PARTAKING IN DIVINE AGENDA For Friday July 31st 2015

Topic: PARTAKING IN DIVINE AGENDA

Memorise: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Luke 1:33

Bible Text: Luke 1:31-33

Bible in one year: Nehemiah 4:1-6:14, John 7:1-24

When God says He will do a thing, He is telling you what He has already done in the realm of the Spirit. It is already a settled matter. If He says He will give you peace, it means that peace is already released to you. Every good promise that God has made to you shall become reality shortly in Jesus’ Name. When Jesus made this promise in Matthew 16:18:

“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

He was simply saying something He had already done. He was telling Peter what He had already finished, long before Peter was born. Luke 1:33 declares that there is no end to the increase of God’s kingdom. This means that whether the devil and the world like it or not, the church will keep marching on. It also means that even when you do not know how to access to the funds you need to build that local assembly to the glory of God’s Name, God knows. He has already provided for all the churches that would be built in His Name, even before the foundation of the world was laid. This is why I know that you will not be stranded or frustrated over the assignment of enlarging God’s kingdom on earth. God’s provision for your assignment shall be evident this season in Jesus’ Name.

Moreover, it is important to note that since God has set out to build His church, if you cooperate with Him, He can use you to build His kingdom. Building His church is God’s agenda. God is looking for those who will cooperate with Him to establish His agenda of building His church. Are you willing to partner with Him? Long ago, God decided that He would take a general from the Syrian army and turn him into a worshipper of Jehovah (2^nd Kings 5:1-19). In today’s setting, it is like saying God wants to take to take the Sultan of Sokoto (the traditional head of Muslims in Nigeria) and turn him into an evangelist or a pastor. Some people will say this is impossible, but with God nothing shall be impossible (Luke 1:37). Once He has set out His plan, and His Word has gone forth, He will do it. To get Naaman to become a worshipper of the Living God, the Lord needed someone to cooperate with Him. It was a housemaid in Naaman’s household who told her mistress that there was a prophet in Israel who could cure her husband’s leprosy. Like this housemaid, are you ready to cooperate with the Lord in building His church?  

Action Point: Every child of God has a role to play in building the kingdom of God. So, don’t just sit on the fence!

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RESPONSE TO DISCOURAGEMENT For Thursday July 30th 2015

Topic: RESPONSE TO DISCOURAGEMENT 

Memorise: Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:9

Bible Text: 1^st Samuel 30:3-8

 Bible in one year: Nehemiah 1-3, John 6:52-71

David’s response to the distress he was confronted with, after his family and those of his men were taken captive, shall serve as an example of what our response shall be in the face of discouragement. The Bible in 1^st Samuel 30:8 say:

“And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after his troop? Shall I overtake them? And he answered him, pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.

Whenever you experience a loss, you need to go back to God to find out if it is possible to recover what was lost, and how such recovery would be achieved. Do not take it for granted that every loss must be recovered. Sometimes, when the Lord calls home a loved one who is very ill and going through excruciating pain, there might be no need for Him to return such a fellow back to life, except of course if He wants to heal

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ASK FOR PERMISSION! For Wednesday July 29th 2015

Topic: ASK FOR PERMISSION! 

Memorise: Thou shalt not steal. Exodus 20:15

Bible Text: Genesis 49:3-4

Bible in one year: Ezra 8:24-10:44, John 6:25-51

One commandment that God gave to the children of Israel in the wilderness, which is still very relevant to us today, is the commandment not to steal (Exodus 20:15). Stealing can occur physically, in the realm of the soul and spiritually. Physical stealing can further be classified as stealing from man and stealing from God (Malachi 3:8). To steal is to take another person’s property without their consent or approval, particularly with the intention of not returning it. As a growing child, teenager or youth, if you take your parent’s money without their consent, you are a thief. Some youths will say “Whatever belongs to my father belongs to me. I shall be free to take any of his things whenever I like.” No sir! Your parents have plans for all that they have. Taking their things without their approval can destabilise some of

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NOT MOVED BY TEARS! For Tuesday July 28th 2015

Topic: NOT MOVED BY TEARS!

Memorise: I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. Psalm 138:2

 Bible Text: Psalm 138:1-3

Bible in one year: Ezra 6:13-8:23, John 6:1-24

If there is anything we need so dearly to succeed in life, it is wisdom. In God’s manual of life, wisdom is declared to be the principal thing (Proverbs 4:7). What then is wisdom? Practically speaking, wisdom is the correct application of knowledge. The fellow who is educated but fails to apply what he or she knows appropriately will be considered a fool. This is why education alone does not confer wisdom. There are several professors who, in spite of all their chains of degrees, still operate in folly. If knowledge alone is wisdom, then no doctor would engage in smoking because all doctors know that smoking is injurious to health. A particular doctor who smokes was asked “You are a doctor; you know smoking is bad for your health and yet you still smoke. Why? Can you believe his reply? He said “Everybody will eventually die by one means or the other someday. Some will die in an accident; some will die by an assassin’s bullet. I have chosen to die by smoking cigarettes.” Wisdom therefore is having knowledge and applying it correctly for your personal benefit. Are you an educated fool? It is time to change your ways.

