MON, 09/05/2011 - - ENTERING MULTIPLICATION

Monday, May 9, 2011

ENTERING MULTIPLICATION

Memorise: "Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving." (Col 2:7).

  

Read: John 6:5-13 

  

In Genesis 1:20-23, God brought forth living creatures to foot the fields, float the air and flood the waters-all out of nothing. This is as amazing as it is frightening. If God can bring out something out of nothing, then He does not require your service or mine to do what He wants to do. That means He can simply do without us completely. Nobody is indispensable before God. Sometime ago, a young brother learnt this lesson. He was such a useful worker to his pastor. His service was virtually needed everywhere. He was doing so well that at a point he began to think he was indispensable. One day, he came late for a meeting and his pastor suspended him for one week. He went to him in a nonchalant manner, saying that, the suspension would afford him some time for himself. 'Really?' asked his pastor. 'Then you will go for two weeks!' Those were his most miserable two weeks ever! He was sidelined while the work he thought would stop without him, continued as though he was never there. May the Lord never relieve you of what He has given to you. The truth is: those of you who are complaining of being too loaded with various assignments in church or ministry, do not know that God is doing you a favour. The day He relieves you of those assignments, you will know what it means to be unimportant. That will not be your portion in Jesus name.

Apart from bringing something out of nothing, God can take little and turn it into much. In 1 Kings 17:8-16, He took the meagre meal of a hungry widow, multiplied it, and it became an abundance that sustained the man of God, the woman and her family for over two years. Similarly, in John 6:5-13, God took the meal of a young boy-five tiny loaves of bread and two fishes, multiplied them and fed a crowd of 5000. God is still in the business of multiplication. You would observe in today's reading that the emphasis was on being thankful. After the boy's meal was brought, Philip, like many of us, had a pessimistic view and demeaned the handful offering. Jesus, however, thanked God for the little and it became more than sufficient. If you want to enjoy a life of abundance, you must learn to be thankful. Complaining cannot increase you or yours, it can only hinder or decrease you. Have you thanked God for that little provision? If you can do so sufficiently well, it will outgrow its limits and become more than sufficient.

Action Point:

Spend one hour thanking God for little mercies you can see in your life and family. Ask God to place God-fearing leaders, who will relieve the oppressed and foster progress over your nation. 

SUN, 08/05/2011 - - EXPECTING THE LORD?

Sunday, May 8, 2011

EXPECTING THE LORD?

Memorise: "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." (Matt 24:42).

  

Read: Matthew 24:42-44 

  

“Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward" (2 John 8). One area believers must carefully watch over is the kind of service they render to God. God is not just interested in mere service as some people assume. He wants quality service. The kind of service that will elicit His commendation is at a great price. If you are not prepared to pay that price, intent on just serving Him out of convenience, then don't expect a full reward. God is prepared to 'overpay' you for every service you do for His Name, as long as it is praise-worthy and devoid of earthly colourations. Hence, Paul says: "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;" (2 Cor 4:17). Do you know that many believers will miss Heaven for failing to watch over their works? Some will receive partial reward while there will be no reward for some. In Heaven, there are mansions, crowns, stars and other glorious rewards whose original owners are missing from Heaven. You will not miss your heavenly inheritance in Jesus name.

Moreover, another area you must watch out for is the return of the Lord. He promised to return like a thief in the night. In other words, those who do not watch out for His return may never be raptured. "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come" (Matt 24:42). The Lord is coming for those who look out for His coming. When the Lord in Revelation 22:20 said He was coming quickly, John's response was: "Even so, come, Lord Jesus". Are you as expectant as the early believers about the Lord's return? If you are watching out for His coming, you will have a relationship with Him. You will allow Him into your heart and do everything possible to keep Him there. You will not toy with sin. You will be close to His Word and fellowship regularly with the brethren. You will obey him always and daily live as if He is coming back that very day. You will forgive your offenders and settle all pending restitutions. You will ensure that you owe nobody, and importantly, you do not owe God. Are you watching out for His return?

