ACCOMPLICE TO SIN? For Wednesday July 15th 2015

Topic: ACCOMPLICE TO SIN?

Memorise: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. Romans 1:32

Bible Text: Romans 1:29-32, Bible in one year; 2^nd Chronicles 13:15, Luke 22:63-23:17

In trying to rationalise and condone certain types of sin, some people have painted them in different colours. Take lying for instance. This evil act has been categorised by some into white, black and so on. Whether it is a grave lie or a lie that cannot hurt a fly, a lie is

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PHILIPPIANS 4:19 WAS EARNED For Tuesday July 14th 2015

 Topic: PHILIPPIANS 4:19 WAS EARNED 

Memorised: Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. Philippians 4:17

Bible Text: Philippians 4:14-19, Bible in one year: 2^nd Chronicles 9:29-12:16, Luke 22:39-62

If you are enjoying God’s love, you must be ready to give something in return to him as a demonstration of your love for Him. This was demonstrated by the church at Philippi in today’s Bible reading. Paul reported that they were the only ones who stood with him during the period of his trial and need. After he left Macedonia, some churches used that as an excuse not to support him anymore, but not the brethren at Philippi. Even after he travelled to Thessalonica, they repeatedly sent provisions to meet his need there. Today, some people still hide under the cover of distance to shy away from showing love through giving. They would say “You are so far away and that is why it is so difficult to send assistance to you.” If it is difficult to send assistance now, it was much more difficult to do so then. As challenging as it was then, the brethren in Philippi found a way around the difficulties and supported Paul. They knew what they were doing. They become a major financial backbone of the ministry of Paul. Paul declared that by virtue of their being so sacrificial in giving, he was full, having all his needs met. It was based on this that he prayed that God would supply all their needs in Philippians 4:19.

Just as you have needs, so does God have needs. If you can meet Gods needs, He will surely meet yours. The project of expending God’s kingdom on earth has needs. There is therefore a need to support anymore or any cause that is dedicated to meeting these needs. Why did Paul not pray the same prayer for the other churches? It is because a person has the responsibility to provoke the blessings that come to him or her as an individual, family or church. Before you expect so much from God, ask yourself what you have done to provoke what you are expecting. As revealed in Philippians 4:17, know that everyone has an account with God:

“Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.”

Everything you give to God grows that account. It is when your account is full that your harvest will come. The church at Philippi got their harvest. What about you? What have you given to God in demonstration of your love for Him? What contributions have you made to grow your local parish and meet their needs? How have you met the needs of your pastor and his family?

Key Point: Can your pastor say like Paul that he is fall and has no needs as a result of your care?

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FASTING IS RELEVANT For Monday July 13th 2015

Topic:FASTING IS RELEVANT 

Memorise: In weariness and painfulness, in watching often, in hunger and thirst, in fasting often, in cold and nakedness. 2^nd Corinthians 11:27

Bible Text: Matthew 17:14-21, Bible in one year: 2^nd Chronicles 7:11-9:28, Luke 22:14-38  

When you pay the price for greater heights in your relationship with God and in ministry, you will be moved up to operate at a new level. When the price is paid, you will not only see the invisible, you will also hear the inaudible. In 1^st Kings 18:41, while others were busy discussing the miracle fire that fell suddenly from Heaven, Elijah rose up and declared the sound of abundance of rain. Noted that no other person saw the sign or heard the sound. You shall hear the inaudible from today in Jesus’ Name! However, to operate at this level, you must be given to fasting and prayer. In 2^nd Corinthians 11:27, Paul said that he fasted and often. The moment you sign up for this

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TOUCH NOT For Sunday July 12th 2015

Topic:TOUCH NOT 

Memorise: He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes, Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophet no harm. 1^st Chronicles 16:21-22

Bible Text: 1^st Samuel 30:1-8, Bible in one year: 2^nd Chronicles 6:12-7:10, Luke 21:25-22:13 

 In today’s Bible reading, while David and his men were away, the Amalekites invaded Ziklag, defeated the city and set it on fire; after which they took members of their families – wives, sons and daughters as captives. When they returned and saw the situation of Ziklag, David and his men were really distressed, disappointed and discouraged. It was more so for David because the incident brought so much disaffection, bad blood and misunderstanding between him and his men; to the extent that they blamed him for the incident and spoke of stoning him to death. 1^st Samuel 30:6 says:

“And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.”

There are some lessons we can learn from this. The first thing we see here is that whenever you arise to fight the people of God, you lose your defence and you or your family may suffer for it. David was running from King Saul and he went to take up refuge with the Philistines, who were enemies of God (1^st Samuel 27:1). When a battle ensued between Israel and the Philistines, he decided to team up with them to fight his own people (1^st Samuel 29). Thank God he was sent back home by the Philistines who realised who he was. By the time he go back home, the covering over his family was blown, and his loved ones had been taken captive. Never team up with the enemy against the people of God! Whatever your justification might be, never fight anyone who is named after the Name of Christ, irrespective of how long he or she has been in the faith. You will blow your cover and endanger innocent lives. Certain things that should not be heard of are happening to believers today, because they are busy fighting one another. The second lesson here is they are busy fighting one another. The second lesson here is that even when he had not fight against his people, just because he had pitched his tent with the enemies of God, his family suffered for it. If you pitch your tent in Sodom, when the fire comes to destroy Sodom, it will equally engulf you. Check your life today! Are you fighting, speaking against or treading upon on any child of God? You are courting trouble! Have you partnered with unbelievers to torment, oppress, rob, deny, persecute or deal with a believer in Christ? Repent today, apologise and desist from such actions before they boomerang on you or your family.

