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Strange Occurrences

Since I started serving God I noticed some little strange things happening to me. My bible study time is by 9pm shortly after prayers, midnight prayers holds by 12midnight and early morning preaching is by 4:50am. Most times am either tired or carried away with one thing or the other and I will be reminded of what am supposed to do at that moment.

First example: PS3 Game

I love playing my Play Station ( PS3 game) at home when am free. It helps me to relax or unwind. Sometimes I start playing around 8pm after my online classes. Once it's 9pm, I purse the game and we all gather in the living room to pray. After prayers most times, I will go back with the mind set of just playing a little bit and before u know it, 1hr has passed...since I formed this habit, if I now go back to play the game, it will not work. It will just refuse to come on. Then I will remember what am supposed to be doing at that time.
Some times once it's 9pm and am still playing, it will go off and will not come up again until after prayers around 1am. The one that baffles me most is that once it's time for prayers by 12 midnight, the PS console, Tv and home theater I use in amplifying the sound will all switch off at the same time! And there is nothing u will do that will make them come up again until I have finished praying...most times, I will just laugh because it's telling me to get up and do the needful. Sometimes, my son will tell me daddy, it's reminding u of the time. And I will just smile and leave.

Second example: Midnight prayers

Sometimes I sleep early out of tiredness. When I do, I hardly set any alarm. Once it's 12 midnight, something will just wake me up and tell me it's time to pray! Sometimes by that 12 midnight, I will hear a knock on the front door in our living room!! And when I wake up, it's 12 midnight on the dot!!! Sometimes it's a voice in the living room and when I get there, there is absolutely nothing there and it will ask me to look at the time and it will be 12 midnight on the dot!!!

Third example: Early morning preaching

I usually wake up by 4:50am inorder to go out to preach. I hardly use my alarm like I stated earlier. Once it's that time, something will wake me up and I will get up. To my surprise, the timing is usually very accurate.

Conclusion: Iv noticed that this is a regular occurrence in the life of those who have God inside of them, especially men of God who fear and serve the LIVING God. Incase u have started ur christian race and have noticed this, don't be afraid because the Almighty God sends an angel (Psalm 34:7, Hebrew 1:14, and Psalm 91:11) to every true believer, to minister and also to deliver them from every form of harm. May God continue to bless His own people in Jesus name amen.

Shalom!!!

Available..

Thanks God for today

God can deliver u.

A Whisper of Death


Some years ago, when my senior pastor (Pastor Uchenna) was in pastoral school, he had a problem during his final year. He heard clearly in his ears that he will die. This was not once, it was not twice. This voice came again and again and told him that he would die before he finishes his pastoral school. Having been the leader in prayer department while he was at Christ Accession Church (CAC), he quickly started praying but the voice continued and even became worse...

One day he took excuse and left the pastoral school and decided to go seek the face of God in prayer/fasting. He took off and went to CAC Aba, just after River State. When he got there, he introduced himself and they allowed him. All he did was fast and pray. He said he will be doing this dry fasting for 10days. As he fasted and prayed, he noticed he started sweating. So he went from time to time to pour water on his body (bath) and continued his dry fasting. The voice continued to say the same thing to him for 6 days and he continued...

On the 7th day of his dry fasting, the voice continued. That same day, his phone rang and when he picked it up, he had the voice of what looks/sounded like the voice of a woman. She said to him, "ur name is Uchenna Emmanuel and ur in a pastoral school. U were hearing a voice telling u that u will die. U are praying and doing dry fasting now as we speak at CAC in Aba for 10 days, ur asking God to stop that voice and that u don't want to die. Today is the 7th day and from now onwards, u will never hear that voice telling u that u will die again. The Almighty God asked me to tell u that ur prayers have been answered but u should complete the number of days for ur fasting/prayers. Don't bother about my name, it's not important. U won't be able to reach me or hear from me after now, so don't bother. God is with u...."

He continued and noticed that he didn't hear that voice again. When he finished on the 10th day, he looked for that number that called him and tried calling it again but that number kept on saying not allocated. It never went through for one day till date... He said that must have been the Angel of the Lord because no one knew where he went to that period, except for the Almighty God who sees everything!! Hallelujah!!!

May my God send a helper to u today and deliver u from anything, causing u sorrow in ur life in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth amen. God is real. Believe in Him and be saved through His son Jesus Christ. God bless u.


Shalom!!!

Jesus Christ died for us all and has paid the price for us to be saved and reconciled with the father Almighty. Let's do well to reconcile with the Almighty God today by accepting His son Jesus Christ inorder to be saved. God bless us all

***Check our home page for real live testimonies in order to help boost ur faith***

Shalom!!

Sister Happiness and her baby girls

Sister Happiness has been married for years to her husband. The problem was that after their wedding, they had only girls. she took in and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. A year later, she had another baby girl. And he was very desperate to see a male child. And after that, she had 3 more girls in 3years for her husband. He gave up on her...

He started getting unnecessarily angry at everything the woman does and represents. He complained and blamed her for their inability to have male children. He went to the extent of threatening the woman about marrying a second wife.
This made the woman pray more and more. Most times she complained to her church pastor (name withheld), who will inturn encourage her and started praying for her.

