The Church

TEXT: Matt. 16:18-19, 

MORE LESSONS: Acts 5:12-20

There is more reference to church building today as the Church than to the people of the God. When Jesus said He will build His church, He was not referring to a building, cathedral or a hut; rather, He was referring to a people. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them: Matt 18:20. That is the definition of church, the gathering together of God's people and in His name. Church buildings are important; they make positive statements. They tell our location; they describe our architecture, denomination and set up, but the Church is beyond all these. It is the most powerful institution on the earth with the capability to affect even the heavens from the earth: ...Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven: Matt. 18:18. It is so powerful that Jesus said it cannot be defeated (Matt. 16:18).

Many church buildings have been burnt, demolished, stopped and relocated, yet the Church remains standing. The Church of Jesus, being a gathering of God's people can never die! From the early Church in the book of Acts of the Apostles, to this present day, the Church remains the most persecuted institution on the earth, yet the fastest growing and strongest. There are few things that believers must know and take advantage of.

1. Jesus is the founder and builder of the church universal. No man has the certificate of occupancy of the Church on the earth and no man should lay claim to her ownership. There is, therefore, nothing like “my church”.

2. Whatever anybody does for or against the Church is done to Jesus.

3. The foundation of the Church is laid on the “Rock”, therefore the Church cannot collapse.

4. There is a prophecy ahead of the Church on why the Church cannot fail no matter what happens to it (Matt. 16:18c).

5. The Church holds the key of the Kingdom of Heaven and therefore takes the final decision over all things pertaining to the Kingdom.

The people of the Church may be weak through their ignorance of what the Church, which they are, ought to be. But the Church is an empowered institution of God on the earth, it cannot fail, and by implication you cannot fail. Are you persecuted, denied or tormented on the account of being a child of God? Cheer up and take up your God-ordained authority.

PRAYER / ACTION

* Pray that the people of God will begin to discover the enormous power at our disposal and use it.

* Pray that the prophecy of prevailing, which has gone ahead of the Church will continue to be active.

* Pray that wherever the Church is being persecuted today, God will avail for them.

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Divine Recipe for Long Life

TEXT: Ex. 20:12-14, 

MORE LESSONS: Psa. 91:14-16

Going through a write-up recently, it struck me more than ever before that I have a role to play in living my life to the full. It was as if a veil was removed from my face so I took some vital decisions to share some tips here for the benefit of readers of this devotional. God has already given us a promise, …with long life will I satisfy him…: (Psa. 91:6) and He has fulfilled this in the lives of many of our spiritual forefathers. Abraham is an example, …And Abraham was old and well stricken in age: and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things: Gen. 24:1.

This is the type of testimony we all should aim at if Jesus tarries. However, it is clear that this has not been the case with many Christians. While many of us attribute untimely death to witches and wizards, sicknesses and diseases, and several satanic vices, recent studies have it that more of God's people are being killed by ignorance, disobedience and carelessness. One of such disobedience is the flagrant violation of the law of Sabbath. The law of Sabbath is the law of one day rest out of seven. God gave the law of the Sabbath for our benefit; not only for us to worship Him but to abstain from work and rest our body, mind, soul and in order to avoid untimely death occasioned by overwork and unbridled desire for success.

To live an healthy long life therefore, the following things have been found to be very vital. 1. You must eat healthy, wholesome food, not junk food;

2. live in clean, decent environment;

3. exercise regularly;

4. live a stress-free life and do not worry about anything;

5. take regular time to rest – good sleep daily and one day of rest out of seven as well as a regular break from your work to have a prolonged season of relaxation.

When men violate God's physical laws, refuse to rest, they do not live long and often die suddenly regardless of the promises of God. In the name of Jesus, you will live long; you will not die untimely. You brought nothing to this world and you will take nothing out of it. If you drop dead today, life will go on without you. Pause and take some time off. It is time to follow God's provision for long life.

PRAYER / ACTION

* Ask God to forgive all your acts of disobedience to the law of God, especially the law of Sabbath.

* Ask God to remove every sickness that has resulted from your disobedience.

* Ask God to fulfil His promise of long life over your life.