Key point:God strictly warms that His bona fide children must not be touched. Anyone who touches them will definitely pay dearly for it.

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CONNECTING DESTINY HELPERS For Saturday July 11th 2015

Topic: CONNECTING DESTINY HELPERS 

Memorise: My help cometh from the LORD, which made heavens and earth. Psalm 121:2

Bible reading: 1^st Samuel 10:3-4, Bible in one year: 2^nd Chronicles 4:1-6:11, Luke 21:1-24

God created us to be interdependent. This is why there are several parts in the human body, but all of them work towards the same goal. No man or woman is an island. For you to fulfil your destiny, here are certain people God has sent your way to help you. The degree of success you record and the pace of speed at which you moved will depend to a large extent on your ability to meet your helpers and gain access to their help. On the road to his destiny in Egypt, Joseph was at a loss, wandering in a field

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PRAYER PROVOKES BLESSINGS For Friday July 10th 2015

 Topic:PRAYER PROVOKES BLESSINGS

Memorise: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Matthew 7:8

Bible TExt: Luke 1:5-14, Bible in one year: 2^nd Chronicles 1-3, Luke 20:19-47

One great lesson from Jacob’s penile experience, documented in Genesis 32:24-32, is that prayer provokes blessing. A key part of this experience in Genesis 32:28-29 thus read:

“And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. and he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? and he blessed him there.”

After changing Jacob’s name to Israel, the Lord further blessed him. This tells us that having a new name is desirable, but securing a blessing that will empower the new name to achieve its prophetic meaning in the life of its recipient is even more preferable. Some people who once had negative names have changed them; this is good but don’t stop here. Ask that God will bless your new identity, so that your new name will speedily work for you and finally take you to your place of destiny.

Similarly, you will notice that a blessing was pronounced on Israel in the place of prayer, not at some other place. Blessings are attracted to you while you are praying. The blessings that manifest after your moments of concerted prayers were first delivered to you in the place of prayer. In Acts 12:1-17, it was while the children of God were taking turns to pray that freedom was delivered to Peter who had been incarcerated by the authorities. In addition, the gift of a baby boy, in the person of John the Baptist, was delivered to Zacharias while he and the people were praying in the temple. This gift manifested nine months later (Luke 1:65-66).

Effective prayer is like a collection basket for blessing. If you can pray, you will have a place where your required blessings will be dropped for you, but if you cannot pray, you can be certain that even when God decides to give you a particular blessing out of mercy, you will not have a receptacle to receive it. This is one reason why some blessings that are brought to people are returned to Heaven. Effective and sustained praying over an issue tells the heavenly hosts that you are truly prepared to receive what you are asking for. Prayer provides that landing platform for your miracles and blessings. You desire God to bless you; have you prepared the platform on which the answer to your request will be laid?

Key Point

Prayer is a platform for collection, and only those who engage in it will reap its dividends.

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WONDERFUL MIRACLE For Thursday July 9th 2015

Tpoic:WONDERFUL MIRACLE 

Memorise: Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. Romans 15:19

Bible Text: Ezekiel 37:1-10, Bible in one year: 1^st Chronicles 28:9-29:30, Luke 19:41-20:18

Miracles have a lesser degree of awesomeness when compared to wonders. Let us closely look at examples of these. It is undeniable that the raising of the dead through prayer is a great act of God. In 1^st Kings 17:17-24, when the son of the widow of Zarephath died and Elijah was informed; the prayed, paced up and down, threw himself on the child about three times and the child came back to life. This was a miracle no doubt; but when dead bones cause the dead to be raised to life, it is a great miracle. This happened in 2^nd Kings 13:20-21. Someone died and was being conveyed to the burial site, but because the mourners sighted a band of enemy soldiers heading in their direction, they threw the corpse into a nearby grave. Coincidentally, that was where Elisha had been buried. Elisha’s body had decayed leaving only his bones behind. As soon as the corpse touched his bones, the dead man came back to life and ran after his fleeing relatives.

However, when you compare all these great miracles with Ezekiel’s experience documented in today’s Bible reading, you will conclude that they are incomparable in awesomeness. What Ezekiel experienced was a wonder. Ezekiel was taken to a valley full of dry bones and God asked him if the bones could live again. This man of God immediately realised he had come face to face with a situation his faith could not handle. “Lord, this is beyond my faith. Only You can tell”, he replied. God then said to him, “Don’t pray, don’t touch, just prophesy to them and say, Dry bones, hear God’s word and come together, every bone to its bone as it was originally”. Oh! That was easy to say, and he said it as he was commanded, even though he knew it sounded far-fetched. How can you ask dead, dry bones to hear? Oh yes, they can hear, though not your words but God’s Word. This is why you should not stop speaking the Word of God to dead situations, people and things. They all have ears to hear God’s Word and they respond to it. Meanwhile, as the dry bones began to move to form their original bone structure, Ezekiel must have been saying, Wonderful! But God was not done yet; He commanded Ezekiel to prophesy to the wind. Now, this was a bit more outlandish! At least the bones he could see, but the wind he could not see. He however obeyed, and the wind began to blow. Breath came into the lifeless entities that had been formed from the dry bones. In no time, a valley full of dry bones was taken over by a strong and able army. Always use God’s Word to call up what you want to see in the Name of Jesus Christ, and it will be so.

 Prayer Point:

Father, in my life, family, workplace and ministry, make us recipients of your wonders.

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