This man went ahead and started making arrangements to look for a second wife. Meanwhile the pastor has been praying for this family for some time. One midnight while he was praying for this woman, God asked him to go tell the woman and her husband early that morning in their house that He has heard her prayers. As early as 6:30am, he got to their house and was let into their house. The woman was surprised that her pastor came to their house that early and requested to speak in front of the husband (he hardly goes to church). When he came out of the room, the pastor greeted him and announced to them that God said to tell them personally that He has answered their prayer of having a male child. The husband didn't believe him and mockingly walked away...

Two months later, she discovered she was pregnant and when she told him, he mocked her that it's a girl again. Nine months later, she had a baby boy. Even the nurses at the hospital they use couldn't believe it. This made the husband so happy that he started changing a little. A year later, she gave birth to another baby boy and this made the man alot happier than ever. He changed and today, they are still married and doing very well together as a family.

God can work miracles and it does not matter what ur condition is and how long it has lasted. Trust in God and key into Him today and u will be the next to testify in Jesus Christ name amen. Hallelujah!!!


Shalom!!!

3 Failed IVFs


A man and his wife were married for over 8years without any child. At first they felt it could be a problem from either of them. They did several test and found out they were perfectly okay to have their own children. After a few years, their parents, relatives and friends started giving them different kinds of suggestions like adopting children or using an IVF procedure. They tried the latter 3 times and each time, it failed.

After praying and praying about their situation, they made up their minds to serve God through their time and resources. They gave to WIDOWS, MOTHERLESS BABIES and also joined the SANITATION department in church. Saturday mornings, they will go early and clean the church and also go to the alter to tell the Almighty God that they have done their own part, He should do His own part!!

3 months down the line, the ALMIGHTY God answered their prayers. The wife took in naturally and gave birth to a set of twins! Two healthy and handsome boys!! One year after that, she became pregnant again and gave birth to another set of twins!! Two beautiful girls, making their kids 4 in a space of 2years and they could not contain their joy!!! The man had to go to the ALTER and tell God it's okay, that they have had enough!!! Lol... hallelujah!!!

Truth is there is nothing prayers cannot do. If prayers fail, turn to praises. If praises fail, SACRIFICE something to the ALMIGHTY GOD and He will show up and make impossibilities possible!!! I pray for someone today, my God will show up for u and help u to wipe away those tears in Jesus Christ name amen.


Shalom!!!

19 Years of No Child

Mr and Mrs Briggs stays in GRA in Port Harcourt city and has been married for 19 solid years without a single child. Money was not the issue because they had it in abundance but lived without a single child. His friends and family advised him to adopt a child or at worse, get another wife but he refused. It got so bad that even his wife one day, tearfully advised him to do the same. He refused because he believes that the Almighty God will answer their prayers and give them a child of their own.

Most nights, the woman will cry her eyes out before she sleeps while the man encourages her to keep on focusing on God. They have done all the necessary tests both in Nigeria and outside the country and nothing was wrong with either of them according to their various results... One day when the woman was menstruating, she had an abnormal heavy flow of blood. It continued from the 3rd day and on the 5th day, he rushed her to a hospital. She was made to sit on a bucket. while she was sitting on a bucket because of the heavy flow, every where was soaked with blood. She looked pale and was very weak. The husband knelt down and prayed to the Almighty God, begged Him to please save his wife from dying. He told God they don't want a child again but He should just save the woman and let her live. As he prayed, he was crying and that same day the blood sized... Days later she was discharged from the hospital.

Two months later she complained of having symptoms of malaria. When they got to the hospital, their doctor ran some test on her and told them she was 2 months pregnant and they couldn't believe it. 7 months later a set of twins (a boy and a girl) came their way and that's how God did it for them after 19 solid years if waiting...


NB: This is for anyone who is passing through a similar situation, my God will surprise someone this year with their own babies in Jesus Christ name amen.

Shalom!!!

Join me as we go down to the testimony thread. God bless u all.



Shalom!!!

INTERCEDE I

MEMORISE:
I exhort therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men.
1 Timothy 2:1 (KJV)

READ: EXODUS 32:9-14
9 And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:
10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.
11 And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?
12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.
13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.
14 And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.

MESSAGE:
Intercession is an assignment for every true child of God. Intercessors are people who carry the burdens of God.

They pray the prayers God wants them to, not just their own prayers.

When God needs something done on earth, He looks for intercessors to partner with. He looks for a man to stand in the gap for others.

"And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none." Ezekiel 22:30

Remember when God was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18 – it was clear that God was looking for someone to stand in the gap for the people of Sodom.

You will see that God agreed to every plea Abraham made for the people.

God always looks for someone to stand in the gap for others; when He looks your way, will He find you to be an intercessor?

You may ask, “Why can’t God just reveal to the fellow who is about to get into trouble so he can pray for himself?”

The truth is, sometimes, God needs someone else to pray for other people, so they are not destroyed.

At such times, He puts it in the heart of an intercessor to stand in the gap in prayers.

This is clearly illustrated in the case of Job and his friends. Job 42:8.

Many people are perishing today because there is a shortage of intercessors willing to carry the burdens of God in the place of prayer.

Enough of praying for yourself alone. Don’t be a selfish Christian.

When you pray, let God put into your heart what or who you should pray for.

If He lays in your heart to pray for another country that is not yours, don’t say, “What is my business with those people?”

Pray as He has laid in your heart so that at least one person there can be saved.

Sometimes He will ask you to pray for one fellow; do so, because your prayer may be what would make the difference between the fellow living or dying.

God is seeking intercessors; will He find you?

ACTION POINT:
Commit to becoming an intercessor today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
JEREMIAH 12-14.

