Assurance of Salvation

READ: Eph.2:1-8
MORE LESSONS: Rom.8:14-16
Bible Reading in One Year: Exodus 1-4

Yesterday, we considered what it takes to be truly born again and perhaps you prayed and committed your life to Jesus. Many young converts grapple with the problem of confirming their new status in Christ. A young convert may be faced with questions such as: What makes you believe that you are now born again? Did you see Jesus enter into you? How can mere repetition of the preacher's prayer get you born again? Thus he or she is confused. Perhaps you are also confused about the prayer you made yesterday, but I want you to understand the following from our text:
1. You are saved by grace through faith. Having said the prayer yesterday, believe in the efficacy of the prayer.
2. Jesus does not have to physically walk into your life. The Spirit of God entered into you at conversion. So Jesus is in your heart.
3. You are now a child of God. The Spirit of God will henceforth continue to testify, witness to your own spirit (conscience) that you are born again.

It is the strategy of satan to put doubt in anyone who confesses Jesus to make him think nothing has changed. But from the very moment you made those statements sincerely from your heart, God who sees your heart knew that you meant every word. So He released His Spirit to carry out a work of regeneration on your spirit man. In the spirit realm, you have been rescued from the control and dominion of the power of darkness (Col.1:13). Your name was removed from the books of judgement and boldly written in the Book of life (Rev.20:11-15).

Satan and his agents and the angels of God know this truth. Stand your ground. Your affection for God and things of God will begin to increase. There is a deep-seated joy and satisfaction in your inner being. You feel as if you have everything even though physically, you may have some lack. You feel God is now nearer to you than before. You will also resent sin. You feel odd in the midst of old friends who practise sin, and you desire a new company. These are some of the evidence that you are born again. Go ahead and change those friends because they can pull you down if you continue with them. Go to a Bible believing church and present yourself to the pastor, and ask him to give you someone who can follow you up. Remember, you are born again by grace through faith, not by works.

Prayer/Action
* Thank God for His mercies by which He saved you.
* Ask God to keep you in the faith until Jesus comes.
* Pray against the enemy that makes men to backslide.
Share your salvation experience with a friend today.

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Are You truly Born Again?

READ: John 3:1-8
MORE LESSONS: Acts 8:26-39
Bible Reading in One Year: Mark 14-16

It is interesting to know how much the Gospel of Jesus Christ has prevailed in our time. Some years back, it was a sacrilege in many homes to be born again. You automatically became an outcast, an object of ridicule, one that missed his way in life. Today, it is fashionable to be born again. Even those who are yet to be saved hate to be called unbelievers. While this development in our time is glorious, it is necessary to review what it means to be born again so that no one lives on a false assumption that he or she is saved.

It is possible to be very devout, God-fearing, pray regularly, show kindness to fellow human beings, go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem and read/study the Bible, yet you are not born again. From our text, Cornelius the Centurion was a devout man. Many Church leaders of our time cannot earn the commendation accorded Cornelius. Now consider the commendation: Cornelius (was) 1) A devout man. 2) Feared God with his entire household. 3) Gave much alms to the people, 4) Prayed to God always. 5) Had a vision in which an angel told him his works were noticed by God. Yet he needed to send to Peter at Joppa who had to tell him the way of salvation.

Another personality that God had to intervene in his matter to get him truly saved was the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:26-39). This man went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. He was even reading the Bible (the book of Isaiah) on his way back to Ethiopia. The Holy Spirit had to prompt Philip the evangelist along Gaza strip to explain the way of salvation to the eunuch. Are you truly born again? The two examples demonstrate the fact that you are not born again because of your good works or religious activities.

What then does it take to be truly born again? One must:
1. Admit and confess Jesus as Lord and Saviour, and put one’s total trust in His name: Rom.10:9-10; 10:13.
2. Turn from following satan and his agents to God: Acts 26: 17-18; 1Thess.1:9.
3. Be made a new person in character and affection by the power of the Holy Spirit: Titus 3:5; 2Cor.5:17.
4. Live a life that is solely dependent on God's Word and His Spirit: John 3:3-8; 1Pet. 1:23; Matt.4:4. You live by the Bible and are led by the Holy Spirit (this is what it is to be born of water and Spirit).

