THE WHOLE TRUTH

MEMORY VERSE: All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. Psalm 25 : 10

READ : PSALM 85 : 10 – 11.

10 Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

11 Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: REVELATION 7 – 9.

“And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”

Jude 23

In the scripture above, we are commanded to use every possible avenue to win souls to Christ yet to be careful enough not to compromise with sin. Love the sinner but hate their sins. Why? It is because God is a holy God. He hates sin with a passion. In Zechariah 3 : 1 – 7, the high priest was wearing a filthy garment. This is contradictory to his calling. According to God’s standards, the high priest should be a firebrand. Fire is an agent of purification. In medieval times, when they want to perform a surgery, the knives to be used are put through fire. If you are doing some cleansing where water and soap are not appropriate or adequate, heat from the fire or the fire itself is directly applied. Even Psalm 12 : 6 confirms that the furnace purifies. God expects his ministers to be as pure as light.

If the priest is the light of the world, how come a high priest ended up in rags? Jesus says you are the salt of the earth. The purpose of salt is to fight corruption. In the olden days, when there was no refrigerator, salt was used to preserve meat or fish. In the same vein, God wants us to be absolutely pure so that He can use us to fight against corruption.

Today, many of us are harbouring things that belong to others and we are hardly scolded by the Holy Spirit. Many tell lies, including senior pastors and their wives and this make us wonder if the real heat is still there. When was the last time you said something that was not 100% true and the Holy Spirit rebuked you for half truth? Sometime ago, we attended an interview conducted by CNN. Later, while watching it, it occurred to me that I did not answer a particular question the way I should. Towards the end of the programme, they asked what I do when I am less busy, and I told them I fish for the fun of it. Then the Holy Spirit said I did not tell the whole truth. He said when I catch the fish I eat it. The Holy Spirit expects you not only to tell the truth but the whole truth. Yet many of us tell half truths, thinking it is wisdom. No! It is not! 

KEY POINT:

To be acceptable to God, you must meet His standard through and through.

THE WISE CHAMPION

MEMORISE: Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. Proverbs 3 : 7

READ: PROVERBS 3: 5 – 7.

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: REVELATION 4 – 6.

A divine champion is the one made wise by God. Daniel 2 : 20 – 21 says it is God who gives wisdom to the wise. This means that every truly wise fellow is indebted to God who is the source of wisdom. No wonder Proverbs 3 : 5 says: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” If you want to be wise, you must be ready to set aside what you know, what you have been taught and even what you have experienced in other to receive the wisdom from above. 

A divine champion recognises how frail he or she is; he also knows how limited in knowledge he is. One reason we fail to let God into our plans is because we believe we know what to do. If verse 7 of our reading is anything to go by, it is that whenever you come before God, you must put aside what you know so that you can receive what He knows. Even if you feel you have the best approach to solving a particular problem, still tell Him about the problem and about the method you know could be used in solving it. Thereafter, acknowledge His unlimited knowledge and wisdom, and humbly ask for the best approach to the issue on ground. In John 6 : 37, Jesus says He does not cast out those who come to Him. James 1 : 5 says, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

Everyone saved or unsaved has a measure of wisdom he or she was given by God. Today, some people think they are wise when they begin to create, invent or design things: No! It was given to you by God. It was given out of His general wisdom. God still has the special type of wisdom that is accessible only to His children. To receive such, you must be born-again, fear God and flee from sin; you must study God’s word intensively because it contains unlimited wisdom that can help you in all areas of life. Thereafter, ask in faith for wisdom and you will be given. Without wisdom, you can never truly be a divine champion. Have you asked of wisdom from the Lord?

PRAYER POINT:

Father, give me wisdom to excel and be above board in every area of my life.

THE LOVING GOD

MEMORISE: Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 1 John 3 : 1.

READ: 1 JOHN 3: 1 – 2.

1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JEREMIAH 1 – 3.