INCREASE YOUR SPIRITUAL CAPACITY 2

MEMORISE:
For the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. GALATIANS 5:17

READ: ROMANS 8:1-13
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

MESSAGE:
We learnt yesterday about the importance of increasing our spiritual capacity and a bit about how to go about this. Today, we would go a bit deeper in discussing how to increase our spiritual capacity.

The main goal in increasing our spiritual capacity is to be more Spiritually-minded; to be more like Jesus and less like our default human nature.

"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Romans 8:7

The first thing you must do is to surrender your life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, be baptized by immersion, signifying your death to the flesh and a new life in Jesus. After this, you seek to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and invite Him to dwell in you and take control of your life.

Once the above steps are taken, you must begin to do less of the things your flesh wants you to do. Don’t let your flesh control you.

You cannot be spending all your free time on social media, attending parties or eating as often as you like. If you give your flesh everything it asks for, you will remain under its control and this can only lead to eternal damnation.

Paul said in Acts 17:28 that it is in Jesus that we believers live, move and have our being. That must be your testimony too.

You also need the Holy Spirit to keep the flesh under control. You are not strong enough to deal with the flesh by yourself. Romans 8:13.

To continue to grow your spiritual capacity, you must truly pray without ceasing, as 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says. If you are not willing to pray consistently and fervently at all times, you are not yet willing to increase your spiritual capacity.

When you cannot pray in understanding, switch to praying in the Spirit.

Fasting and studying the word of God daily must also become your lifestyle. Jeremiah 15:16.
You must also seek to hear God at all times. Ask Him questions about things you don’t understand in the Scriptures.

These steps may appear simple and straight forward, but many people find it difficult to do them consistently.

REFLECTION:
Are you increasing your spiritual capacity?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
JEREMIAH 9-11.

INCREASE YOUR SPIRITUAL CAPACITY I

MEMORISE:
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 CORINTIANS 4:18

READ: JAMES 4:7-8
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

MESSAGE:
Many people say that; the spiritual controls the physical and this is very true; however, many don’t take advantage of this knowledge.

It is time to start increasing your capacity in the spirit so that you can begin to control things in the physical.

The stronger you become in the spirit, the stronger you will be in the physical.

If you don’t believe me, read 2 Kings 1:9 and then compare it to 2 Kings 6:14-15.

When the king wanted to arrest Elijah, he sent 50 soldiers and their captain, but when Elisha was to be arrested, the king sent an entire army. Elisha had a double portion of the spirit of Elijah, so in the physical, he was also stronger than Elijah.

The deeper you go in the spirit, the higher you fly in the physical.

The people of the world seem to understand this better than most Christians.

If an idol worshipper is to be given a position, he must complete some rituals first.

Many shallow Christians today go to the world and try to compete with these same people for such positions.

Everyone knows that the higher the building will be, the deeper its foundation must also be. You must begin to study your Bible, pray and fast more if you really want to excel in life. The deeper you go, the higher you fly.

Many have read the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation, but only a few have learnt deep things about spiritual dealings from the word of God.

Many have read Proverbs 6:26 but when they are being seduced by a woman, they can’t discern that there is an agenda in the spirit realm to destroy them.

This is why there are many Christians falling prey to the tricks of the devil today because they don’t understand how he operates and what to do to defeat him.

If you want to become a millionaire, you will contend with the demons that contend with millionaires. God will not take you to a level that your spiritual capacity cannot handle; if He does, then He is setting you up for defeat.

Increase your spiritual capacity and you will see Him raise you higher until your physical dominance matches your spiritual capacity.

KEY POINT:
If you can rule in the spirit, you will definitely rule in the physical.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
JEREMIAH 6-8.

PRAYERS FOR YOUR COMMUNITY

MEMORISE:

Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour; I am the Lord.
Leviticus 19:16

READ:
Leviticus 19:15-18

15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.

16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD.

17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.

18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

PRAYERS:

1. Father, thank You for the people, the schools, the Churches, and everything You have planted in my community.

2. Father, please bless all families in my community. Strengthen all marriages, and let all children be taught in Your way.

3. Father, please let there be unity amongst the people in my community, in Jesus' name.

4. Father, please let Your presence be in all learning institutions in my community, in Jesus' name.

5. Father, please help all the Christians in my community represent You according to Your will, in Jesus' name.

6. Lord, please help all leaders in my community lead according to Your will, in Jesus' name.

7. Father, please let everyone in this community have an encounter with You, in Jesus' name.

8. Father, please let there be great developments and progress in my community, in Jesus' name.

9. Father, please put an end to every form of evil in my community, in Jesus' name.

10. Father, please drive away every form of disease from my community, in Jesus' name.

11. Father, please put an end to every unrest and dispute within my community and between my community and neighbouring ones, in Jesus' name.

12 Your special prayer request for your community.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Jeremiah 4-5.

INTEGRITY

MEMORISE:
The just man walketh in his integrity, his children are blessed after him. PROVERBS 20:7

READ: PROVERBS 28:6-10
6 Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.
7 Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father.
8 He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.
9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.
10 Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession.

MESSAGE:
Simply put, integrity is being true to your word - that is, what you say is consistent with what you do.

Everyone who calls himself or herself a Christian must be a person of integrity.
Our Lord Jesus Christ said;

“But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil” Matthew 5:37.

When you promise to do something, that is what you should do. If for any reason you cannot fulfil your promise, you must discuss it with the fellow involved and explain the circumstances.

