Give and Gain

TEXT: Acts 5:1-9, MORE LESSONS: Lk.6:38

Giving to God is one of the fastest ways to prosper in life. Unfortunately the devil has blinded believers to this great truth. However the truth cannot die, but the ignorant will suffer. The word 'give' in our text is immediately followed by the reward,...and it shall be given unto you;....Lk.6:38. Such is the speed of return that every wise believer must key into.

Peter gave his empty boat and he had an unprecedented harvest of fish so much that the boat began to sink, and the fishermen beckoned to their partners for help. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings and the Bible says in the same night, In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee II Chron.1:7. Friend, give and gain! Let's count a few gains of giving.

1. It shall be given back – Lk.6:38.

2. Ceaseless harvest – Gen.8:22.

3. Opens the windows of Heaven - Mal. 3:10.

4. It stops the devourer - Mal.3:11.

5. All nations shall call you blessed - Mal.3:12.

6. Blessing in all areas of your work - Deut.15:10.

7. Stirs God's love - 2Cor.9:7.

8. It guarantees a treasure in Heaven and a future on the earth - Lk.12:33.

9. Makes you more blessed - Acts 20:35.

10. It brings God's supply according to the riches of Heaven - Phil.4:19.

The spiritual law of giving is patterned after the natural law of sowing and reaping. If the law of sowing and reaping is real and working, obviously the law of giving and harvest is real and working. What we eat will die, but what we give must live and reproduce. Whatever you don't want to lose must be given out because you gain only what you give. This law does not function just by knowledge, it is activated by practice. Even those who teach it don't get the result until they practise it.

My spiritual father taught me something that changed my life of giving and stopped poverty in my entire life. He said, Whatever is not enough to satisfy you is a seed, Don't eat it, give it as a seed. Whatever makes you hate giving is your enemy, separate from it. Give to God's work and God's servants at every opportunity.

PRAYER/ACTION

* Ask God to lead you to a definite contribution to His Kingdom this year.

* Thank God for putting a source of prosperity in the Scripture.

* Rebuke everything in you that makes you hate giving.

* Ask God to fill you with the spirit of giving.

* Release the flood gate harvest over all your seeds, past, present and future.

 Promise God you will no longer be a robber of tithe, offering and firstfruits.

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Fear Not II

TEXT: Acts 27:20-25, MORE LESSONS: Deut 20:8

No one has ever succeeded in life with fear. Victory is not for the fearful (Deut 20:8). Even the Almighty God will not take a fearful man with Him to battle to do a miracle Judg.7:3). If you hate to be horrified put the truth breaker--fear--out of you, Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me Psa.55:5. The fearful will not make Heaven, But the fearful, ...shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire .... Rev.21:8. What says the Lord when the f u t u r e l o o k s b l e a k ? . . . Fear not....Gen.15:1. When facing a red sea, ...Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD,.... Exo.14:13. Worried about an enemy? ...the LORD your God he shall fight for you Deut 3:22 or faced with a new assignment or a challenge like Joshua, ...Be strong and of a good courage;.... Josh.1:9, etc.

No man has ever solved any problem or come up with a solution by fear, rather men cast out fear, worry and anxiety in order to solve problems and bring solutions. Confronted by a terrible crisis of shipwreck on the high seas for fifteen days without hope of rescue, Paul found courage and hope in what God had said to him, For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me vs 23 - 25. That is the same word I bring to you today, ...Fear not.... Like Paul, you will reach your goal you will not derail.

Believe whatever God has said to you directly or in His Word. Don't get troubled by the evil and threats you see and hear all around. Hold on to God and His Word, rebuke fear and still the storm, like Jesus did when attacked by the storm. Victory is sure. Lift up your hand and shout, I believe God.

PRAYER/ACTION

* Say, I cast the spirit of fear out of my destiny.

* Rebuke every storm you can see around your life.

* Pray against everything that you fear and cancel them from ever coming to pass.-Job 3:25

 Make a list of things you greatly fear.

 Before 5pm today find a promise in the Bible that stands against each of the listed fears.

 Wake up before midnight and use the promises to speak against your list. Give thanks after prayer and destroy the list.