God is a friendly God who takes steps to cultivate our friendship. The problem is that not many of us who claim to be born-again have reciprocated His moves towards us in the area of friendship. In addition to friendship, He is a loving God. John 3 : 16 tells us that God made the ultimate sacrifice of His only begotten Son out of love. Romans 8 : 37 says it is His love that makes us more than conquerors and not because we have learnt the rudiments of prayer. Because He is a loving God, He knows your weaknesses and strengths and is willing to come down to your level to both help and keep you company. Sometime in 1981, I was ministering from 8 a.m. to 6 a.m. and I still had to go take the Digging Deep service (Bible study). When we finished, I was so tired that my body was vibrating and I could not stand. Meanwhile, there was a long queue of people waiting to see me. At that point I asked God: “Do l have to pray for these people when you can see that I can barely even stand?” Then He told me to sit down and asked me, “Who asked you to stand? All they needed is for you to lay hands on them”. Until then, I never thought one could sit down and pray as I believed it was disrespect to God.

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.”1 John 3 : 1

The love of God has given us a change of name – from children of the devil into sons of God. His love also ensures you are not disappointed. One reason He has not fully brought the weight of our sins upon us is because of His love. God loves you. His love has made Him to ignore certain things you did wrong; you did not escape His judgment because you were smart. His love also ensures that you are disciplined so that you can achieve His purpose for your life. How are you responding to His love today?

PRAYER POINT:

Father, thank You for your love. Help me to love You and my brethren like You love me.

BE COURAGEOUS!

MEMORISE: Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1 : 7.

READ: JOSHUA 1 : 5 – 9.

5 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.

6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.

7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest.

8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

9 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.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JEREMIAH 49 – 52.

To be a good midwife, you must have courage. Courage means refusing to give in to fear even when you are afraid. To birth some babies can be quite a challenge. Contrary to the normal practice of coming out with the head, some babies may want to come out with their legs or hands or even be bridged. It takes courage to handle such deliveries. As a servant of God, there are certain assignments that you will be given that can cause fear. Yet, God wants you to take courage because He will help you. 

When God told Joshua he was going to succeed Moses, boy, was he struck with fear! How can a messenger become the leader of a nation when there were elders and other leaders there? How would the Israelites see it? What if they decide to rebel against him as they had done to Moses? Moses who was trained in the best university in Egypt and was prepared for the ministry for several years, yet he still failed; how can he succeed with so little level of preparation? Joshua had many doubts. He had many unanswered questions. The task was frightening. How could he step into the shoes of Moses? His fears were real. God saw them and He began to encourage him. God told him to be strong, bold and to be of good courage. God gave him the recipes for success in the assignment. 

How do you feel when you are asked to fight giants on your way to the Promised Land? How do you feel when you are faced with the task of raising a church building that will cost N20 million (approx. $130,000) but you do not know where the first N50,000 (approx. $330) will come from? When people bring a very bad or hopeless case, it may cause fear. Yet, God wants you to take courage. Why? You are not alone. He is right with you. He will make available all you need to handle that project. He will give you the recipe for success in that given task. Trust Him. Yes, you can do all things by His power and grace.

KEY POINT:

You may not see or know where your well of provision for that divine assignment is, but God knows and He will show you if you ask Him.

EXPOSING THE CROOKED PATHS

MEMORISE: Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: Isaiah 40 : 4. 

READ: ISAIAH 40 : 3 – 5.

3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it..

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JEREMIAH 37 – 40.

According to John 3 : 19 – 21, the light of the Spirit not only exposes and destroys activities of the evil ones, but also manifests good deeds.

“But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”John 3 : 21

If you are living right and pleasing God, never be far from the light of the Spirit because it can put a seal of divine approval over your works. Such works will surely be rewarded by God. In other words, if you want to do the works that will not be burnt with fire on the last day, expose them to the light of the Spirit as contained in the word of God. Any work you do that tallies with the dictates of God’s word will not go unrewarded. When your good works are approved by the light of the Spirit, you may receive divine advertisement.