You shouldn’t go back on a promise without any explanation - that is not like your Father in Heaven, whom you claim to be like.

I remember when I had just finished secondary school and was looking for a way to sponsor my university education. I approached the authorities of a school in Ondo State, and they agreed to sponsor my education on the condition that I would study Mathematics and serve them for five years after getting my degree.

Although English was my favourite subject, I had no choice. When I graduated, I went back to serve them, but after two and a half years, I became restless: I wanted a master’s degree.

After gaining admission to do my Masters, I appealed to them to let me go for it, assuring them that I would return to finish my bond. They didn’t believe me, but after obtaining the degree, I returned to the school to continue serving them. By then however, I was becoming an embarrassment to them because I had a higher degree than my principal.

After another one and a half years, I appealed to them to allow me to get a Ph. D and return, but they said, “You are free to go, and you don’t have to come back”.

The name of Jesus is powerful - so powerful that, Philippians 2:10-11 says that 'at the mention of that name, every knee in heaven, on earth and underneath the earth should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.'

As powerful as His name is, the Bible says He magnifies His word above it Psalm 138:2.

This is why we trust completely in the word of God – we know that He can and will do what He says He will

If you say you are Christ-like then your word must be your bond.

PRAYER POINT:
Jesus always keeps His word; you should always keep yours, too.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
JEREMIAH 1-3.

FOR HIS GLORY

MEMORISE:
"Whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." - (1 Corinthians 10:31)

READ: James 4:1-10 (KJV)

1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

6 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

7 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

MESSAGE:

Whenever you ask God for anything, make sure that it is something that will bring glory to His name. Don't ask for things that would serve just you, but that would also be useful to Him. If you want to win an election, you should tell Him how you would use your position to glorify His name. That is the kind of prayer that gets His attention.

God can decide to ignore you if you choose to bombard Him with requests. However, if you come to Him telling Him how you plan to advance His kingdom here on earth with the miracle you are asking for, He will pay attention to You. Hannah understood this principle, so she prayed thus:

And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. - (1 Samuel 1:11)

God granted her request by giving her a son who grew to become a great prophet and then gave her five more children.

Seek to glorify God first and you will see Him giving you more than you asked for. He knew your needs before you came to Him (Matthew 6:; so give Him an offer He cannot refuse and you will see Him supplying your needs in abundance.

You may say, "God loves me and I believe He will give me whatever I want". No doubt, He loves you, but He has a purpose for everything He does. You may have thought that God drowned Pharaoh in the Red Sea just because He loves the Israelites, but Romans 9:17 says:

For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

The real reason God destroyed Pharaoh was to declare His glory and majesty throughout the earth. God's agenda is always superior to ours; if you align your agenda with His, then you will get what you want.

KEY POINT:
Align your agenda with God's purpose and you will never lack again.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ISAIAH 64-66.

BRIGHTER DAYS ARE AHEAD

MEMORISE:
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. PROVERBS 4:18

READ: 1 SAMUEL 2:7-9
7 The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.
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.

MESSAGE:
It doesn’t matter how low you are now, there is still hope for a great future. I have seen God lift people from the miry clay and take them to the mountain top. Believe it or not, He will do the same for you, in Jesus’ name.

My story is proof of this; I walked barefoot for the first eighteen years of my life. I can never forget my final year in grammar school. Prize-Giving day was coming up and I was supposed to take home many prizes.

Those of us in our final year were to wear white trousers and shoes but I had no trousers – white, black or red. As for shoes, I had never owned one. I started lamenting, “God, you know I have no trousers; why did You allow me to win these prizes?”

One day, a boy in the hostel asked me to help him choose which of his six trousers he should wear for the ceremony. I helped him choose one and then said, “Ermm, you know I don’t even have one to wear”. “Pick one,” he offered.

Although the trouser was so big that I nearly had to pull the waistband up to my chest, I didn’t care; trousers were trousers.

Now, the next problem was shoes. It was then I remembered that I had a poor uncle somewhere who had some shoes.

The pair he gave me was old, with soles made from old lorry tires. I had to practice walking in them because I had never worn shoes before in my life.

However, when the Prize-Giving day finally came, I had trousers and shoes to wear to the occasion.

Even if your current situation is worse than what I have just described, I assure you that the Lord who lifted me up can do the same for you.

Greater days are coming, if you trust God and lay all in His hands.

I must say that God did not raise me just because He felt like doing so; He did it to show forth His own glory. He said when your light shines before men, it is so that they can glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16.

If you dedicate your life to glorifying Him and are never shy to give Him glory for whatever you achieve, He will raise you, even higher than you can ever imagine.

Greater days are ahead of you, in Jesus’ name.

KEY POINT:
Anyone who is willing to glorify God with his or her life will experience divine lifting.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
ISAIAH 60-63.

OVERCOMING LUSTS AND TEMPTATIONS

MEMORISE:
Abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 THESSALONIANS 5:22

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13
"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

MESSAGE:
What is leading you in life?
Is it your flesh or the Spirit of God?

Whenever you allow the flesh to give you direction, it will always end in regret, but when you allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in all things, you can be sure that all will be well.

The first step to overcoming lusts and temptations is submission to God, which supplies the power you need to resist the devil, and he will flee from you according to James 4:7.

Moreover, the good news is that the faithfulness of God will not allow His children to be tempted above their ability, without making a way of escape for them.