Think about these facts: Are you truly born again? Does your life manifest the issues raised above? You can surrender your life to Jesus today.

Prayer/Action
* Jesus, I confess You as the Son of God. I believe You died to take away my sins. I surrender my life to You. I renounce every connection with satan and his agents. I surrender my body, soul and spirit to Jesus Christ the Son of God. Jesus, welcome into my heart.

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Lord, We owe You more Thanks

READ: Psalm 26:7
MORE LESSONS: 1 chronicles 16:34
Bible Reading in One Year: Mark 11-13

If you find it difficult to give thanks, then you will find it more difficult to give praise. There is a difference between thanksgiving and praise. Thanksgiving is an expression of gratitude to whoever has done you good while praise is an expression of warm approval of who a person is. Here we can see that thanksgiving is easier because you say thanks to the person who gives you a gift or who favours you. Now if you cannot say thanks to someone who favours you, how can you praise somebody for doing nothing. It is important to note here that God is qualified to receive both thanks and praise from us; it is even an act of wickedness to fail to give thanks to Gods.

God did not only give you His Son Jesus Christ, He gives you the breath to sustain your life. Your very life is God's property; let's leave poverty and other problems out of it. God has kept your sanity, you are able to think well, you are not mad; you are not bedridden, you are able to walk, blink your eyes at will. You think it’s because you are beautiful or handsome that you are enjoying these benefits? It's the graciousness and faithfulness of God that make you a perpetual debtor to Him. Therefore you must give God thanks as our text affirms, That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.

Thanksgiving to God must not be done only in the secret but also in the public and must cost you something. You should be able to tell people what God has done, which is a way of evangelising, because when people see how great your God is they will believe Him faster. Tell it far and near what God has done.

You have no right to deny God thanks for a second; in fact thanksgiving to God should be a hobby for every human being. We owe God our lives no matter what condition we find ourselves. Your problems and deficiencies do not reduce God. He remains the King of kings and Lord of lords forever; no matter what happens in Heaven or on the earth or to any man, God is still God. He is not answerable to anybody.

Your constant gratitude to Him is actually for your benefit because it encourages Him to give you even the things you do not ask for plus the ones you ask for. Lord, I give you all the thanks; for life, for the salvation of my soul, and for all You have given me. Jesus, thanks a million.

Prayer/Action
* Lord, give me the grace to give You thanks in all situations.
* Lord, let reasons for thanking You never cease in my life.
* Begin to thank the Lord for all the parts of your body, mention them one by one.

Ministers by Fire

READ: Heb.1:5-9
MORE LESSONS: Exo.3:4
Bible Reading in One Year: Mark 7-10

As we approach the end of age and iniquity and wickedness increase on a daily basis, God is raising an army of ministers and leaders who are clothed with the fire of the Holy Ghost, I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Matt.3:11. These are men of fire that will deal with the devil. They are men that are in touch with fire by which they will make strangers to defeat destruction and failure.

The sole assignment of the men of fire is, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me: Acts 26:18. It is my earnest supplication that JAWOM ministers and leaders will be part of these ministers of fire, in Jesus' name.

An encounter with fire should be your uttermost desire in 2014 (Exd.3:1-3, 1Kgs.18:24, Isa.6:6-7, Acts 2:2-3). Fire is dependable and you can count on it wherever there is need for its intervention. It is an instrument, a demonstration of God's power and the evidence of God's appearance. So shall you be in 2014. Your life will reflect the glory and power of God.

However, you must prepare yourself for the fire encounter, like Elijah did, And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench: I kgs.18:36-38. In 2014, you must learn to raise an altar and prepare the sacrifice to be offered on the altar. Water is the Word of God which you apply always and the spirit of prayer and intercession must be cultivated. See you at the top (Acts 17:6, Josh.10:12).

Prayer/Action
* Lord, clothe me with Your fire in this end time, in Jesus’ name.

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