, those who meditate day and night on God’s Word are blessed. That means the time set apart to meditate on His Word is not a waste. Through meditation, you are relocated from lack, insufficiency and dryness to the inexhaustible river side of God. Meditation makes you to bear fruit in your season, prevents withering, and ensures success in all you do. If you do not take time to meditate on God’s Word, you are robbing yourself of great blessings. Start today. You can begin with 20 -30 minutes morning and evening. Write down the revelations you get, and it shall be well with you.

Bible in one year: Acts 24-26

Action point: To meditate, you do not need to take a particular position: just separate yourself to God, read a portion of the scripture several times, and focus on it. As you think on it, let the Holy Spirit teach you.  

ENGAGE YOUR SKILLS

Open Heaven of Monday 4th March 2013.

Memorise: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Colossians 3:23

Read: Colossians 3:22-25

If the Gospel is well packaged and humbly presented to unsaved souls, the chances are that it will be easily accepted, one reason people fail to win souls is that they take the approach of comparing which religion is superior to another. If you get involved in a debate on the superiority of a religion, you will most likely lose the soul after the debate. No religion can save. Only Jesus can. Even when an unsaved soul brings up such arguments, tactically avoid them and concentrate on God’s love and how much God had sacrificed for the sinner out of love, and on what He will yet do for the sinner when he or she accepts His love. It will be difficult to ignore your message. From today, present the Gospel in an acceptable format.

We can rightly say that Jesus Christ is the greatest marketer you can think of. We see His skills demonstrated in John 4:5-19. Here was a woman who came to fetch water from a historic well. Fetching water from Jacob’s well was a thing of pride because other well did not have such fantastic history. She met Jesus, who began to talk to her about a superior water that this historic well could not produce. They discussed to a point that she left her water pot and the water she came to fetch and began craving for the superior water the Lord had to offer. This simply tells us that all our natural and acquired abilities must be effectively employed to win more souls to Christ and enlarge God’s Kingdom. There are some Christians who can sell almost anything, yet when it comes to evangelism, they pocket their marketing skills and can hardly win a soul to Christ. This is shameful! Any ability, gift, talent or knowhow that cannot be used for God’s Kingdom is nothing but a waste. Honour comes from using such abilities to glorify God. How are you using your skills today? The only way to justify that natural endowment is by using it to glorify the Most High God.

PRAYER POINT

Father, help me to glorify you with everything you have given me. Thank God for the success of past Easter outreach programmes. Pray for a harvest of souls that will abide in the programmes of this Easter.

ANTIDOTE TO DISCOURAGEMENT

Memorise: 

And he said, Come, And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. Matthew 14:29

Read: 

Matthew 14:22-23

Discouragement is a terrible thing. Apart from beclouding one's vision, it drains one of strength. When you are discouraged, there will be no energy to do the good things you had earlier set out to achieve. Many of God's children are battling with different levels of discouragement. The work of the Lord is slow, sluggish and suffering because many of God's children have been hit by discouragement. Check your level of commitment and service to God, if it is dwindling, it is possible somewhere along the line, you have been hit by discouragement. Discouragement is a spirit. It is scientific in its approach to attacking people. It is capable of providing you with facts, figures, faces, graphs, photographs and other evidences to buttress why you should give up hope. To counter this spirit, the Lord instructs us not to operate by sight. Anyone who walks by sight will be an easy prey to the spirit of discouragement. The one who is discouraged cannot be looking unto Jesus at the same time. In other words, if you are discouraged at all, it is evidence that you have taken your eyes off Jesus.

Discouragement works hand in hand with fear. When you are afraid, you become very unsettled in your emotions. Fear leads to discouragement. Take the example of Peter who was struck at mid-sea with the other apostles, they were battling with the wind which was contrary; but when Jesus came by, though afraid, Peter quickly conquered his fears and asked to come to meet Jesus walking on water.

The Lord gave the word to come. He came down on the water, faced Jesus and began to walk on water. As long as he looked on Jesus, the water remained solidified under his feet. But immediately he took off his gaze from Jesus, he saw the boisterous wind, became afraid and began to sink. Before fear hits you, you will either see something or hear something. If you can watch what you see and hear, you can checkmate fear. And to checkmate discouragement, focus on Jesus. Focus on His promises to you. Focus on His Word. Refuse to shift focus in spite of the contrary circumstances and you will overcome. This season God is releasing fresh grace upon you to help you overcome fear, doubt, and discouragement. Stay focused on Jesus!

Bible in one year:

Act 13-14

KEY POINT:

The target of discouragement is to steal your hope. As long as Christ remains your hope, you cannot be discouraged.

Welcome to the month of March... We'll experience God's accelerated promotion in this month In Jesus Name ... Amen 

Happy New Month