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Fear Not I

TEXT: Mk.4:36-41, MORE LESSONS: 2Tim.1:7

The dictionary defines fear as an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger. Going by this definition, fear is experiencing what has not happened. It is about being tormented by something that has not happened. The worst torment is that the thing feared has not happened and may never happen, yet you have already tasted the pain.

In the peak of the terrorist attacks on the Christians in northern Nigeria a few years back, several people migrated to the south for fear of being killed. A family chose to go back to their home town in south west Nigeria. Unfortunately as they were driving into the town a crisis broke out and they were mistaken for a fleeing enemy and were all slaughtered by their own people. I am not sure their movement was at God's direction, rather they were moved by fear. The problem was not the relocation but the reason for it.

The disciples of Jesus Christ were tormented by fear in our text. Three things were responsible for this.

1) They saw the great storm. One of the greatest sources of fear is what a man sees. Jesus was sleeping, so He didn't see the storm, thus He was not part of the fear. Even when He woke up and saw the wind, He did not allow what He saw to affect Him, rather He confronted it. Mind what you see on television, the streets, newspapers and magazines. They can be sources of fear.

2) Most of the disciples were fishermen, who must have had different dangerous experiences on the water and now those past experiences must have flashed through their minds as they saw the storm. Learn to put old experiences behind you in order to succeed in life. Experience can be a good teacher but it can also be a bad master. Be courageous, try again what you abandoned, this could be your chance, don't respond to situations with the fear of yesterday.

3) The disciples were afraid because of stories of shipwreck they must have heard. And now the story was becoming real, they cried out of fear. Be strong, don't give in to the old stories you have heard, trust God that your case will be different. Victory over fear can only come if you refuse to give in to all the negative things you have seen, heard, experienced or thought about. Jesus says faith is the opposite of fear and fear will flee when faith is exercised (v40). Feed your mind and spirit with God's Word, positive testimonies, good company and your fear will bow to faith.

PRAYER/ACTION

* Pray against every weapon of fear shot at you by Satan to make you lose strength in battle.

* Prophesy that fear will not rule over your life.

* Release the spirit of love, courage and sound mind upon you.

* Rebuke the spirit of shipwreck over your life. I pray for you, you will not sink in the river of life.

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Enoch

READ: Gen 5:22, MORE LESSONS: Rev.22:10-12

Thank God for the addition of the story of Enoch in the Bible. I honestly think that the Bible would not have been complete without the story of Enoch and God. There are many things about the story of Enoch that touch me; among them is his long life, 365 years. 365 days make a year, except a leap year but for Enoch he got a year for each day. This is maximising of days, what a gift! Israel had that type of extension but to the negative. Their 40 day journey from Egypt to Canaan was turned to 40 years, a day for a year.

Unlike Enoch who spent his addition in communion with God, Israel spent their extension in hard labour. The lesson here is for holy living, Enoch got a robust 365 years in place of 365 days while for wrong living, Israel had their 40 days turned into 40 years of pain! There is always a pay day for all that you do, whether negative or positive, as Ecc.12:14 says, The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.

Another challenging thing about Enoch is that he had his first child at 65 (v21) when by today's standard, he should have done with child bearing. I connect with this to prophesy to you, whatever your destiny is waiting for, no matter how delayed, the God of Enoch will remember you and grant you your heart desire. I speak from my spirit, you will no longer be held down nor denied your godly requests.

Another lesson from Enoch, and perhaps the most outstanding, 300 years of steady, unbroken relationship with God! No wonder God took him away to Himself, bypassing death. Enoch truly deserved it. May we all walk in such testimony, may we live without one day out of fellowship with God. No matter the temptations, challenges, lack and pain, may we be able to say like Paul, Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. ..neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God....Rom.8:37-39.

May we never have a reason to be separated from God for one minute from now on until we see Jesus face to face. Enoch walked steadily with God. After he had Methuselah, he lived another 300 years, having more sons and daughters v22 (MSG).

PRAYER/ACTION

* Thank God for a challenging gift like Enoch.

* Ask God for a graceful life like Enoch’s.

* Ask God for the grace to live permanently in His presence.

* Declare that the sun will not have dominion over you anymore.

 Create a little time today and do a study on Enoch.

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