In our Bible reading today, we saw that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear and He will always make a way of escape for us.

That is so reassuring.
It is for this reason that James 1:2-4, and James 1:12, admonishes us to count it as joy and a blessing, when we are going through diverse temptations.

This is because God uses it to perfect the patience of His children, and also as promotion exams for them to receive the crown of life.

In spite of the assurance above however, if for example, your eyes are always glued to seductive images on the television, the internet, and your surroundings, you are merely feeding the lust in your flesh and such will lead you to hell.

Don’t fall into it. If you still tolerate ungodly desires to dwell and grow in your heart, heavenly thoughts, divine visions and inspirations cannot find expression in you.

All believers are required to present their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.

Your body is the temple of God, not a showpiece for people. If you choose to dress in a way to stir lust from the opposite sex, you can no longer claim to be a child of God, but an instrument in the hand of the devil.

Whoever you honour with your appearance, determines who you truly serve.

God has provided us with everything we need to overcome lusts and temptations through Jesus Christ, all we need is to follow His example. Hebrews 4:15 says Jesus our High Priest was in all points tempted, but He scaled over them all without a sin.

He has given us the power to resist the devil and to live above lusts and temptations. Hallelujah!

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please empower me to overcome lust and temptations, in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
ISAIAH 57-59.

LUST VERSUS TEMPTATION

MEMORISE:
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. JAMES 1:15

READ: JAMES 1:12-15
12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

MESSAGE:
Temptation is the pressure to yield to influences that can lead people away from God and into sin.

The Bible makes it clear that all human beings are subject to temptation, but the outcome often depends on the person’s state of mind and loyalty to God.

On the other hand, lust is an inordinate and compulsive desire for sex, food, riches or power. Lust is natural to unbelievers. 2 Peter 2:14-18 but Christians must fight against it by showing self-control. Galatians 5:16-21.

The Bible condemns lust and describes it as an abomination to God. A classic example of an inappropriate desire is one that led Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. Genesis 3:6.

Lust and temptation are like tag team champions - they work together so well that it is often difficult to differentiate them.

The desire for position or superiority, if not moderated by the Holy Spirit, may translate to an inappropriate quest for power, which has turned some to murderers.

Some politicians do this with impunity and when the judgment of God later descends on them, they would say it is the handiwork of the devil. 

At first, David only desired to have a taste of Bathsheba - the wife of Uriah, but it ended up in the murder of her husband, which then brought a divine curse on David’s lineage.

Beloved, what are you lusting after? Repent today because it would have a sour and bitter end - sin and death.
James 1:13-15 says,

“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

The above Bible passage reveals fundamental truths about lust and temptation. 

God is not responsible for human temptation. Temptation becomes activated in an individual when he or she is drawn by an inner lust and thus becomes enticed. Thereafter, lust would produce sin, which eventually leads to death.

I pray for you today: you will not become an abandoned project or die before your time, in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please deliver me from the power of lust and temptation, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
ISAIAH 53-56.

THE SACREDNESS OF THE BLOOD

MEMORISE:
“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” – (Leviticus 17:11)

READ: Hebrews 12:22-24 (KJV)

22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

MESSAGE:
Blood is not just important in the life of man, but also very sacred in the sight of our creator – the Almighty God. It is so sacred that the Bible says anyone who sheds blood will have his or her blood shed also (Genesis 9:6). The first place where we saw God being angry with someone who shed the blood of another fellow is in Genesis 4, in the case of the murder of Abel by his brother Cain. The Almighty God said:

What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand. - (Genesis 4:10-11)

The sacredness of blood can be further seen in our memory verse. The life of the flesh is in blood and that is why the blood of Jesus can make atonement for our sins and redeem us from eternal damnation that awaits all sinners.

Many people have however, shown complete disregard for the sacredness of blood. Many engage in or encourage abortion of unwanted pregnancies, ritual killings, cannibalism and so on. Some have told lies that led to others losing their lives. Some embezzled funds that should have been used to build roads or hospitals thereby causing fatal road accidents and loss of lives due to poor medical services as a result of inadequate funding. Criminals shed blood with impunity without considering the position of the Almighty God concerning such acts.

Beloved, are you blood-guilty? You must repent today because blood is very sacred and God will not spare unrepentant sinners who are caught in the guilt of blood-letting. The good news is that Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, has paid for all our sins, including blood-guiltiness, as we find in our Bible reading of today. The moment a person acknowledges that Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose that we may have eternal life, that fellow is saved from every sin, including blood-guiltiness of the past.

Accept Him as your Lord and Saviour, and your sins will be completely forgiven.

ACTION POINT:
Pray that God will cleanse you from all sins, including that of blood-guiltiness.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ISAIAH 50-52.

GOD SEEKERS II

MEMORISE:
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Hebrews 11:6

READ: JOHN 12:20-22
20 Now there were certain Greeks among those who went up to worship at the feast.
21 These, therefore, came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.”
22 Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn, Andrew came with Philip, and they told Jesus.

MESSAGE:
Yesterday, we discussed three ways we can seek God, namely - through His word, with all of our hearts and by obeying His will.

Today, we shall continue to look at how we can seek God and the blessings that come to those who seek Him.

We can effectively seek and find God by faith. Hebrews 11:6 says:

"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

It takes faith to find God because He is a Spirit. He is invisible to the physical eyes and can only be worshipped genuinely in spirit and in truth John 4:23.