As a worker in God’s vineyard, it is important to know that God is not moved by emotions, tears, or by rolling on the ground. Rather, He is moved by the correct application of the principles contained in His Word. His Word is declared to be forever settled in Heaven (Psalm 119:89). God is a God of principles; hence, a mathematician like me finds it easy to enjoy Him, because mathematicians are not often moved by emotions. Take for instance this equation: 2+2=4. Whether you like it or not, it always remains the same. If you like, you can weep from morning till evening saying “I want 2+2 to be 6.” It will not change anything, because 2+2=4 will ever remain the same, be it on earth, on the moon or under the sea. When you know that God is not moved by emotions but by His Word, wisdom demands that you apply His Word more often. Psalm 138:2 says,

“I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy

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STAGNANCY IS NOT YOUR PORTION For Monday July 27th 2015

 Topic: STAGNANCY IS NOT YOUR PORTION 

Memorise: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. Deuteronomy 28:2

Bible Text: John 5:2-9,

Bible in one year: Ezra 4:1-6:12, John 5:19-47

 On the 20^th of July, we looked at the states of progress represented by retrogression and repression. One lesson we must learn is that sometimes, repressive forces are not necessarily interested in taking over the harvest of their victims; rather, all they want to do is ton ensure that all the labour and efforts of their victims are wasted, so that they can mock and laugh them to scorn (Judges 6:3-16). Every repressive force seen and unseen that is interested in wasting all your honest efforts shall be destroyed by the fire of the Holy Ghost in Jesus’ Name.

Moreover, another state of progress is stagnation. This is a state of standstill. In this state, there is no forward or upward movement. The fellow operating in this state remains on the same spot in spite of his or her efforts. In a situation of stagnancy, effort does not count, because it appears there is some invisible rope tying the victim to the same spot. In our Bible reading, we read about a man who was sick for 38 years. This man was operating in a state of stagnancy. He was at the pool of Bethesda waiting for an angle to stir up the water. He was waiting for a once-a-year miracle available to just one person. The unfortunate thing is that he was not alone. There was a crowd also waiting to take this same chance. As a result, he kept on waiting for several years!

There are some people who are so full of hope at the beginning of a year, but at the end of that year, they realise that they are still at the same spot. When I was schooling at the University of Lagos, there was a particular student who had been there for eight years, but he never went beyond year one. He kept changing from one faculty to the other and from one department to another. We met him there and left him there. Have you been stagnant? Are all your efforts futile? Have you been so long on the same spot? The Lord will intervene in your situation today! The Lord will turn things around for your good. I rebuke every force keeping you on the same spot. Whatever is tying you down is destroyed now. That miracle that your stagnant situation is trying to deny you is released to you now in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point:I command every spirit of stagnancy keeping me and my family on the same spot, in the Name of Jesus Christ, pack your load and leave now!

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DIVIDENDS OF HOLINESS For Sunday July 26th 2015

Topic:DIVIDENDS OF HOLINESS 

Memorise: Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. Hosea 10:12,

Bible Text: Lamentations 3:22-25

Bible in one year: Ezra 1-3, John 4:46-5:18

Everyone saved by the precious Blood of the Lamb is called to a lifestyle of holiness (1^st Thessalonians 4:7). Believe it or not, a lifestyle of holiness pays great dividends. Proverbs 11:19 says:

“As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.”

There is therefore a link between righteousness and life, just as there is a link between sin and death (Romans 6:23). Although God has promised you long life in Psalm 91:16,

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HOLY LIVING & HEALTHY LIVING For Saturday July 25th 2015

Topic:HOLY LIVING & HEALTHY LIVING

 Memorise: The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 1^st Corinthians 15:567;

 Bible Text: 1^st Timothy 4:6-9, Bible in one year: 2^nd Chronicles 35-36, John 4:16-45

At the time of man’s creation, there was no notion of sickness. There was indeed nothing like sickness. There was no expectation of death either. The human body was created to be self-sustaining through regular contact with God’s glory, and maintained by the foods provided by God. But when man fell, he lost so much, most importantly, the sustaining power of God’s glory. He had to begin to virtually rely on food for sustenance. As good as food is, it is limited in its ability to keep a man healthy. Although a daily diet of good food, vegetables, fruits and exercise is very important to

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SETTLED For Friday July 24th 2015

Topic: SETTLED 

Memorised: for he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. Psalm 33:9

Bible Text: 33:8-11, Bible in one year: 2^nd Chronicles 33:10-34:33, John 3:22-4:15

Whenever God says a thing, you can be sure that it is already done. That is why Psalm 33:8 commands the whole earth to fear this great and awesome God: whatever He declares is done, and His commandments are always established. For Instance, when John the Baptist by divine revelation announced Jesus as the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29), he was only announcing something that had already been planned, decided and concluded before the foundations of the earth. The Bible clearly states this truth in Revelations 13;8

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UNFORGIVENESS & ITS RESTITUTION For 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

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THE SPIRITUAL MARATHON For 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.