Action Point:

Examine yourself for an hour and list out evidences of your lack of preparation for the Lord's return. Take immediate corrective steps.

SAT, 07/05/2011 - - NO HIDING PLACE

Saturday, May 7, 2011

NO HIDING PLACE

Memorise: "If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me." (Ps 139:11).

  

Read: Psalm 139: 7-12 

  

Matthew 10:28 says the only One to be feared is the Almighty God because He can determine your end on earth and what happens to you in eternity. He sees everything and is everywhere at the same time. Psalm 139:1-12 says you cannot hide from God. Climb to any height, even the tallest building or mountain in the world, God sees you. Go to any depth below the earth surface and He will still see you. Verse 11 says, "If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me". One thing that is common among evil doers is that they are friends with darkness. They carry out most of their activities in the night. Do you know that long before scientists manufactured night vision surveillance hardware, God saw in the dark? Darkness cannot hide anything from God. In fact, unlike human night vision which still has several limitations, God's night vision is not different from regular vision in broad daylight. In other words, if you think by hiding at night to sin you are hiding your secrets, you are not. With God, there is no difference between night and day because He exists in the realm where all things are naked to Him. There is also no secret. What you call secret is common knowledge in Heaven and it is only a matter of time before it is exposed.

Just as God is omnipresent, so also is He the only way of salvation from Satan and his hosts. Some people want to be free from sickness and poverty, and they go to the one who gave them the problem in the first place. Unknown to them, instead of true deliverance, they get ensnared further. Some years ago a man in his quest for wealth swallowed a money charm. Instead of becoming rich, what he swallowed began to eat him up. When his date with death drew near, he ran to us at Ebute-Metta, Lagos. He was delivered. After observing his absence from church, we visited him to know why. He told us that he had swallowed the wrong charm the first time; that was why no money came. He informed us he had now swallowed the right charm and money had come. After seven years, his date with death drew near. He decided to escape to London thinking that the demons were confined to Africa. He died on board the London-bound plane. Are you in any cult? Have you made a pact with the powers of darkness? Jesus Christ is the only way to freedom. Confess your sins and receive Him into your heart today. Renounce and break all agreements with the devil and approach a genuine man of God for prayers.

Key Point:

Christianity is not just a way of life, but God's only way of expressing His mind.

FRI, 06/05/2011 - - THE HOPE OF GLORY

Friday, May 6, 2011

THE HOPE OF GLORY

Memorise: "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:" (Col 1:27).

  

Read: Colossians 1:26-28 

  

“Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings" (Isaiah 3:10).

Are you a child of God, living right and pleasing God? If yes, do know for certain that it shall be well with you. Your future shall be glorious. It may be rough now but you shall end well. Why? It is because you have Jesus. Colossians 1:27 says, "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:". The Lord Jesus is the Hope of glory. In Him is the height of glory. In Him are all the riches you can ever imagine. Having Him and sustaining Him in you means that one day, the abundant riches that He has will be evident in your life. This is why if asked to choose between riches, honour, fame, power on one side, and Jesus Christ on the other side, the wisest choice would be Jesus Christ. As long as He abides in you, what He has-His glory, splendour, riches, fame, power, wisdom, etc. will definitely reflect in your life. This season, the Hope of glory will radiate in your life.

One implication of Jesus as the Hope of glory is that there is hope for the hopeless. Have you lost hope of making it out of that prison? As long as you have Jesus, there is hope for you. Are you thinking that that perennial sickness is permanent? No! As long as you have the Hope of glory, there is hope for you. Jesus is the Hope of glory manifest to destroy anything opposed to glory in your life. God created you to radiate His glory. Every glory-taker or glory-eater in your life shall be subdued this season. That situation causing shame, disgrace, failure, or disappointment in your life shall be mopped up by the King of glory. To cause His glory to manifest in your life, provoke it by engaging in activities that give Him glory. Worship Him in spirit and in truth regularly. Win lots of souls to Him monthly. Engage your time to study His Word privately. Sow into His Kingdom by supporting parish-based projects. Pay your tithes, offerings and vows, and live a sin-free life.

