IT NEEDS PREPARATION

 It Needs Preparation! 

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” Matthew 28:19 (KJV)

Every course of action we want to embark upon requires planning and preparation, especially if our aim is to be successful. It is most crucial to develop the habit of planning and preparing for the activities that pertain to the Kingdom of God. John the Baptist went through a period of preparation in the wilderness before launching out to fulfill the plan of God for his life (Matthew 3:1–9). Jesus Christ also was taken through a period of thirty years of preparation before starting his ministry (Luke 3:23). He trained His Apostles for three and a half years before ordaining them and commanding them to go out and teach all nations and baptize them if they believed. Dear beloved, are you prepared to fulfill the plan of God for your life? The command in the opening scripture to win souls for Christ Jesus goes to all born again Christians. It is part of God’s plan for every believer in Christ Jesus, to win souls and teach them to know God and serve Him. Beloved, personal study and meditation on the Holy Scriptures should be key in the preparation process (2 Timothy 2:15). You can take up a course in the Bible school to help you. Additionally, there are mentors, or experienced pastors or leaders who are already in the ministry can also assist you to be ready. Above all, fellowship with the Holy Spirit and ask Him to empower you to be a good witness, and He will empower and lead you to succeed in His vineyard (Acts 1:8). Hallelujah! Glory to God!

Prayer Point: My loving Father, thank You for having a plan for my life. I submit myself to You. Please lead and guide me to be fully prepared to win souls for You and teach them to know You and serve You. Let me be able to lead them to church in order to be baptized to the glory of Your name. Please let them remain in Christ Jesus forever. Amen!

Were you blessed by today's message? Kindly go to the comment section and share your comments, and testimonies. Let's also know your challenges so that we can pray for you. 

THE LOVE OF GOD IS EVERLASTING!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 16, 2020.

SUBJECT : THE LOVE OF GOD IS EVERLASTING!

Memory verse: "Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?"

 (Romans 8 vs 35).

READ: Romans 8 vs 31 - 39:

8:31: What then shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

8:32: He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

8:33: Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.

8:34: Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes Intercession for us.

8:35: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

8:36: As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."

8:37: Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

8:38: For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor Angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 

8:39: nor height nor depth, nor any other created things, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

INTIMATION:

Have you ever imagined a separation of you from God? Your answer might be yes, because you have considered yourself not good enough for God. You will then say, "God will not save me." Your thought is that your sinful life will be a hindrance for you to receive salvation from Him. But it is not true! Christ had already chosen you, not you chosen Him, and gave His life for you because of His love for you, and quest for you to have life, and have it more abundantly. Have you ever imagined this show of love for us by God? And have you ever heard of any parallel, or equal show of love in history, and now?

Christ was spotless, perfect and rich. For His love for you and I, He became poor, chose to be a propitiation for our sins, took all our sins, past, present, and future, on Himself, and paid the wages of our sin, which is death (Romans 6 vs 23; Ezekiel 18 vs 4). His death was even a shameful death on the cross, just for you and I. By His death for our sins, He justified us, legally setting us free from sin. He did not stop at that. He descended to hell and met with our accuser, and greatest enemy, Satan. He engaged him there, defeated him, and stripped him of all powers. He took back His life and ascended into heaven where He sits at His position of authority—the right hand of God, and making intercession for us continually, as our advocate before the Father. He is our High Priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses, and ever ready to help us through the journey of life.

God loved us so much so that He exchanged His Son's life of inestimable value with our worthless sinful lives. No matter what happens to us, no matter where we are, we can never be separated from His love. Though believers may have to face hardships in many forms: persecution, illness, imprisonment, and even death, they sometimes cause us to think that Christ has abandoned us. But far be it from the truth, it is impossible to be separated from Christ. His death for us is prove of His unconquerable love, which is an overwhelming assurance of our being totally secure in Him. Nothing can separate us from His presence.