Moreover, the light or fire of the Spirit not only exposes the serpent, but also kills it. A man realised he was just swelling up. Everywhere he went for healing, he could not find the cause of the problem. So one day, he went to a man of God for prayer and was told he had restitution to make. On further probing, the man told the man of God that his wife died during child birth, and that the product of that delivery was a baby girl. The man grew to love her so much because she looked every inch like her mother. Eventually, when she grew older and got married, her husband began to beat her so the father took her away and hated the young son-in-law. By the time he came for prayers, the light of God by the Spirit of God revealed it and said that if he does not forgive, he will not be healed. Initially, he was reluctant but later on, he went and apologised to the son-in-law and he received his healing. When the light of the Spirit shines upon you, it will expose you to areas you need to restitute. It will show you the crooked paths to be straightened so that you can truly prepare for the return of Jesus Christ.

KEY POINT:

For some ailments to go, restitution is the only medicine.

HONOUR GOD

MEMORISE: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. Proverbs 3 : 10. 

READ: PROVERBS 3 : 9 – 10.

9 Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JEREMIAH 33 – 36.

Ephesians 6 : 1 – 3 commands children not only to obey but also to honour their parents. If you know how to honour your daddy, that attitude will see you through certain storms of life. Not many believers know the full value of the giving of first fruits. Proverbs 3 : 8 – 9 says you should honour God, who is the Father of fathers with your first fruits. Many pastors know how to collect it but not how to give it. When the high priest was dressed in filthy garment and Satan was standing by his right hand to accuse him, who rescued him? It was God. The only individual who decides the winner or loser in any given battle is God. No wonder it was said in 1 Samuel 2 : 9 that we cannot prevail by physical strength. Remember that God is the One who gives dreams and also the One who can help you to realise them. If God is with you, it does not matter how many the opposing forces are; you shall prevail. This was why Joseph saw offending God as a great sin against God. One thing that keeps me from sinning is not punishment from man but from God. 

Do you honour God with your first fruits? Your first salary on a new Job is your first fruits. So also is your first profit on a new business. It is also the difference between your old salary and the new salary when you are promoted or given a salary raise. Similarly, your first salary in a particular year can be your first fruits. First fruits is to be paid 100%. In the case of a salary increase, if you received a raise from 50,000 to 75,000, you will be expected to pay tithe on the 50,000 former salary, but you will also have to pay the 25,000 difference between both old and new salaries as your first fruits. Do this and God will cause your storehouses to be filled with plenty.

ACTION POINT:

One obligation you owe God for being Your creator and God is honour. To what extent are you honouring Him?

A DIVINE CHAMPION

MEMORISE: He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, and he hath set the world upon them. 1 Samuel 2 : 8.

READ: 1 SAMUEL 2 : 8 – 10.

8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them.

9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JEREMIAH 30 – 32.

After a contest, a winner emerges. Who is a champion? He is the winner of the contest, a victor, an overcomer. A champion is also the one who remains standing after the battle is over. When David fought Goliath, after the battle was over, Goliath laid down dead while David stood on top of him. The word divine on the other hand has to do with God, meaning it is God connected or related. Which God are we referring to? We are talking of the Most High God, the One who is higher than the highest, the Almighty, the God of all flesh with whom nothing is impossible (Psalm 91 : 1). He is the Lord of host, the God who has never lost a battle, the One who can bury His enemies alive (Psalm 24 : 7 – 10). People serve all kinds of gods including Satan, demons, men, animals, sports, food, etc. To have a connection with the God of gods, you can only access Him through Jesus Christ.

Who is a divine champion? He is a champion that is raised by God. 1 Samuel 2 : 8 says,

“He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, and he hath set the world upon them.” There is no helper or uplifter like God. A divine champion is the one who enjoys God’s support and who is strengthened by God (Romans 8 : 31). When God laid hands on Elijah in 1 Kings 18 : 46, he outran the chariots of Ahab by foot. Can the one on foot overtake horses? Physically this may not happen, but with God at your back, it will happen almost effortlessly. In every race facing you, you will have to decide how to run it – whether by your limited human strength or by God’s unlimited strength. To be a champion, you will have to also decide whether you want to be an ordinary champion or a divine champion. The latter is preferable. God is raising His champion these last days, will you be one of them? It is your choice. 

PRAYER POINT:

Father, let me be among Your chosen divine champions for the last days.