The Bible says something very profound about the life of the children of Israel;

“He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel” Psalm 103:7.

The implication of this is that while Moses knew the ways of God, the children of Israel went along with Him through the miracles they saw God performing.

Therefore, Moses was deep in God, but the children of Israel were shallow and easily tossed here and there by the challenges they faced on their way to the promised land.

Moses believed in God and took Him by His word; the children of Israel lived by what they saw. This is why they responded negatively to situations they encountered in the wilderness. They refused to see God in all those experiences.

Moreover, seekers of God go the extra mile to get to Him.

In our Bible text for today, we read about the Greeks who believed in the Messianic message. They came to see and have an encounter with Jesus.

Beloved, who are you seeking in the Church – the Pastor, the choristers, who?

I congratulate you if you are a seeker of God through Jesus Christ. God seekers are never put to shame

The Bible speaks of those who seek God as being Protected from shame.

“They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied” Psalms 37:19.

As we navigate through this second half of year 2023, seek the Lord earnestly and you shall find Him mighty to save, mighty to bless and mighty to keep you alive.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, I thank You for revealing Yourself to me. May sin not hide me from You anymore, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
ISAIAH 47-49.

GOD SEEKERS I

MEMORISE:
As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. PSALM 42:1

READ: PSALMS 42:1-5
1 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.
5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

MESSAGE:
God seekers are those who are comfortable with His commandments.

People do not seek God today - not because they are ignorant of what they stand to gain seeking the One from whom all blessings flow. Rather, they are not comfortable with His demands on what they consider as their right to decide how to live their lives.

The elders say, “A child born yesterday who threatens not to play with us should be asked, ‘Do you think we were lonely before your birth?’”

In other words, if we do not seek God’s face, its to our disadvantage and not God’s.

David, in our Bible reading, gave his reason for seeking God when he said:

“For I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.”

He said further,

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth” Psalm 121:1-2.

Beloved, it pays to seek the Lord. Isaiah 55:6 encourages us to do so when He may be found and before it is too late. This means there would come a time when man may seek God and He may not be found.

"For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him." Psalm 32:6

How do we seek God?
God can be sought from His revealed truth, as written in the Holy Scriptures. When we study the word of God consistently, we are seeking God because Jesus is the Word of God and He is God. John 1:1.

We must also seek God with all of our hearts if we would find Him. Jeremiah 29:13.

We also seek God by looking out for how to please Him. Jesus said we are His disciples indeed if we do that which He commanded us to.

How many self-professing Christians are doing God’s will?

God has promised that if you seek Him with all your heart, you will find Him.

Commit to seeking God with all your heart today and you will find Him.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please reveal Yourself to me as I seek to know You more and more.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
ISAIAH 44-46.

FEAR GOD II

MEMORISE:
Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy.
PSALM 33:18

READ: PSALMS 96:1-9
1 O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.
2 Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.
4 For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.
6 Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
8 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.
9 O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

MESSAGE:
We started discussing the fear of the Lord yesterday and today we will look at some of the blessings that come to those who fear Him.

Our memory verse says:

"Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy."
Psalm 33:18

The Scripture above reveals a very huge blessing that comes from fearing God. The blessing is that the eye of the Lord will be upon everyone that fears God.

This revelation implies several great things amongst which is that when the eye of the Lord is upon an individual, safety is guaranteed. Hebrews 11:6 says that God is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

The Bible further says:

“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” Proverbs 15:3.

In other words, the eye of the Lord sees everything – even the plans and moves of the wicked who want to harm you and He knows how to deal with them.

In today’s Bible text we are enjoined to fear the Lord above all gods because they are ordinary works of men. Psalm 96:4-5.

We should also note that some people have made human beings their gods - probably for fear of what these people could do to them.

Psalm 56:11 however, says:

“In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me”.

Psalm 118:6 says also,

“The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?”

Our Lord Jesus Christ taught us to fear God and not man. Matthew 10:28.

Another demonstration of the fear of the Lord is in verse nine of our text:

“O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.”

There is no true worship of God without holiness. This is where those who overstretch grace miss it. Obedience is synonymous with holiness and the Scripture says to obey is better than sacrifice. 1Samuel 15:22.

Therefore, we must watch out for our worship - whether it is premised on the fear of the Lord or mere hypocrisy.

As you commit to fear the Lord at all times, His presence will never depart from you, in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please put Your fear in me and let me receive the blessings for it, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
ISAIAH 41-43.

FEAR GOD I

MEMORISE: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. Proverbs 9:10

READ: Psalms 34:1 -11

1 (A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.) I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad

3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

MESSAGE

Today's memory verse clearly establishes the need to fear the Lord if we would be wise and gain an understanding of life. The Lord asks: "A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then l be a father, where is mine honour?" (Malachi 1:6). How do we fear the Lord? Today's Bible reading gives us ideas on how we fear the Most High God. One, we must magnify the Lord for who He is. It takes appreciation of God to fear Him. The Psalmist says:

O,Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Who hast set thy glory above the heavens...When l consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained.
Psalm 8:1, 3

Secondly, we must put our total trust in Him. Lack of trust in God may cause us to disobey Him like Adam and Eve did. They repeated what God had told them but the serpent countered it, thereby calling God a liar. Genesis 3:4-5 says, "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." If Adam and Eve had had the fear of God in them, the devil would not have had his way in their lives. Here we can see that, indeed, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10).