Consequently, in Christ we are super-conquerors, and His love will protect us from any forces in the universe: principalities and powers: unseen evil forces like Satan and his fallen angels—the demons. We are completely secured in Him. How else can we reciprocate such love but to follow Him, and be in complete obedience to His commands, knowing that His thought for us is forever of good. If he has given His life for us, what else can He not give to us to ensure we live for Him.

Prayer: Abba Father, I thank You for all You wrought for me in redemption out of Your unparalleled love for me. It is my desire to reciprocate this love You showcased for me. Endue me with the spirit of raw obedience to You in my journey of life, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

WHAT ARE YOU DEPENDING ON?

 What Are You Depending On? 

“My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.” Psalm 119:28 (KJV)

Depending on any other thing besides the Word of God is missing the mark. The Word of God is responsible for creating heaven and earth, and everything therein (John 1:3). He has proven over the years, even eternally, that He is dependable. The psalmist came to realize this and asked Him to strengthen him in order to be healed from his heaviness of soul. Dear beloved, did you notice that ‘He’ and ‘Him’ are used for the Word of God? Yes, it is so because the Word of God is a person (John 1:14). Thus, when you read or study the Holy Bible, do so with understanding, knowing that you are fellowshipping with a person. This person you already know; He is called Jesus Christ. Beloved, depend on the Word of God everyday by reading, studying, and meditating on Him day and night, and you will be amazed at the transformation He will bring into your life. Your soul or mind will be nourished to have good thoughts for good decision-making and good choices. Your heart will be enriched to hear the voice of God and know how to follow His leading, thereby taking the right actions (Colossians 3:16). Beloved, depend on the Holy Scriptures to enrich yourself and every aspect of your life will move from glory to glory. Hallelujah! You are an overcomer!

Prayer Point: My dear heavenly Father, I love You for blessing me with Your Word today. Please lead me to read, study, and meditate on Your Word day and night and carry out everything You say therein in order to enjoy a life of glory upon glory in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Were you blessed by today's message? Kindly go to the comment section and share your comments, and testimonies. Let's also know your challenges so that we can pray for you. 

GOD IS TOO FAITHFUL BY MOSES BLISS

 Inspiring Gospel song by Moses Bliss titled God is too faithful to fail us.

THE CURSE OF POVERTY!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY DECEMBER 15, 2020.

SUBJECT : THE CURSE OF POVERTY!

Memory verse: 

"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree") 

(Galatians 3 vs 13.)

READ: Deuteronomy 28 vs 15 -

 20:

28:15: But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

28:16: Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country.

28:17: Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.

28:18: Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.

28:19: Cursed shall shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out.

28:20: The LORD will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me.

INTIMATION:

God created us and His Will is for us to live in obedience to His rules, and in abundance. However, disobedience will result into reversal of His blessings to us. Poverty is a curse resulting from disobedience to the law of God. It is Satan's handiwork. God's Will is for us to prosper and be in abundance. In the beginning, God placed everything that man could use and enjoy in the Garden of Eden. God saw to it that Adam lacked no good thing. Additionally, He created Adam in his own image and after His likeness (as we are also created), leaving nothing to be desired. Adam was the master of the kingdom given to him. God only placed Himself above Adam as his Master.

God's Will of abundance for us was supreme until that fatal day Adam and Eve, our first parents, committed high treason against God by doubting His integrity, and believing God's permanent enemy—Satan. When Satan deceived Eve into partaking of the fruit from the tree prohibited by God— tree of the knowledge of good and evil—and gave some to Adam, they died, not physically but spiritually. Spiritual death—the nature of Satan—overtook their once righteous spirit, and they became one with Satan. Every phase of their lives came under the curse of their new god—Satan. They were driven out of the Garden; abundance was no longer theirs to enjoy. Adam had to toil and sweat in order to survive. His beautiful life was overrun by thorns and thistles both in the physical and in the spiritual world.

God's heart yearns for His people to be free, and in His infinite wisdom and mercy, sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, for our sake as a propitiation, to pay the supreme price to redeem us from the curse of the law. He took our deserved punishment for our sins upon Himself and paid the wages we owed, the wages of sin which is death. He died a shameful death on the cross to redeem us from the curse of the law. The Scripture notes, "Surely He has borne our griefs, And carried our sorrows, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace upon Him, And by His stripes we are heeled" (Isaiah 53 vs 4 - 5). 

