THE SPIRITUAL MARATHON:Thursday July 23rd 2015

Topic:THE SPIRITUAL MARATHON

Memorise: But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Mathew 24:13

Bible Text: Hebrews 12:1-3

Bible in one year: 2^nd Chronicles 32:1-33:9, John 3:1-21

The day you genuinely gave your life to Christ, you began a race. It is a spiritual race. The race to Heaven is not a sprint but a marathon. It is not something you run with all your strength for just one day and it ends there. Unlike the regular marathon that goes through streets and paths already marked out, you may have to take unmarked routes and paths hitherto unknown while running this race. Also, unlike in regular marathons where you can meet someone who has successfully finished the race for tips, those who have run this peculiar race to the end are definitely not around on earth for people to consult with.

By the grace of God, as young as I am in Christ, I have been running this race for more than forty years now, and I am yet to reach the finishing line. There are people who joined this race some fifty or sixty years ago, and they are still on it till now. Every race has its peculiar nature. If you need patience and a lot of tact while running an earthly marathon, you will need much more of these while running the heavenly race. No wonder Hebrews 12:1 says,

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed, about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us”

However, just like it happens in earthly marathons, there are several casualties in the heavenly race. Some people start a marathon like a sprint. They run far ahead of others, but after some time, they lose steam and begin to retrogress while those they left behind overtaken them. Also, there are those who fall and injure themselves, ending up in an ambulance. There are also those who out of exhaustion are unable to continue the race, and so they drop out. There are even those who after running for a while, gradually step out of the path, and are disqualified. All these scenarios are applicable to the spiritual marathon. Since you started the race to Heaven, have you been affected by any of these?  Have you stepped out of the path of the race? Have you run out of steam? Have you fallen and refused to rise up? Get up today! The Lord will give you strength. Persist some more. Take it one day at a time. Call on the Lord to help you. Never give up. Each day that passes draws you closer to the finished line. You will make it in Jesus’ Name!

Prayer Point:Father, grant me grace to run the race to Heaven with wisdom, patience and perseverance.

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UNFORGIVENESS & ITS RESTITUTION : Wednesday July 22nd 2015

Topic:UNFORGIVENESS & ITS RESTITUTION 

Memorise: Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 1^st John 3:15

Bible Text: 1^st John 2:9-11

Bible in one year: 2^nd Chronicles 30-31, John 2

As children of God, we must always be watchful of pitfalls capable of nullifying all our efforts towards making Heaven. For example, God expects you to make restitution when you have told a lie incriminating an innocent person. In the same vain, if you have injured someone, you need to restitute. An example of this can be found in Acts 16:33-34, where the jailor who had contributed to the predicament of Paul and Silas took them to his house, treated their injuries and gave them decent food. Have you injured someone physically, emotionally or psychologically? Restitute your ways. In addition, if someone offends you so hard that you promised never to forgive the fellow, there is a need to forgive and release that individual so that you can make Heaven at last. Anyone who hates his brother has stepped out of God’s light into darkness and is seen as a murderer in the sight of God (1^st John 3:15). If you are in hatred, you are out of eternal life. Has anyone offended you to the extent that you resolved not to forgive? You must change that decision now if you do not want it to hinder your trip to Heaven. I once hated a particular man very much, because of the way he maltreated my family and I. But after I gave my life to Christ, I did not only forgive him, I also went to tell him he was forgiven. It was not an easy thing for me to do, but by the grace of God, I did it.

Is there un-forgiveness in your heart over some hurt or offence done to you? If you love yourself, forgive today. Forgiveness must be communicated to the one you have forgiven except it is done without sincerity. Some people say, “I have forgiven my offender but I will not tell him so.” How will the fellow you forgave know that he or she is forgiven? When a person is offended, it is like being owed some kind of debt. It is when forgiveness is released that the debt is paid. Refusing to forgive your offender sustains the debt, and we are commanded not to owe any man anything but love (Romans 13:8). The irony of un-forgiveness is that the one who refuses to forgive hurts himself or herself the most. The offender may be going about with a free mind, but the offended carries a heavy heart. Also, by begrudging the offender, the offended cannot move beyond where he or she is. Un-forgiveness ties the offended to the same spot. I hope you are not the one pegging your rise by not releasing your offender?  

Action Point:List the names of people you hold a grudge against or who hold a grudge against you, and prayerfully reconcile with them immediately. 

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THE PRINCIPAL PERSONALITY : Tuesday July 21st 2015

Topic :THE PRINCIPAL PERSONALITY

Memorise: Wisdom is the principal thing: therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understand. Proverbs 4:7

Bible Text: Proverbs 4:5-9

 Bible in one year: 2^nd Chronicles 28:5-29:36, John 1:29-51

Today’s Bible reading defines wisdom as the principal thing in life. Wisdom is most important because you need it to relate effectively with God, the devil and his cohorts. You also need wisdom to govern your relationship with friends and foes. At work, at school and in the ministry, you need wisdom. With wisdom, you can successfully handle all your life’s pursuits. Wisdom connects everything you do. Wisdom can mean the difference between life and death, success and failure, wealth and poverty, growth and retardation. Everything you can ever ask for will come to you if you have wisdom. There are different types of wisdom operation in the natural and spiritual realms. There is devilish wisdom, human wisdom and divine wisdom. Jesus Christ is declared to be the Wisdom of God in 1^st Corinthians 1:24

“But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.”

If wisdom is the principal thing, and Jesus Christ is the Wisdom of God, it therefore follows that Jesus Christ is the Principal Person. There is a link between the principal thing and the Principal Person. But why is wisdom so crucial? Proverbs 3:35 says,

“The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.”