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THE PRINCIPAL PERSONALITY For 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

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REGRESSION AND REPRESSION For Monday July 20th 2015

Message Topic: REGRESSION AND REPRESSION 

Memorise: And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. Isaiah 65:21

Bible Text: Judges 6:1-6, Bible in one year: 2^nd Chronicles 25:14-28:4, John 1:1-28

A man’s state of progress can be classified into seven basic categories; one of which is regression. The state of regression is that in which mean forces beyond one’s control continuously push one backward. An example of this is the woman with the issue of blood (Mark 5:25-34). She went through a lot in the process of seeking help from different doctors. She spent all she had but instead of getting better, she grew worse, because unseen forces kept on pushing her backward. Have you found yourself in a similar situation, where every effort you put in to take you forward moves you backward, or where every effort you put in to improve your lot only complicates matters? The Lord will step into your situation today and deliver you. Every regressive force working against your life, health, progress or destiny is terminated today in Jesus’ Name.

Another state of progress is repression. This refers to a state in which negative forces push a person down and try to hold him or her down, frustrating every attempt to move up. This can manifest in the hearing of voices that lead one to the other side of progress. In Judges 6:3-6, the children of Israel encountered repression from a particular group of people who decided to afflict them. Whenever the Israelites were sowing in the fields, this group of people pretended not to notice. They never stopped them from exerting their energy or from expending their time and money on their farms. But as soon as their crops were harvested, they swarmed in like locusts and destroyed everything. Thereafter, the Israelites will have to start all over again, after which these enemies would again waste or destroy their harvest in a vicious cycle. When I was very young, there was a very notorious thief who gained so much notoriety that musicians waxed a song about him. His name was Anikura. The lyrics of the song said: “Anikura won’t ask you not to trade. He won’t ask you not to gain, but he will ensure that you do not take the gain.” This epitomises repression! If you are in a state of repression, you will continue to work for devourers and never benefit from your labours. Are you a victim of repression? Do you labour and yet you are unable to enter into your harvest? That repressive force is paralysed today in Jesus’ Name. Jesus sets you free from repression! You will eat from your labours from now on in Jesus’ Name.   

Prayer Point: Father, today, let your fire consume every force working against me and trying to stop me from taking the good harvest of my labours, in Jesus’ Name!

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CALLED UNTO HOLINESS For Sunday July 19th 2015

Topic: CALLED UNTO HOLINESS

Memorise: But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;  Matthew 5:44

Bible Text: Matthew 5:43-48, Bible in one year: 2^nd Chronicles 23:16-25:13, Luke 24:36-53

The call to salvation is a call to holiness. The day you were invited to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, you were automatically called to a life of holiness. The Bible in 1^st Thessalonians 4:7 says:

“For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness”

Have you responded to this call? The reason why many Christian leaders are heading for Hell today is because they have not answered the call to holiness. This ingredient is so indispensable to the Christian faith that having salvation without holiness is like leaving the substance and taking the chaff that can be easily blown away. Without sanctification, the salvation experience may not know stability. The accounts for the rising-and-falling syndrome being experienced by many Christians. When you are sanctified after receiving Christ into your heart, your faith in Christ is given the strong roots it needs. Hence, when the winds of affliction, temptation, persecution and other challenges of life blow, your faith in Christ will be unshaken, because it is deeply rooted. While the experience of salvation is akin to cruising in God’s shallow waters, experience sanctification is like launching out into the deep oceans of God’s nature. You need this experience!

 

When you are sanctified and behave irrationally. What they need is sanctification. When you are holy, you are not easily provoked. In fact, after several failed deliberate attempts to make you angry, people will wonder whether you can ever get annoyed. If you are sanctified, you will find it impossible to cheat anyone, how much more your fellow Christian Brother. With a sanctified heart, you will easily forgive your persecutors like Stephen and Jesus did. You will make excuses for those who fall below your expectations. You will have grace to love the unlovable, and pray for those who spitefully use you. When Jesus gave the instruction in today’s reading, He was actually calling us to holiness. Have you accepted this call? Have you received a new heart?

 Prayer point: Father, as I renew my mind with Your Word, sanctify me wholly that I may live to please you.

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