The Scripture reveals that Jesus bore the curse of poverty at the same time He bore the curse of sickness. You can believe for divine prosperity just as you believe for divine health. Both blessings already belong to you. You should refuse lack just as quickly as you refuse sickness because they both are the curse of the law and Christ has already redeemed you from that curse. The blessing of Abraham is ours, as well as the promises of the Spirit. God adopted us and gave us right to become His children upon our acceptance of our redemption by our "Sacrificial Savior," Jesus Christ. We are reinstated to our original position with Him. His wish is that we shall prosper in all things and be in health, just as our soul prospers (Third John 2). Prosperity is God's Will for us.

Most of the times, we look at finances and prosperity in a different way from other things, such as divine health. The Word principles for divine health, healing, deliverance etc., is the same with divine prosperity and abundance. If a symptom of sickness came on my body, I would not stand it. I would take authority over it immediately and not allow it to remain. By doing this, I walk in divine health. I am convinced that healing and divine health belong to me in the New Covenant. Divine prosperity works exactly the same way, but we have not been using the Word to believe for divine prosperity as we had for divine health. We usually live in the laws of prosperity (paying tithes, give offering, make kingdom investments etc.), but we don't take authority in the Word. If you have obeyed the laws, then take authority in the Word.

We have been acting on prosperity differently from other provisions of the Word. In this way, we would allow symptoms of lack to come on us and stay there. We are willing to tolerate it, and sometimes claim it’s God's Will. But the word is very clear on the Will of God (Jeremiah 29 vs 11 & Third John vs 2), and our identity and inheritance in Christ Jesus. For instance, confess continually the Word in Second Corinthians 9 vs 8 and personalize it; "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” The Word says that God is able to get it to you. Don't look to natural sources. Don't look at your job, your present position, your natural capabilities, and present financial position, but look unto God. Keep your eye single on the Word. You have to realize and know that He can and will work in your behalf. God is real! He is able to get things done!

Prayer: Abba Father, thank you for all you have done for me in redemption. Through the grace of our Messiah, Jesus Christ, though He was rich, yet for my sake He became poor, that I through His poverty might become rich. I refuse the lies of the devil, and embrace the truth of my abundant life in Christ Jesus. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

HAVE YOU PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR MOUTH?

 Have You Paid Attention to Your Mouth?

“Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.” Psalm 103:5 (KJV)

Paying attention to the mouth makes one appreciate God for creating it. The mouth is a vital organ of the body. It is used for many things—both physical and spiritual. Physically, the mouth is used for eating, drinking, smiling, laughing, talking, swallowing, kissing, making facial expressions, etc. Spiritually, however, the mouth is used for praying, meditation, declaration or confession, singing, blessing, praising, etc. Dear beloved, do you pay attention to your mouth? The Most High God’s satisfying our mouth with good things goes beyond supplying us with good food and water. He stirs our hearts to use our mouths, to chart a good course for our lives. No wonder His Word says a man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of His lips (Proverbs 12:14). Beloved, in this month of joy, learn to concentrate more on the spiritual use of your mouth so that joy becomes part of your life, not just for this month (Hebrews 13:15). Never complain or murmur even if things are not turning out right in your life; see it as a test and praise God. Keep rebuking the storms and they will calm down. Your communication and utterances should be full of life, faith, hope, and thanksgiving, and the Holy Spirit will work on your words and turn your atmosphere into overflowing miracles for you and many others to enjoy. Hallelujah! Be thankful!

Prayer Point: My faithful Father, thank You for creating my mouth to chart my course. I vow to use my mouth to utter praise and thanksgiving onto You. Please continually teach me to use my mouth the right way and be a blessing to many lives on earth in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Were you blessed by today's message? Kindly go to the comment section and share your comments, and testimonies. Let's also know your challenges so that we can pray for you. 

