FINDING THE KEY TO THE DOOR OF OUR DESTINY!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY MARCH 01, 2021.

SUBJECT : FINDING THE KEY TO THE DOOR OF OUR DESTINY!

Memory verse: "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (First Peter 2 vs 9.)

READ: Ephesians 1 vs 17 - 19: 

1:17: That God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,

1:18: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

1:19: and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.

INTIMATION:

A person’s life is like a large house, full of stories and experiences. There are various levels and rooms reserved for certain seasons of life, each one unique in style, complex in design and purpose. Within each house are many doors that open and close throughout the course of its existence. Some are easier to open than others. Some require a little prying. Some are best left closed forever. Others, however, require a key. The door to your destiny is one that requires a key—one that can seem very difficult to find. It cannot be created instantly or reproduced in any way. It cannot be bought with money, although it does come at a price. 

The believer’s true life is embodied in our relationship, and fellowship with God, and His begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Although, people often base the reality of their lives on their self-conceptualized accomplishments, but our relationship with God and His Son Jesus Christ is far more important than our jobs, successes, wealth, or knowledge. Here lies the key to your destiny. We have been chosen by God Himself as His very own. The undeniable truth is that your value comes from being one of God’s children—sons and daughters of God, heirs of the kingdom, and joint heirs with His Son, Jesus Christ, who is the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8 vs 29). 

Many Christ-followers wander through their houses—their lives—never able to open the door to their destiny because they simply do not know their true identity in Christ; not being able to find the key to the door of their destiny. Although people ask themselves what their purpose in this world is, they rarely live out the answer. 

To find the key to the door of the house of your destiny, and knowing your true identity in Christ requires first and foremost that you know Him—the Key Molder, and Possessor personally. As cliché as it sounds, it is the truth! How can one really know himself or herself without first intimately knowing the One who created him in her? He created you for a purpose which only Him can determine. It’s a known fact that the manufacturer of any product has a purpose in mind, and only the manufacturer can give the facts of its purpose. Our journey to knowing ourselves begins with knowing God’s nature and character. He is the One who carefully molds the key of destiny by revealing Himself in your life as you pursue Him. As you grow in your knowledge of Him, three significant things begin to take place:

1. Knowing Him causes you to know what He says about you. If you truly desire to know what the Lord says about your destiny and identity, dive into His Word! 2. Knowing Him reveals your authority in Him; knowing the person He has divinely called you to be sets the precedence for understanding and operating in His authority. 3. Knowing Him gives you eternal perspective, especially when you wholeheartedly understand the fact that you will spend eternity with Him!

The wisdom and revelation of the knowledge of these three things will cause you to obtain the ever-desired key to the door of your destiny. I truly believe that in this time of history—in a season of worldly chaos and profound self-anonymity—the Lord is calling His Bride to know her true identity and to live out her purpose, effectively advancing the Kingdom of God here on earth as it is in heaven.

Prayer: Abba Father, impart me with the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You, the eyes of my understanding being enlightened; that I may know the hope of Your calling, and the riches of the glory of Your inheritance in me that believe, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

HOW WELLL DO YOU KNOW HIM?

 How Well Do You Know Him? 

“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” Philippians 3:10 (KJV)

It is said that knowledge is power. What it means is that the amount of accurate information you have leads to your total deliverance if it is used appropriately. Beloved, when you lack the knowledge of God’s Word, you are bound to perish, which is likely to affect your children as well (Hosea 4:6). Apostle Paul, even though he was called by Jesus Christ and saw Him face to face, still wanted to know Jesus better (Acts 9:3–6). It presupposes that there is something new to learn from Jesus Christ every day. As a child of God, you cannot claim you know the totality of Jesus Christ and therefore are content with that knowledge. Jesus Christ is God and the knowledge of Him has no end (John 10:30). There is more to know about Jesus Christ even if you have seen Him face to face. Know Him intimately on daily basis through the Word of God; know Him through His sufferings; know His power of resurrection; have revelation knowledge of Him so that even if it comes to dying for Him, you may do so with joy just like Apostle Paul and the rest of the Apostles. Praise the Lord! Be conscious of His knowledge!

Prayer Point: My dear Lord Jesus Christ, I love You for sacrificing Your life for me. I want to know You intimately every day. Please lead and guide me by Your Spirit to know and understand You, share the gospel with my fellow human beings, and also sacrifice my life, time, and other resources for You. 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’S REQUIREMENTS OF US IN COMPANIONSHIP WITH HIM!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 28, 2021.

