Anti-Christs celebrate Christmas?

Text: I Jn.2:18-25 

More Lesson: Matt.21

There have been questions about the definite date of Christmas, whether Jesus was actually born on 25th December or not. Some biblical scholars believe that Jesus must have been born on 18th August. Some suggested March 28, while others suggested November 18th. Even the year of His birth is in dispute. Moreover, it is said that Christmas did not begin as a Christian festival, rather it was a pagan celebration turned to a church festival by pagan converts and accepted by the Church as an incentive to encourage the pagan idol worshippers to accept Christ. And this is true.

The argument still rages on till today. However, whatever the arguments, two things are not in doubt. One, that Jesus was ever born is not in doubt and that is great enough. Two, that Christmas is beyond date, it is the celebration of a man, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Every other story is a mere academic rhetoric. If the argument today is that Jesus is a myth, that He was never born or that He never lived, instantly both Christianity and Christmas will collapse. But thank God, Jesus once walked physically on the planet earth, in Jerusalem to be precise. He was born, lived, died, resurrected and ascended to Heaven and is coming back soon.

Unfortunately, there are more people who celebrate Christmas as another opportunity for fun and festival without any contact with Jesus the real reason for the season. Truly speaking, to hate or deny Jesus and still celebrate His birth is the height of disservice to oneself and a terrible satanic deception. Only the ignorant and the unlearned will do it. The scripture reading of today in fact, describes anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ as an anti-Christ and a liar. So how does an anti-Christ celebrate the Christ he opposes and denies? Unfortunately, there are more anti-Christs today celebrating Christmas.

The question is, Are you an anti-Christ celebrating Christmas or are you Christ-like? Many of us will hate to be called anti-Christ yet by the simple definition of John the beloved, anybody who denies that Jesus is the Christ is an anti-Christ even if he goes to church and celebrates Christmas with others. I ask you once more, Who are you at Christmas and beyond? Be a true celebrant, invite Jesus into your life today and Christmas will be real for you to celebrate. HAPPY CHRISTMAS

Prayer/Action

* Thank God for the rare gift of Jesus.

* Give thanks to God for the work of redemption Jesus came to do for mankind.

* Pray for the countless crowd that will be celebrating Christ today without Christ in their lives, that before the next Christmas they will encounter Christ.

*Tell someone about Jesus today by word or action.

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Breaking the Padlock

Text: I Sam.1:5,10-21 

More Lessons: Jer.33:1-3

I saw a revelation some weeks back when I knelt down to pray. The Lord opened my eyes and gave me a picture of a hall like a warehouse loaded from wall to wall. There was a door, which was not a surprise to me. What surprised me was that there was an unusual padlock on the door. The padlock was placed at the lintel, close to the roof in the same way that padlocks are closed to people’s destinies. Pondering over the matter I heard the voice of the Lord say to me, “Son, break this padlock that your people may be able to enter into their inheritance”.

Until the padlock against your destiny is broken, you will labour without results. By the power of the Holy Ghost and the anointing of God upon me, I break that padlock against your breakthrough, in the mighty name of Jesus. In today’s passage, two women are spoken about and compared with each other. I notice that Hannah was the one on the negative side while Peninnah was on the positive as far as child bearing was concerned because Hannah had no children. The matter was beyond Elkannah…But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb v5.

If God locked the place, it means there was a precious priceless Samuel inside it that God didn't want to come out until he was needed to fulfil a divine agenda. Obviously therefore, Hannah may not be said to have been barren after all. That her womb was locked means that she had children but they were locked inside her womb waiting for the God-appointed time of their delivery. Jehovah Himself made sure that Hannah did not have them until there was the need for Samuel to be born and grow to occupy the space provided because of the ungodliness of Hophni and Phinehas, Eli's children.

When God Himself locks the door to whatever you are believing Him for, only Him can unlock that door. Hannah knew this better when that year she got to Shiloh, rather than answer Peninnah, who was taunting her, or report her to their husband Elkannah, or even report to Eli the Chief Priest, Hannah went straight to cry unto God who locked her womb, and God answered her. The God that answered Hannah will assuredly answer you. As you enter the new year, may the enemies’ padlocks on your life be broken.

Prayer/Action

* Command all satanic padlocks against your goodness to be broken now, in Jesus’ name. Repeat this prayer all day long.