HOW TEMPTATION WORKS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY DECEMBER 14, 2020.

SUBJECT : HOW TEMPTATION WORKS!

Memory verse: "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." (First Corinthians 10 vs 13.)

READ: Mark 7 vs 21 - 23; James 1 vs 14 - 15.

Mark 7:21: For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 

7:22: thefts, covetousness, weaknesses, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 

7:23: All these evil things come from within and defile a man.

James 1:14: But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 

1:15: Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings death. 

INTIMATION:

The accuser of brethren, Satan, is the tempter, and has continued in his known tricks since creation. And because his tricks are known to us, Satan is entirely predictable. His ways and strategy since inception have not changed. All temptation follow the same four-steps process, which Satan used both on Adam and Eve and on Jesus.  The apostle Paul says in Second Corinthians 2 vs 11, "...For we are not ignorant of his devices." The four-step process is; (1) Identifying a desire inside of you, (2) identifying your doubt, (3) employing his deception on you, and (4) luring you into disobedience.

 

STEP ONE.

Satan starts by identifying a desire inside of you. It may be a legitimate or normal desire, like the desire to be loved and valued or to feel pleasure or have a better living. Or an illegitimate or sinful desire, like the desire to get revenge or to control others or to cheat on others. Temptation starts when Satan suggests (with a thought) that you give in to an evil desire, or that you fulfill a legitimate desire in a wrong way or at the wrong time. 

Satan's known tactic on legitimate desires is to suggest shortcuts. These shortcuts are often temptations! For instance, you have a financial need, and there is some money entrusted in your care, he will suggest to you to use it since nobody will know or see you. You may have a sexual urge, he will suggest to you can satisfy the urge by having sex with anybody around you, after-all nobody will see you or know except you and you partner. 

STEP TWO.

Step two is doubt. Satan tries to get you to doubt what God has said about the sin: Is it really wrong? Did God really say not to do it? Didn't God mean this prohibition for someone else or some other time? Doesn't God want me to be happy? The Bible warns, "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God." (Hebrews 3 vs 12.) Our heart turn away from the living God when we stubbornly refuse to believe Him. If we persist in our unbelief, God will eventually leave us alone in our sin. Beware of the deceitfulness of sin; it attracts but also destroys.

STEP THREE.

Step three is deception. Satan is incapable of telling the truth and is called "the father of lies." (John 8 vs 44.) Anything he tells you will be untrue or just half-true. Satan offers his lie to replace what God has already said in the Word. Satan say, "You will not die. You'll be wiser like God. You can get away with it. No one will ever know. It will solve your problem. Besides, everyone else is doing it. It is only a little sin." But a little sin is like being pregnant: it will eventually show itself.

STEP FOUR.

Step four is disobedience. You final act on the thought you've been toying with in your mind. What began as an idea gets birthed into behavior. You give in to whatever got your attention. You believe Satan's lies and fall into the trap of which the apostle James warns us about in one of passages we read today—James 1 vs 14 - 15.

Temptation comes from evil desires inside us, which the devil exploits. It begins with an evil thought and becomes sin when we dwell on the thought and allow it to become an action. The best time to stop a temptation is before it is too strong or moving too fast to be controlled. Never make excuses for evil thoughts and wrong actions. Excuses include (1) it's the other person's fault; (2) I couldn't help it; (3) everybody's doing it; (4) it was just a mistake; (5) nobody is perfect; (6) the devil made me do it; (7) I was pressured into it; (8) I didn't know it was wrong; (9) God is tempting me. 

A person who makes excuses is trying to shift the blame from himself or herself to something or someone else. That is wrong. As a Christian, accept responsibility for your wrongs, confess them, and asks God for forgiveness. The Scripture says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (First John 1 vs 9.)

Prayer: Abba Father, You are merciful and gracious. I know, most faithful God, You will not allow me to be tempted beyond what I am able to bear, and will always make a way of escape, in Jesus’ mighty Name I prayed, Amen. 

PRAISE THE LORD!