Prayer Point:

Pray: Every glory-taker in my life, be destroyed by fire.

THU, 05/05/2011 - - COMMUNION SEALS FATE

Thursday, May 5, 2011

COMMUNION SEALS FATE

Memorise: "And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly." (John 13:27).

  

Read: John 13:21-30 

  

With one uncommon meal, several sicknesses and diseases can be taken care of. This was the experience of the Israelites in Egypt in Psalm 105:37. This season, may the partaking of this uncommon meal deliver several blessings to you in Jesus name.

Another important thing about the Holy Communion is that it can seal a man's destiny. It takes just a meal to seal one's destiny. This may be positive or negative though. In John 13:21-30, the 12 disciples partook of this meal and their fates were sealed. Once Heaven has said 'Amen' at the communion table, one's fate is sealed, with no reversal possible. May you never experience a negative sealing of your fate in Jesus name. This is why you must be seen doing what is right and pleasing to God always. One Bible character who experienced a negative sealing of his fate was Judas Iscariot. Until the night of that communion, when he was secretly stealing, the Lord kept warning him not to do the evil he intended. As long as God is warning you, there is still hope for repentance and forgiveness. Then, he took part in that uncommon meal and his fate was sealed. Where the meal meets you is where the sealing will be carried out. The same Jesus who hitherto warned Judas against his evil plans was now the One telling him to hurry up in the evil he intended doing.

Judas afterward stepped out into the night and for the rest of his life, it remained night as he committed suicide. If your fate is negatively sealed, you will remain in darkness. May that not be your portion! This is also why the communicant must adhere to the instructions concerning the eating of the Holy Communion, lest it seals his fate negatively. On the other hand, one can be positively sealed. The 11 disciples also had their fate sealed. After that meal, it became impossible for the devil to deceive or take any of them away. In other words, they remained in Christ's light for life. If the communion meets you at the peak of your love, consecration and service to God, it can make those permanent features in your life. At such a time, Satan will need to put in more than a worthy fight in order to derail your faith. Ask God to seal you at your highest point of devotion and love to Him.

Key Point:

The one who is negatively sealed is totally sold out to Satan, while the one who is positively sealed is completely sold out to God. Which sealing do you want?

WED, 04/05/2011 - - YOU WILL BE REFINED

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

YOU WILL BE REFINED

Memorise: "And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness" (Malachi 3:3)

  

Read: Malachi 3:1-3 

  

When Christ is before you, your steps will be divinely guided. When God led us to the camp ground, many people thought I was nuts. But I knew who was leading me. Today, the same people say that was a wise move. God's counsel is laden with wisdom which may not be apparent to the recipient of such a counsel or spectators who are seeking opportunity to find fault. Sadly, many people who have confessed faith in Christ are without divine guidance because they have adopted a nature that is alien to God's. Psalm 25:9 says God will guide the meek. Christ will only go before those who are meek. A meek fellow is someone who has power, ability or authority to fight back at his or her attackers but deliberately refuses to do so. If you are vengeful, you are something but meek. The meek is like a tamed horse. God cannot guide some of His children because instead of forgiving their offenders, they are busy fighting or praying judgemental prayers against them.

Colossians 1:27 speaks of Christ in you. Bible writers carefully chose their words. Christ 'in' you means 'the Anointed One in you. God created man from the earth (Gen 2:7). Just as beneath the earth are tremendous resources such as iron, brass, silver and gold; inside you lies tremendous potentials that only the Anointed One can unearth. In John 14:12 Jesus says those who believe in Him will be able to do greater works. Through His power, you can heal the sick, raise the dead and do what people call impossible. However, before God can use you to do these, there is a need for you to pass through his 'refining fire'. This will change you from your raw state to a usable finished state. When iron is extracted from the ground, it is purified by fire. If iron stays long enough in the fire, it becomes steel. It is the refining of brass in fire that turns it into bronze. Silver and gold are also refined after being brought out of the ground. You need to be refined for the gold, silver or bronze in you to come to the limelight (Zech 13:8-9; Mal 3:2-3). According to 1 Peter 1:7, such refining may come as trials of faith. If you have not gone through trials, it might be the reason why you have not achieved much. Ask for grace to go through fiery tests victoriously.