Joseph is a classic example of someone who demonstrated the fear of God. Due to his fear of the Lord, he refused to take advantage of the adulterous offer of his master's wife. He refused to commit sexual immorality and told Potiphar's wife:

There is none greater in this house than l; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can l do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
Genesis 39:9

Fear the Lord and keep His commandments. When you do, the type of blessing that later came upon Joseph (Genesis 41:14) will also be your portion.

PRAYER POINT

Father, please help me to fear You indeed and fill me with Your wisdom, in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 38-40.

GOD STILL SPEAKS TO HIS PEOPLE II

MEMORISE:
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets. HEBREWS 1:1

READ: HEBREWS 1:1-2
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

MESSAGE:
Yesterday, we started discussing the reality of God still speaking to His people, even to this present moment.

In today’s text, we read that though God spoke to His people through His prophets, now He speaks through His Son, Jesus Christ.

This is made possible through the Holy Spirit whom Jesus sent to the Church right from the day of Pentecost. He promised:

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" John 14:26

God still speaks to His people; no doubt about that. We must however, pay close attention to the later part of the sentence – “to His people.”
In other words, God speaks only to His people.

Why only His people?
It is because it is His people who hearken and act on His words.

God has no time to waste talking to those who will not do His bidding. This is why Jesus Christ was fond of speaking to His disciples, whom He knew would abide by His words. He said further:

"He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him" John 14:21

Beloved, there are a lot of blessings for those who hear from God.

One of these blessings is that such people would avoid mistakes.

For example, the word of God to the people in Cornelius’ household was based on Peter’s ability to hear from God and his obedience to the instructions given to him. Acts 10.

In the same vein, Philip’s ability to hear from God took him to the Gazan desert where he gained the soul of the Ethiopian eunuch. Acts 8:26-39.

For example, hearing from God can reveal the type of business you can do to prosper. It can also help you know where to go, live, or what type of friends you should keep.

If you desire to hear from God directly, you must give your life to Christ and live wholly for Him.

REFLECTION:
Have you been hearkening and living according to His word?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
ISAIAH 35-37.

GOD STILL SPEAKS TO HIS PEOPLE 1

MEMORISE:
In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. 1 KINGS 3:5

READ: GENESIS 12:1-4
1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
4 So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

MESSAGE:
God still speaks to this day, but unfortunately, many people do not hear Him because they are too busy with the affairs of life.

The painful thing is that people do not know what they are missing by not listening to their Maker.

In today’s text, we read about Abraham’s encounter with the Almighty God.

"Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee." Genesis 12:1

There are some lessons we can learn from this singular encounter that changed Abraham’s life.

One, God discovered the love and sincerity of Abraham so He revealed Himself to him.

This love for God was demonstrated in his positive and prompt response to God’s command to leave his father’s house.

Another lesson is that the dialogue between God and Abraham did not contain commands alone; it was backed by eternal blessings.

The Bible says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” Romans 10:17.

Abraham became the father of faith because the word of God penetrated his heart.

In the Scripture from where we took the memory verse, we read of the encounter of Solomon with the Almighty God. During that divine encounter, God gave Solomon a blank cheque and this is a typical privilege enjoyed by those who have such dialogues with God.

"In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee." 1 Kings 3:5

To be genuine children of God, we must surrender completely to all His commandments. This is where many people often miss it – they are not ready to obey God fully.

They want freedom from His commandments; they want to take over the affairs of this life without any recourse to God Almighty.

I encourage you to give your life to Jesus Christ today. Seek His face without ceasing - not just what He has to give and you will receive great revelations from Him that will transform your life for good.

PRAYER POINT
Father, please speak to me today and always.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
ISAIAH 32-34.

LOVE AND GODLINESS II

MEMORISE:
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love 1John 4:8

READ: 1 John 4:7-10
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

MESSAGE:
Verse 8 of our text which is our memory verse, says:

“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love” 1John 4:8.

This Scripture implies that not all people we find in Church know God or can be trusted.

The early Church leaders did not take the issue of love lightly because they knew godliness is tested by the amount of love a believer possesses. Paul the Apostle prayed thus:

"And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints." 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13

It takes love to be godly because God is love. This love made Him give up His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for us so that we would not perish John 3:16 and 1John 4:9.
This is the standard that the Almighty God has set for those who claim to be His children.

Love makes people go the extra mile in helping others. Jesus commended the good Samaritan in Luke 10:33-37 because the proof of God in us is doing good.

Our Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated this as recorded in Acts 10:38:

"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him."

James the Apostle described love in practical terms when he wrote:

“Yea, a man may say Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works” James 2:18.

The proof of godliness is service to humanity, according to 2 Timothy 2:21. John 15:9 also says:

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

It is a divine commandment for all children of God to continue in His love. Are you living in the love of Christ?

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please fill me with every good work and let me reflect Your love to the world.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
ISAIAH 29-31.