* Like Hannah, add a covenant vow to your prayers, it breaks padlocks.

* Put aside distractions and cry unto God to unlock every padlock in your life.

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Enemies of Might

Text: Hos.7:8-9 

More Lessons: Judges16:1-30

I prophesy that you will be mighty in Jesus’ name. Where are the mighty men of our time? Just to take a fast or attend Bible study once a week is a problem for many. Every Bible study you miss in the year reduces the strength of your destiny. So, calculate how many you have missed this year and see what you are left with. Every time you refuse to do your quiet time, you become less; the beginning of that day is on the negative. Everyday you can't say this is what I read and learnt from the Bible, everyday you have no meditation nor revelation from God, you become less.

Mighty men are teachable and sacrificial. They don't only have an idea and vision, they work towards it. Don't always dream, don't always talk, work the talk. If you want to be a lawyer, make friends with lawyers, talk with people who read law, ask questions from those who are practising and sometimes go to the law court and see lawyers at work. Buy and read the books and one day it will happen. Do not ever plan to be a small person in life. There is nothing wrong in starting small but don't stay small and in order to avoid staying small, work at greatness. Be teachable, be disciplined, add knowledge, add value to your life every day. Let something in you cry out, “In the name of Jesus, I must be mighty. I receive grace to manifest”.

At 75 Abraham just started, so don't think you are too old to become mighty. Greatness should follow a man till he enters the grave. Don't think you are too small, Samuel started as soon as he was weaned, probably at age five. There are some things that will not allow a man to manifest the might of God. Tell them to catch fire. Some of such things are laziness, procrastination, early gratification of pleasure, evil company, sin, ignorance and disobedience.

Say now, Father in the name of Jesus I step into a mighty life; I shall not be small but I shall be mighty. In the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, I am a mighty man, anything contrary to might in my life, I command it to catch fire. I command the mighty man in me to arise and manifest. I prophesy that I shall not die small, I shall be a mighty man. The anointing to manifest mighty things fall upon me. Anything that prevents mighty things in my life, die, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer/Action

* Ask the Lord to hedge you from every enemy of might.

* Command the might of God in you to begin to manifest on the outside.

Make a list of what you need to add to your life to be mighty. For the next 7 days, pray for the grace to do them.

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War against Worry II

Text: Psa.30:1-12 

More Lessons: Jer.31:31-34

Worry is a deadly mindset but much more than just being a mindset, it is a spirit that transmits that evil mindset; a demonic force that can take hold of a person's mind and soul until it totally destroys the individual. The force of worry is very slow and subtle, devouring like a cancerous cell, as it tightens its grip by spreading quickly but quietly. It is usually found to operate in partnership with other deadly forces like sin, fear, guilt, unbelief, shame e.t.c. Only those who have risen to the realisation of their relationship with God can withstand and resist this force and its works.

The eyes and ears are the doorways to a man's mind, the devil knows this so he seeks to plant seeds of worry in your heart by the things you continuously see, hear and allow to dominate your mind. He releases evil suggestions into your mind to try to derail your trust and confidence in God. This was Job’s experience as captured in Job 3:25, For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. Job had nursed hidden seeds of fear and anxiety in his heart that almost clouded his judgment of the situations that overtook him. This is the same strategy the kingdom of darkness deploys today. But in Christ is all the power to live above the devices of the devil, Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you Jam.4:7. When you submit your mind and thoughts to God you instantly receive power to resist the devil and watch him take off in flight.

David says in Psa.23:1,The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. His confidence was in the Lord . He saturated his mind with thoughts of the Lord and he confessed it. Irrespective of the enemy’s suggestions of possible lack and poverty to him, he remained firm, grounded and rooted in the fact that his God was able to provide for his needs and wants. And it was evident in his life and rule that of a truth, God is a good shepherd to those who trust in Him. The worries of the past are history if you will trust God as your shepherd and provider always. I prophesy over your life today, on the audacity of God's Word that every seed, plant or tree of worry that my Father has not planted in your heart be uprooted and burnt in the consuming fire now, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer/Action

*Destroy every seed of Satan in your conscious and sub- conscious mind by the shed blood of Christ.

* Resist every hidden work of demons in your heart and mind, in Jesus’ name.

* Ask the Lord to fulfill all your good desires and set ablaze every negativity in your mind, in Jesus’ name.

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