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Dreams of the Night

TEXT: Joel 2:28-29, 

MORE LESSONS: Acts 2:12-18

Dreams are some of the ways that God communicates to His people. They are part of the promises of God for His children in the end time as prophesied by Joel and fulfilled as confirmed by Apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost to be (Acts 2:16). God has often used dreams both for His own people and the heathen: Pharaoh (Gen. 41:1-7), Abimelech (Gen. 20:3), Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 2:1), Laban (Gen. 31:24). Joseph, Daniel, Solomon, Jacob, Paul are a few examples of God's prominent people that encountered God through dreams.

Contrary to the thinking that dreams are Old Testament experiences, some New Testament characters like Paul (Acts 18:9) and Joseph, Mary’s husband had records of dreams (Matt 1:20, 2:13, 19). Although Solomon in Ecc. 5:3 says …a dream cometh through the multitude of business…, God on several occasions communicated to several people on very important issues about their lives and those of others through dreams (Job 33:14-17). God still communicates with people today via dreams but what people do with their dreams differ from person to person. While superstitious beliefs exist over dreams, all these are subject to each man’s level of the knowledge of God. To sheepishly believe and act on your dreams or ignore them are both bad extremes. We must be careful to balance the way we handle dreams and not be trapped by either ignorance or superstition. You need to know and do the following over your dream.

1. Do not be afraid of your dream! There are enough promises in God's word to deal with negative dreams. That I am writing this message today proves that the dreams people had that I will be killed in the religious crises of Northern Nigeria didn’t come to pass.

2. Do not neglect your dreams. They may contain important information for your life and destiny.

3. Confirm every dream and its interpretation by God's Word; if it doesn't agree with God's Word, throw it away.

4. Pray over your dreams in faith. Cancel the negative ones and command the positive ones to speed up to fulfilment.

5. Do not live your life by dreams, but by the Word of the Lord.

6. If you have a dream too complex to understand, share it with your pastor.

7. Finally, if you have a dream repeatedly, or you have dreams of sexual intercourse, eating, or even flying, contact your pastor.

PRAYER / ACTION

* Ask God to fulfil every positive dream that He has given you.

* Pray that you will be able to hear God and not be a medium of satanic messages.

You can add a fast to your prayer.

Plead the blood of Jesus over your spirit and mind.

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Perfect Love

TEXT: Rom. 5:8,
MORE LESSONS: Eph. 2:4-5

I am looking forward to the day and time when Christians, including me will love others with Jesus' type of love. This is the cry of my heart, that I will love all people exactly the way Jesus loves me. I believe therein lies the solution the world is looking for. The Bible says, ...while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us: Rom. 5:8. That is the difference between the love of man and that of God. God loves us with our flaws. He never waits for us to be perfect before loving us; rather, He invites us just as we are and perfects us on arrival.
It is very difficult to find someone who can see your flaws and your underdeveloped character and love you in spite of all. Someone once said, If the only way you can love me is after I have perfected my imperfections, then you really don't love me. Indeed, it is good to ask ourselves, how many of us really love people for who they are and not for what we can have from them? Love is perfect when it is expressed without conditions. Paul gives us the characteristics of perfect love in I Cor. 13:4-7; …Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Each of these traits of love will solve any problem anywhere in the world. And anything in the name of love less than this is fake and will only create more problems than solve them.
Let me say it again, God loved you while you were unlovable so you would never have to hide in the bushes again like Adam. He has loved you with an everlasting love and you must go love someone the way you have been loved. In marriage, we must love our spouses whatever they are; once we have said “I do”, we must always “do” without reservation. Among the brethren, we must endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3).
As a way of life, we must love enough to warn friends, family members and neighbours about the danger of hell and the unconditional love of God for all mankind. Above all, perfect love must be honest and transparent enough to say, “This is who I am, and it is all that I am, love me and be patient with me. There is no telling what I will become, but today this is who I am”.

PRAYER / ACTION
* Pray for the help of God to love the 'unlovable' around you.
* Pray that you will be an example of God's unconditional love.
* Pick the qualities of love in I Cor 13:4-8 and ask God to fill you with each one.

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