Monday, October 21, 2013

Godly Heritage

Text: II Tim. 1:5
More Lessons: Pro. 4:1-8

One of the greatest legacies any father or mother can pass on to their children is the legacy of the Word of God. There is something unique about getting a hold of the Word of God early in life. After carefully studying people who God arrested mid-way in their lives and are now great men and women of God around the world, I have come to realize that one of the biggest regrets many of them have is that they wish they had met with the Word of God earlier in life. Timothy was a good example of someone who encountered God early in life. In fact, he had a rich heritage in the Word of God as his mother and grandmother were women of unfeigned faith. No wonder he became the Bishop of Crete. He didn't have to be chased by God and to suffer much like Paul because as a little child he had someone to teach, educate and impart unto him the mystery of the Word of God.

There is no limit to which our children and grand children will soar if only we will make the sacrifice of parenting them intentionally in the Word of God. Most of the juvenile issues/problems that have bedeviled our country and made it difficult to live in today emanate because many parents do not go the extra mile to transfer a heritage in the Word of God to the kids. For it is difficult for a child that has had the seed of God's Word planted on the inside to deviate from God. Our children are our future, so nurturing them in the fear and Word of God is the security for our future and homes. Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it: Pro 22:6. The minds of little children are as blank sheets waiting to be filled up with concepts, ideas, habits and beliefs. The truth is that if we do not ensure that their hearts are full of God's word, then the devil will make sure that they are occupied with evil thoughts and deeds because nature abhors a vacuum.

Lois and Eunice were not training up Timothy to be a bishop, but were only training him to know and hold on to the Word of God. Little wonder when an honorable position such as Bishop of the Cretan church was vacant, he was chosen by God and men alike. I imagine Lois and Eunice as they were filled with joy to know that their labour in the word over Timothy was not in vain. If we teach our kids God's Word, we will see honour and joy as fruits in the end. Let us give our kids the best; let us teach them the Word of God.

Prayer/ Action
* Pray for parents to receive God’s help to train their children the same way they are giving them secular education.
* Pray that our children will not refuse God’s Word but will delight in it.
* Pray for the revival of parents so that they can have enough to impact their children.

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Sunday, October 20, 2013

The Old Lie

Text: Matt. 28: 1- 15
More Lessons: Matt 28:1-15, Psa.2:1-3

So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the S Jews until this day: Matt. 28:15.No matter how much was paid in monetary term or otherwise to raise a lie against you, the pronouncement will not stand, in the name of Jesus.

When the enemies of Jesus noticed that their plot was failing, they decided to use a lie to defend their evil. They gave money to the soldiers guarding Jesus’ grave to make them lie that the disciples came by night while they slept and stole the body away. Meanwhile, Jesus had resurrected and begun to show Himself to His disciples. What a courageous lie; that the disciples stole a dead body but the same corpse was seen walking around the streets. However, the Bible says, despite seeing the resurrected Jesus, though without effect this lie is ...commonly reported among the Jews until this day: Matt. 28:15. It has become a mockery of the enemy to tell such an open undefendable lie.

In the same way, the lies of your enemies, no matter how old and popular, will have no effect on your destiny. Know that every pronouncement of men and of life circumstances that is contrary to God's Word and promises is an open lie and cannot stand. Barrenness is a lie because it is written, There shall nothing cast their young nor be barren, in thy land: Exo.23:26a. Untimely death is also a lie because the Word says...the numbers of your days I will fulfill: Exo.23:26b; and With long life will I satisfy you…: Ps.91:16. Poverty is a lie. David said...yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor His seed begging bread: Psa. 37:25. Similarly, sicknesses and diseases are lies; …and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee…: Ex.23:25. Oppression is a lie: ...thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear…: Isa.54:14. Everything that is contrary to what God has said remains a lie and must end.

Only the Word of the Lord shall stand forever (Ps.33:11). No matter how old the words of the enemy are, they shall bow to the counsel of the Lord. There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord that shall stand: Prov.19:21. Therefore, child of God, stand on what God has said over your matter, disbelieve the lie of the devil. No matter how strong and real it may look, it shall not stand. Fill you heart always with what God has said. Read the Word, memorize it and confess it to your situation and it shall be well with you. Whose report will you believe today? God's Word or Satan's lies? (Isa.53:1).
Prayer/ Action
* Lift your hands and proclaim what God's Word has said concerning you.
* Tell the devil he is a liar over your matter.
* Sing a song of praise now and tell the devil your Jericho must fall.
* Say, “I receive light into my eyes, in Jesus’ name.