SUBJECT : GOD’S REQUIREMENTS OF US IN COMPANIONSHIP WITH HIM!

Memory verse: "He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6 vs  8.)

READ: Psalm 101 vs 3 - 7:

101:3: I will not set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.

101:4: A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know wickedness.

101:5: Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, him I will not endure.

101:6: My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; He who walks in a perfect way, he shall serve me.

101:7: He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence.

INTIMATION:

God is ready to teach us, to let us be with Him, to be a true and faithful companion, if we will seek such a relationship. God tells us the manner in which we are to walk with Him. Companions come in all sizes and shapes and for various reasons. A dog can be your companion, an elderly person can hire a companion to accompany him or her. You can even pick up a hitchhiker and have him be your companion for a long stretch of driving. But we will examine a very specific kind of companion: the teacher-mentor, which is God's kind of companionship.

Four areas are major ingredient for a relationship that would be described as a companionship. These areas are: (1) Agreement (2) Experience (3) Conversation (4) Learning. These ingredients are required in our companionship with God.

God defines the first one: "Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?" (Amos 3 vs 3) So agreement is the first requirement. You have to want to spend time together with God, and we know this is the desire of His heart. He tells us in many different ways in the Word that He desires to be with us.

Second, you would share experiences together because you are together by definition. One of the special privileges we have as believers is sharing our heart with God, and in turn learning more about His heart toward us and others. We get to see His overwhelming goodness, infinite patience, unchanging love, and unending mercies as we read the Bible—His "Code of Conduct," and "Owner's Manual" to us. The Holy Spirit makes the Word come alive in our hearts and points things out from it that are specifically for us and our situation. 

The third ingredient is conversation. There should be conversation between you and God. Not just one way, but rather an exchange of ideas from both parties. Think of your own experience. When you have been with someone who monopolizes the conversation, or who does not let you talk but only wants you to listen, you feel uneasy, dominated, and useless in the conversation. You may feel you are only a listening board, and your opinion matters little since it is rarely sought.

Sometimes we are guilty of doing this to God: We rush into His presence with our "want" list and then, in essence, after presenting our requests and/or complaints, we close the time with "In Jesus' name, Amen." No time to hear His input, no time to seek His advice. Only a time to "dump" on Him. Yes, Peter advises us in First Peter 5 vs 7 to give the Lord all our burdens and cares. Surely, we are to present our anxieties to Him, but then, we are to wait for His response.

The fourth ingredient is learning. A relationship that culminates into companionship entails learning from superior partner. As we spend time with God, our relationship allows us to learn about Him, about ourselves, and about others. We come to appreciate Him more as we get to know Him better. We become more relaxed in His presence as we now are His companion.

We understand ourselves better; our strengths and weaknesses, how to overcome them, why we do things the way we do, how to change our negatives responses, and the likes. We also learn much about others and how better to interact with them, showing forth all the fruit of the Spirit.

Somebody will quickly ask, 'How do we hear from God or learn from Him?' A classical illustration is made with a product you bought from the store. The manufacturer is in Germany, but has included a manual in the package to enable you study and know more about the product and how to use and/or operate it. The same is true of our relationship with God. He has given us His 'Code of Conduct," and owner's Manual'—the "Bible" for our study. In it God speaks and you hear from and learn about Him. As the spiritual relationship develops, God can speak to you in a vision, an audible voice or even through others in such relationship with Him.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are my faithful companion, and has promised to be with m till the end of age. Thank You Lord for fighting my unseen battles, and giving me victory. Help me to walk humbly with You at all times, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen. 

PRAISE THE LORD!

CAN YOU PROVE YOUR LOVE TO HIM?

 Can You Prove Your Love to Him? 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 (KJV)

Love has a voice and that voice must be heard. When God wanted to prove His love to mankind, He demonstrated it by giving His only begotten Son. This attested to the fact that God is love (1 John 4:8). Even though the sin of mankind was very grievous, He never allowed mankind to wallow in sin. He had mercy on us and sent His beloved Son to sacrifice Himself for us. Beloved, Jesus Christ accepted to offer Himself for us because He loved us just as the Father loved us. What can we do to show appreciation to the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ? The best appreciation to Him, and the proof of our love for God, is giving our whole life to Him: our heart, soul or mind, and our might or body. In other words, when we accept the gospel and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and make Him Lord and personal Savior of our lives, then we have demonstrated that we love Him. Furthermore, we should be obedient to His Word and very committed to Him. As we do all these things, we should remember that God will test our commitment and love for Him, and we should be on the alert and ready to pass all His tests so that we can be promoted from glory to glory. Beloved, we should also remember to extend this love to our fellow human beings to further authenticate that we love God (1 John 4:20). Hallelujah! Be loving!