Prayer Point:

Some people go through fire but instead of delivering their gold, they are burned by it. Pray that fire will reveal your gold. 

TUE, 03/05/2011 - - HIS MESSENGER

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

HIS MESSENGER

Memorise: "Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him" (John 3:28)

  

Read: John 3:28-31 

Today's reading introduces John the Baptist. He was a messenger of the Almighty God. "For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee" (Matt 11:10). Who is a messenger? He is someone who is sent on an errand; a representative, an ambassador, or an apostle. It is therefore obvious that a messenger is under the authority of a superior individual or body. The ambassador of a nation can never be greater than the president he represents in a foreign land. His retention is dependent on how well he represents the interests of his president or nation. If he errs or embarrasses his government, he can be recalled.

Just as it is with earthly ambassadors, so it is with Kingdom ambassadors. As a messenger of God, you must always remember that you are under authority. One cause of premature death among ministers of God today is the fact that they soon forget that the One who assigned them can recall them. When as a minister you begin to take the glory that is meant for the One who sent you, or you relegate Him to the background while promoting yourself, know that you are toying with fire.

Another fact about divine messengers is that there is joy in being a representative of the highest authority. God backs anyone He sends with everything He has. It is a great privilege to be under God's authority because it confers God's power on you as long as you know how to apply that authority in His name. One person who understood the principle of divine delegation of power was the centurion in Luke 7:1-10. When Jesus offered to go with him to heal his sick servant, he declined. He said that being under the authority of Caesar, all he needed to do is issue words of commands and his soldiers would immediately obey him, not necessarily because of his person, but because of the authority he represents. This is very true. Demons will obey you not because you are handsome, have three jeeps, or a large congregation. They will obey because of the One you represent. The question is: are you subordinate to His divine Lordship? Do you represent His interest over the assignments He has given to you? If you are not under His authority you cannot apply His authority.

Key Point:

When Kingdom messengers fail to represent the One who has sent them, the ones they are sent to will continue to misunderstand their message.

MON, 02/05/2011 - - SOMETHING FROM NOTHING

Monday, May 2, 2011

SOMETHING FROM NOTHING

Memorise: "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11)

 

Read: Exodus 17:1-6 

  

God's Word never returns to Him empty. Once it has been uttered, it is settled and the case is closed (Psalm 33:8-9). A sister attended one of our services about 10 years ago. During the programme, the Lord said there was a lady there who was pregnant but the baby was dead, and that the baby was being restored to life. As they left for home, the woman told her husband that their baby, who had stopped all movements before then, had started moving again but the man did not believe her. The 10 year old baby was brought here to thank God in one of our meetings recently. Praise God!

When God speaks, it is settled. Why? Because He can bring something out of nothing. In Genesis 1:20-23, the Lord commanded the waters to bring forth marine life and out of nothing, all variety of sea creatures of various sizes, shapes and colours sprang forth. At that same time, in response to His command, all kinds of birds came forth and began to adorn the skyline. It was just His Word in action. This tells us that God does not always require materials to create miracles; His Word is enough. Similarly, in Exodus 17:1-6, out of the rock, God brought forth enough water to quench the thirst of a whole nation. God is a specialist at bringing out something out of nothing. Are you in a situation of nothingness and you are in doubt as to whether God can do something about it? He can and He will! In that emptiness God will move to fill up the void. Has He spoken into your life a promise which after your assessment, you concluded was not possible? Wipe out your doubts! God is bringing something out of that nothingness! You see, it takes looking through God's eyes to see something in nothing. In your hopelessness there is hope for you. In that so-called terminal ailment, there is healing for you. In your impoverished state, there is abundance for you. Ensure you make your ways right with God, do everything you can to please Him; worship Him and obey Him. Listen to His instruction and follow it diligently. It shall produce something out of nothing.

Prayer Point: Father, let your Word be settled for good concerning my life and destiny.

SUN, 01/05/2011 | TABLE OR FLOOR?