LOVE AND GODLINESS I

MEMORISE:

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 1 John 4:7

READ: 1 John 4:7-10

7. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

8. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

9. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

10. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

MESSAGE:

One great proof of godliness is seen in the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, who sacrificed His life for us in love. He expressly commands us to love, according to John 13:34-35:

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

By the rate at which hatred is growing among some self-professing believers, we can ask, "Where is the fulfilment of this commandment?" There could be many reasons for this unpleasant development in the Body of Christ. One is the loss of focus on heaven - where we all aspire to spend eternity. Related to that is the love for this present age. When a person begins to feel jealousy towards another, hatred develops and before long, godliness is thrown to the wind. In our memory verse taken from the main text, John - the Apostle of love, wrote:

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that Ioveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 1 John 4:7

The above Scripture shows the importance of love among brethren. Beloved, are you living in love? Remember, if you are not living in love, you are in death, according to 1 John 3:14, which says:

We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13:4-6:

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth

Be sure to remove hatred from your heart today, if you do not want all your Christian service to be in vain on the last day. There's no godliness without love.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please rekindle Your love in me towards my brethren and let this same love propel me to go out in search of sinners, for their salvation.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ISAIAH 25-28.

YOU CAN BE THE BEST


MEMORISE:
"Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed"
JOHN 8:31

READ: DEUTERONOMY 28:1
1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:

MESSAGE:
Anyone can become the best. There are however, conditions that must be fulfilled if you want to become the best.

The Bible says:
“I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth” Ecclesiastes 10:7.

It all depends on the readiness to pay the price.

In our Bible text, we read the promises of God that assure us of being the best. However, in the same text, we read the conditions to fulfil – "hearkening to the voice of the Lord, observing and doing all His commandments."

How many of us are ready to hearken to the voice of the Lord today?

I have taught my ministers what it means to hearken, which is different from listening.

To hearken is not just to listen but to pay very close attention to the details of the voice and commandment of the Lord. Only then can you fulfil the details of God’s instructions.

The Bible says that faith can only come by hearing, and hearing by the word of God and not the word of men or the voice of our carnal body. Romans 10:17.

For example, if you want to be the best financially, you must pay close attention to Malachi 3:10, which says:

"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it"

A closer look at the passage above will reveal why some people have been paying their tithes but have not received the promise of super-abundance.

“Bring all the tithes” the Bible says - not some. “Bring it” not “Send it” – meaning that God cherishes our presence before Him more than our gift.

He wants our fellowship. He is not a beggar; we must come with fear and trembling, praying that He would even accept our tithes and offerings.

Another example is when we want God to perform miracles through us. The Bible says that some results cannot be achieved without prayer and fasting Matthew 17:21, even though some translations have removed fasting for reasons best known to them.

Beloved, you can be the best if you will pay the price of surrendering your life to Christ and living according to His will.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please give me the best and make me the best, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
ISAIAH 20-24

YOU CAN BE THE BEST


MEMORISE:
"Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed"
JOHN 8:31

READ: DEUTERONOMY 28:1
1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:

MESSAGE:
Anyone can become the best. There are however, conditions that must be fulfilled if you want to become the best.

The Bible says:
“I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth” Ecclesiastes 10:7.

It all depends on the readiness to pay the price.

In our Bible text, we read the promises of God that assure us of being the best. However, in the same text, we read the conditions to fulfil – "hearkening to the voice of the Lord, observing and doing all His commandments."

How many of us are ready to hearken to the voice of the Lord today?

I have taught my ministers what it means to hearken, which is different from listening.

To hearken is not just to listen but to pay very close attention to the details of the voice and commandment of the Lord. Only then can you fulfil the details of God’s instructions.

The Bible says that faith can only come by hearing, and hearing by the word of God and not the word of men or the voice of our carnal body. Romans 10:17.

For example, if you want to be the best financially, you must pay close attention to Malachi 3:10, which says:

"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it"

A closer look at the passage above will reveal why some people have been paying their tithes but have not received the promise of super-abundance.

“Bring all the tithes” the Bible says - not some. “Bring it” not “Send it” – meaning that God cherishes our presence before Him more than our gift.

He wants our fellowship. He is not a beggar; we must come with fear and trembling, praying that He would even accept our tithes and offerings.

Another example is when we want God to perform miracles through us. The Bible says that some results cannot be achieved without prayer and fasting Matthew 17:21, even though some translations have removed fasting for reasons best known to them.

Beloved, you can be the best if you will pay the price of surrendering your life to Christ and living according to His will.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please give me the best and make me the best, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
ISAIAH 20-24.

THE STORM STILLER III

MEMORISE:
And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep Not. LUKE 7:13

READ: MARK 4:35-41 (KJV)
35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.
36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

MESSAGE:
The greatest storm of life is untimely death. The good news is that the Storm Stiller has power over death. The Bible says:

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?" John 11: 25-26

The story behind our memory verse is a pointer to the fact that Jesus indeed is the only One who can still all storms of life, including the most devastating one – death.

There was a widow who was left with only one son. The storm of death had taken away her husband and returned to take her only son as well.

As the child was being carried away for burial, the woman and the people bearing the corpse encountered the Storm Stiller. The Bible records that:

"And he came and touched the bier; and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise."
Luke 7:14

Beloved, I bring good news to you today: the storm of untimely death will not rage in your family, in Jesus’ name.

As Jesus stilled the storm on the sea, so shall that devastating storm of death be stilled today, in Jesus’ name.

Jesus is the only answer to the storm of death. The Bible says:

"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil: And deliver them who through fear of death all their lifetime subject to bondage."
Hebrews 2:14-15

Beloved, you do not need to be afraid of death because Jesus Christ has conquered death for us; because He lives, death shall have no power over us again.

You do not need to join secret societies or engage in voodoo for fear of death.

Romans 6:9 assures us that death has no control over Christ; if you’re His child, death can have no control over you either.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, never let me or any member of my family experience untimely death, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
ISAIAH 15-19.