Prayer Point: My loving and gracious Father, there is no doubt of Your love for humanity. Thank You for loving me and sacrificing Your beloved Son for me. To prove to You that I love You, I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and personal Savior. Please lead and guide me to extend this love to my fellow human beings so that they can have a taste of Your love and be saved. 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.

RICHES ARE BY-PRODUCT OF GOD’S FAVOR!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SARTURDAY FEBRUARY 27, 2021.

SUBJECT : RICHES ARE BY-PRODUCT OF GOD’S FAVOR!

Memory verse: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." (James 1 vs 17.)

READ: Deuteronomy 8 vs 17 - 18:

8:17: Then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.

8:18: And You shall remember the Lord Your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

INTIMATION:

Riches are just a by-product of God's favor. God gives us riches, but riches aren't the real asset in one’s life. It's like the old children's fable about the goose that lays the golden eggs. The golden eggs are not as valuable as the goose that produces them! The goose lays a golden egg every day, and when you have the goose you get all of the golden eggs that come with it. In the same way, riches aren't your true asset. The real treasure is the blessing and the favor of God that produces riches. A lot of people today are focused on gathering golden eggs, and they are completely overlooking the parent force that creates them. The person who owns the goose is going to end up with a lot of more gold than someone who is running around looking for eggs. Likewise.

God is the source of our prosperity, and once you realize that God is the source of prosperity, you understand how pointless it is to chase after riches. Instead, chase faster God who gives favor and power to get riches. In the passage we read today, the Scripture is very clear on the fact that God gives us power to get wealth. God doesn't send us cheques in the mail; He releases an anointing on whatever we do, and causes it to prosper. And the blessing of God is so powerful that it cannot be reversed (James 1 vs 17). In the Scripture. Balaam, the infamous prophet was hired by a foreign King to curse the children of Israel, but he said, "Behold, I have received commandment to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it. (Numbers 23 vs 20.)" 

The Lord told Abraham, "I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing" (Genesis 12 vs 2). It was the spoken favor of God on Abraham's life that caused him to prosper. It was God's favor that allowed him to grow rich from grazing his cattle and sheep in a desert. Most people judge their worth by their savings and assets, but those things are just a physical manifestation of the real assets—which is God's favor. This is one reason why Scripture reminds us that the power to get wealth comes from God—not our efforts. Once the favor of God is on your life, it cannot be stopped! The only thing that can derail the blessing of God is your own unbelief, negativity, and broken fellowship with the Lord. As long as we keep believing, and are in fellowship witness Lord, the blessings of God will keep coming. 

Understanding the true value of God's favor on your life will cause you to have a steward’s attitude toward possessions. You can look at all of the things you possess and say, "It's just stuff." You will know that money is merely a tool that helps you accomplish what God has called you to do; it isn't true prosperity. It’s God who gives us everything we have, and it’s God who asks us to manage it for Him. God supplies most people with the personal and financial abilities to respond to the needs of others. If we all realize how God has blessed us, and if we all use our resources to do God’s will, hunger and poverty would be wiped out in amongst us. Wealth is a blessing only if we use it in the way God intended. 

The focus of your life should be your relationship with God, which is what causes favor to be bestowed on you, and wealth to accumulate. God's favor in your life is priceless. Money isn't that significant because riches can be stolen and property can be taken away, but no one can rob you of God's favor. Once you get that same mindset, you strive to become very secure in your relationship with God, and be certain to attract His favor in your life.

Prayer: Abba Father, all things are Yours, and no man can receive anything unless it’s given to him from heaven. Endue me with the excellent spirit that will engender an intimacy with You that will cause Your favor and power to rest upon me, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

ENCOURAGE YOURSELF IN HIM!

 Encourage Yourself in Him! 

“For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:” Job 19:25 (KJV)

Job was an upright man but went through many trials. The only thing that kept him going was to encourage himself in the LORD. God has put Job’s story in the Holy Bible for the children of God to learn from. Beloved, when you find yourself going through many challenges, what you need to do is to encourage yourself in the Word of God. Read Job’s story and take inspiration from him. This will keep you moving on as a child of God. Remember that David also encouraged and strengthened himself and was able to prevail over his enemies (1 Samuel 30:6–18). As a child of God, your faith will be tested by God and you must make sure you pass the test so that you can be promoted. In the end, Job was promoted and rewarded (Job 42:12-13). He received a double fold of all that he lost during his trial. Our Lord and Savior also went through persecutions and trials, and finally died on the cross for us. He was also promoted and given a name, which is above every name that at the mention of His name all knees must bow and every tongue must confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of the Father (Philippians 2:8–11). Dear beloved, you shall succeed if you don’t give up or give in. Keep drawing inspiration from Bible characters such as Abraham, David, Job, Joseph, etc. And keep pressing on till you embrace your miracle. Hallelujah! You are an overcomer!