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Saturday, October 19, 2013

Another Repentance

Text: Psa. 119:11 More Lessons: Jn. 5:39-47

Aside from repenting from our sins and iniquities, there exists yet another kind of repentance that we all must undertake in our faith walk. It is repentance from sheer unbelief, which in the life of a Christian is about the most grievous of offences one can commit. This is so because we know that the Word of God cannot lie yet out of logic and personal perspectives we develop reasons to doubt the Word of God. Every believer has the Holy Spirit, and it is He who empowers us to believe God’s Word until we receive what it promises. It is one thing to have the Word of God in your head (logos) and it is another to have the Word in your heart (rhema). King David who was a man after God’s heart made this clear enough when he said of the Word of God in Psa. 119:11 that it must find its way into our hearts. For it is from our hearts that the abundance of life flows.

The Word of God is not a logical book and cannot be approached as such. It is spiritual wisdom and can only be interpreted by the spirit of the one who inspired its writings. We are not even mandated to understand everything that the Word of God delivers to us at first contact because we just might not; we are rather instructed to believe it. This is the difference; faith. We must exercise our faith in God’s Word, both individually and corporately. Faith is the prerequisite for getting the best out of God’s Word.

The litmus test of true maturity in the things of God is actually a measure of the difference between the scriptures we know in our heads and the ones we have received into our hearts and lives. Our head knowledge must be mixed with faith in our hearts so that we can get the results that the Word talks about. The word in the book cannot do us good until it becomes the Word at heart. Sin is figurative of all the works of the devil so the psalmist was saying that the Word of God in his heart is his defense from the powers of darkness.

Oh! How powerful is the Word of God in our hearts? Enough of confessing your feelings, your pains and your negative situations! Away with sense knowledge and approach to things; away with our traditions. It’s time to make heartfelt faith proclamations from the Word that is stored up in our hearts. It’s time to confess the Word of God by faith and see the power of God at work in and through you.

Prayer/ Action
* Pray that you will never to doubt or deny God’s Word in your life ever.
* Pray that God should forgive you for every time you ever doubted His Word.
* Pray that God’s Word will mix with faith in your heart and produce results in your life.

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Friday, October 18, 2013

Manual of Life

Text: Mark 7:13
More Lessons: Jn.5:39-47

All religions of the world have one thing in common; a special book considered to be holy and containing instructions for everyday life from a ‘divine deity’. This special book impacts the culture and even determine the entire lifestyle of its devotees, who are required to diligently study and sometimes memorize portions until the words become part and parcel of their lives.

In our text, we see that this is not the same in Christianity, which is not a religion, but the way of life. The pages of the Bible are not given to us to be flipped through as religious requirement for spiritual accreditation by an impossible-to-please deity or anything of that sort. The Bible is carefully scripted and crafted by the inspiration of Almighty God. It is the creator’s manual for effective living. In the Bible are spiritual capsules for living above the circumstances and forces of life. The Bible is God’s given manual for unending victories and success. As an anchor is to a ship, so is the Word of God to our souls. Those who hold on to the Word of God for life are the most successful people alive. And when I make reference to success in life through the Word, I am not referring to material prosperity alone. I’m talking also about a balanced and complete package, full of health, fulfillment, joy and a fire wall of defense round about.

But I have seen a terrible thing under the sun. Wicked men who hate the name of Jesus Christ have selected and adopted principles and doctrines taught in the living book and are succeeding by the same, yet those to whom the Word of God is given have lost its efficacy and power because of their traditions, their ordinary way of thinking, and their logical conclusions drawn from the circumstances around their lives or family beliefs. A good example is the principle of giving as taught by the scriptures. In fact, some time ago, ten of the richest men alive, most of who are unbelievers met one day and decided that they would spend half of their wealth on the orphans, widows and the needy because they realized one secret of wealth they all shared in common; the act of giving.

More than two-third of all the parables our Lord Jesus taught in the Synoptic Gospels were on finances and giving. We cannot afford to just read the book; we must also live by the Book!

Prayer/ Action
* Pray that your life will focus on God’s Word on living and directive.
* Pray that you will handle every circumstance of your life by the Word alone.
* Promise God that from today, you will live by His principles in everything.
* Declare that the principles of God’s Word will never fail you.

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