Your pursuit of wisdom will deliver you glory. No wonder the Bible says if you have Jesus Christ, you automatically receive glory (Colossians 1:27). Conversely, if you lack wisdom, shame will be waiting at around the corner for you. There is a direct link between wisdom and a glorious future. Glory is the opposite of shame. Sickness, disease, failure, defeat, barrenness, stagnation, disappointment are all products of shame. When you have Jesus, you receive wisdom, and when you get wisdom, you have access to glory, which makes every token of shame disappear. As the principal thing, getting every other thing without getting wisdom amounts to a waste of time. In the same vain, acquiring material wealth, academic degrees and attaining heights in any field without having a personal relationship with the Principal Person converts one’s gains into one big loss! In all that you strive for, never stop seeking for more of Jesus and His wisdom!

Key Point:Having Jesus can deliver every other thing to you, but getting every other thing cannot give you Jesus.

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THE WORD AS A WEAPON : Thursday August 20th 2015

Topic:THE WORD AS A WEAPON 

Memorise: For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrew 4:12

Bible text: Matthew 4:1-11

 Bible in one year: Genesis 29-30, John 17:1-19

Besides shouting, praising God, the Name of Jesus and the Blood of Jesus, another very important weapon available to believers in Christ is the word of God. Psalm 1:2-3 reveals that the word of God is a weapon against physical and financial dryness. Psalm 1:3 says:

“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

This is simply great. The word of God fights against every anti-progressive element it comes in contact with. If you delight in God’s word and meditate daily on it, you create the opportunity for it to work for your prosperity. How often do you spend quality time feasting on God’s word? Some people think they are doing other people a favour by reading the Bible. No! You are only doing yourself a favour. If you fail to create time for the word, you are only doing yourself a disservice.

Moreover, the word of God is a very powerful weapon against the devil. When the devil came to tempt the Lord Jesus, He overcame him using the word of God. He kept saying “it is written….”. Whenever you engage the devil, use the word. Some people think that the Bible is becoming too old-fashioned to combat modern schemes of the devil. That is a lie from the devil himself! The Bible is ever relevant and never loses its power, message and effectiveness, irrespective of the times. Always apply the word; it always works! After becoming the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), I went on a familiarisation tour. The youths rejoiced over God’s choice to place me in that position. One day during the tour, we were heading towards my village when the devil said to me, “You are now very popular; it is better you die when you are popular than when you become unpopular.” Immediately, this word of God in Psalm 118:17 came out of my mouth: “I shall not die but live, and I will declare the works of the Almighty God.” Five minutes later, we narrowly escaped a horrible accident. At that time, the entire congregation of the RCCG was below 1000. If the word of God had not come forth to deal with the devil, he would have had me for breakfast. He could anticipate an explosion of God’s move in the church and he wanted to stop it, but the word of God stopped him. Never neglect opportunities to know more of the word.

 Action Point:Know the word, believe it, apply it and expect it to work, and it will work wonders.

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STEALING FROM YOUR EMPLOYER? :Wednesday August 19th 2015

Topic:STEALING FROM YOUR EMPLOYER?

Memorise: Not with eye-service, as men-pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; Ephesians 6:6

Bible Text: Ephesians 6:5-8

 Bible in one year: Genesis 27-28, John 16:16-33

One aspect of Christian character that is often neglected is our attitude to our place of paid employment. Some people out-rightly steal things kept in their care by their employer; such should not even be mentioned among Christians. However, there are other subtle ways people steal from their employers. When you accept to work for an organisation, there is an understanding or even a written agreement regarding your working hours. If you are to resume at 7:30 AM but you get late to work, you are stealing time from your employer. If you are to close at 5:00 PM but you leave at 4:00 PM, you are a thief. There are even situations where an employee will resume and close

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LIFE MORE ABUNDANT : Tuesday August 18th 2015

Topic:LIFE MORE ABUNDANT 

Memorise: The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10

Bible Text: John 10:9-11

 Bible in one year: Genesis 24:62-26:35, John 15:18-16:15

God’s plan for His children is that they do not become sick at all (3^rd John 2). All through His years on earth, our Lord Jesus Christ was never sick. If you believe in Him and fully obey Him, it is possible for you to never be sick again. Sickness is alien to God’s temple – your body. It is a stranger, an invader and a tool of the enemy. John 10:10 says the mission of the devil is to steal, kill and destroy. He wants to steal your health, kill your body and destroy you. But thank God, 1^st John 3:8 Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. Every work of darkness operating in your life shall be destroyed in Jesus’ Name.

Moreover, Jesus came to give life. The life He came to give is not in limited measure, but at a level described as being more than abundant. In other words, in superlative measure! Life is the opposite of death. Any resemblance of death in you shall be uprooted now! The life of Jesus gives includes physical life; hence, He can reverse the process of death in a human body (Acts 9:39-41). It also includes spiritual life: He imparts life to a spiritually dead fellow and is able to sustain this life until He returns (1^st Peter 2:24). This is how those who were once sinners became saints and remain holy until they sleep in death or are caught up in the rapture. Jesus also gives intellectual life. He can resurrect the mental faculty of a dullard and turn the fellow into a genius (Acts 4:13). His abundant life includes financial life: He makes the deeply impoverished to become financially empowered (2^nd Corinthians 8:9). The abundant life restores health to the sick, makes the barren fruitful, changes the story of the one covered with shame, gives beauty for ashes, joy to the sorrow-laden, compassion to the neglected and so much more. It is capable of multiplying provision of overflowing measure. Are you a beneficiary of the abundant life? Any blessing to you have in limited measure can be made available to you abundantly. This season, the abundant life that Jesus gives shall be your portion! Reject anything that is less than the abundant life! Do everything possible to live a life that is filled with God’s abundance.

 Key Point:Although Jesus has made all good things abundantly available, your faith will determine the level of what you draw from it.

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