Prayer Point: Gracious Father, I’m blessed because I have been inspired by Your Word. Thank You. As I encourage and strengthen myself in Your Word, let Your grace be sufficient for me to keep moving forward and pressing on, in spite of the numerous challenges in my life, till I embrace my miracle 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.

UNDERSTANDING THE NEED FOR THANKSGIVING IN PRAYERS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 26, 2021.

SUBJECT : UNDERSTANDING THE NEED FOR THANKSGIVING IN PRAYERS!

Memory verse: "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (First Thessalonians 5 vs 18.)

READ: Psalm 103 vs 1 - 5:

103:1: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name!

103:2: Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:  

103:3: Who forgives our iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 

103:4: Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 

105:2: Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

INTIMATION:

God is responsible and the performer of every good thing we have seen in our lives. He is the doer of all the invisible happenings in our lives in accordance with His goodness and mercy. He is responsible for all the benefits, especially intangible benefits, accruing to us in life, and giving Him thanks always help us avoid taking God's provisions for granted. 

Thanksgiving is an integral part of our relationship with, and praise to God. Giving Him thanks is His Will for us in Jesus Christ, realizing all He wrought for us in Christ. The Bible, in Revelation 7 vs 11 - 12 says, "All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen."

All we have are gifts from God—life, faith, salvation, possessions and and so on. (John 3 vs 27; Ephesians 2 vs 8 - 9; James 1 vs 17.) When someone gives you a gift, the appropriate response is 'thank you.' Thanksgiving therefore, is also a proper response to God at all times, and in everything. The psalmist says, “It is good to gives thanks to the Lord, and sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night. (Psalm 92 vs 1 - 2.)

The bases of praise, and thanksgiving is declaring God's character and attributes. When we recognize and affirm His goodness we are holding up His perfect moral nature for all to see. With genuine praise and thanksgiving we ascribe to God all the glory due to Him. We cannot thank Him enough for His great and wondrous acts in our lives. 

In the passage we read today, David tried listing some of the benefits accruing to us daily from God for which we should always give Him thanks and praise: He forgives our sins, heals our diseases, redeems us from destruction, crowns us with lovingkindness and tender mercies, satisfies our desires, and gives righteousness and justice. We receive all of these without deserving any of them. No matter how difficult your life’s journey, you can always count your blessings—past, present, and future. And the praise we offer to Him benefits us because it takes our minds off our problems and needs, and focuses on God's power, mercy, majesty, and love. 

God has graciously adopted us as His children who are born of His Will, therefore, we should rest assured of His presence in our lives at all times. Consequently, in everything that happens to us, we should be thankful for God's presence, and for the good that He will accomplish through the happenings, knowing that, "All things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8 vs 28). 

It’s noteworthy that God works in 'all things,’ not just in isolated incidents, and for our good. This does not mean that all that happens to us is good. Evil is prevalent in our fallen world, but God is able to turn every circumstance around for our long-range good. The psalmist in Psalm 95 vs 2 says, "Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving....." Therefore, we should always acknowledge God's goodness, and His presence with thanksgiving. God is pleased when we give Him thanks. He uses our responsiveness to teach us more about Himself, revealing Himself more to us for our benefits.  

Your offer of thanksgiving will not be in words only. Just as we naturally show appreciation for what others have done to us both in words and material offering, we should do the same to our Father in heaven. Your material offering in thanksgiving is an application to God for more. God will ever reciprocate all your offerings to Him, and in greater dimension. 

Thanksgiving should be in all areas of life, and If you are truly thankful, your life will show it. As an integral part of our praise to God, it is what we do ourselves. This is the instruction of the Lord. (See Leviticus 7 vs 28 - 30). God told the people of Israel to bring their offering personally with their own hands. They were to take time and effort to express thanks to God. It’s quite obvious that you are the only person who will express adequately your thankfulness to God and to others who have blessed, or helped you.

Prayer: Abba Father, Your praise will be in my lips always, and I will thank You, O Lord, for Your presence, doings, and the good that You will accomplish through any circumstances of life that I face. Endue me with the spirit of praise and thanksgiving to You at all times, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!