Sunday, May 1, 2011

TABLE OR FLOOR?

Memorise: "And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." (Matt 15:27)

  

Read: Matthew 15:21-28 

  

“Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come" (Psalm 102:13).

One thing that can differentiate a person from another is the favour of God. It is common for those who are not favoured to envy those who are. For instance, Joseph became the envy of his elder brothers because he was specially loved and spoilt by their father (Gen 37:4). It is the same with divine favour. However, God does not release His favour just for fun, but for a definite purpose. Therefore, you will discover from the study of Bible characters who have been beneficiaries of God's favour, that there is a link between divine favour and destiny. In other words, God favours certain people because of where He wants them to get to, or what He wants them to achieve. Matthew 5:45 says every creature of God, irrespective of their faith, receives from God's general blessings-air, life, works of nature, etc., but He has a special package for candidates of His favour. May you be considered for God's favour this season in Jesus name.

According to today's reading, deliverance is not for dogs-unbelievers-but for God's children. At best, unbelievers can access the crumbs on God's table of provision while the real meal is for His children. If you have not yet confessed Jesus Christ as Lord, you are a stranger to the commonwealth of Israel like the Canaanite woman. You can only receive what falls from the table! The difference of course is favour. By virtue of being a child of God, you eat from the same table with the Lord, while the unbeliever eats from the floor. Where are you eating from - the table or floor? Apart from this favour that is common and accessible to all believers, there is uncommon favour that is accessible to only a few believers. For instance, Romans 9:15 says God's mercy and compassion are specially reserved for those He has chosen to benefit from them. It's not as if those who are not uncommonly favoured among His children cannot enjoy such blessings at all, but the uncommonly favoured enjoy these blessings at a higher level. This explains why David remained relevant in God's plan in spite of his several slips and weaknesses. In addition to having a right heart like David, you too can be a candidate for divine favour. Avoid what God hates; love and serve Him with the right heart. Do only the things that are pleasing to Him; praise and worship Him.

 Key Point:

You set up yourself for divine favour by making your heart right with God.

SAT, 30/04/2011 | ANY PROOF OF GOD'S FEAR?

Saturday, April 30, 2011

ANY PROOF OF GOD'S FEAR?

Memorise: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever." (Psalm 111:10).

  

Read: Proverbs 14:26-27 

  

Apart from learning that no problem lasts forever through the death of the Egyptian king recorded in Exodus 2:23-25, we also learn that only God is eternal. All earthly kings were born one day and would die one day. But the King of kings has no beginning or ending. He was before anything else existed and would continue to exist, without any question, after all is melted and gone. "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen" (1 Tim 1:17). Little wonder He calls Himself the I AM THAT I AM (Exod 3:14). He is the self-existent One. He does not depend on anything or anyone to live, as we humans do. Malachi 3:6 says He is the God that never changes. This means the passing of time never adds to or subtracts from Him. He maintains His essence before and after time. He never grows old. Age does not affect God the way it affects mortals.

The implication of God being eternal is that He alone should be feared. The day you begin to fear God is the day you are seen as being truly wise (Ps 11:10). If you fear men but do not fear God, you are of all men most foolish. In fact, Matthew 10:28 says the terror of man is limited; hence, men should not be feared. That boss threatening you has limited power. Is he asking you to violate God's Word? Don't! The worst he can do is to sack you or cook up stories against you. Now, when God says that boss has reached his limits, he cannot go any further. God, however, is to be feared because not only are His powers and abilities unlimited on earth, they reign also in the hereafter. Decisions on who goes to heaven or hell are with Him. Do you fear God? If you do, you would keep a distance from anything He hates. Are you frolicking with sin and still claiming to fear God? If you fear Him, you will hate sin. If you fear Him, you will not fear men. If you fear Him, it would affect the company you keep. It would affect the places you go and the things you do. If you fear God, you will focus on the things that make Him happy. What is the proof that you fear God? Ask for the genuine fear of God.

Prayer Point:

The fear of God is a very scarce commodity in the Christian community. Ask God to put in you the Spirit of the fear of God.