The Heart, Not the Message

READ Luke 8:4-15
MORE LESSONS: John 8:31-36
Bible Reading in One Year: Exodus 32-34

A friend once asked me why there are so many churches and powerful preachers in Nigeria, yet unrighteousness abounds. Before I could pose an answer, he concluded, I think there is something wrong with messages that are preached. It is either the preachers are not preaching the right stuff to change the people or the messages lack power to convict men of sin, righteousness and judgment. My friend may be right, but I also think there is something more as the Scripture reading explains. The sower planted the same seeds at different locations, but what influenced the performances was the nature of the land. Those which fell by the way side were trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured the seeds. Some fell upon a rock and as soon as they sprang up, they withered because there was no moisture. Some fell among thorns and were choked up by the thorns that sprang up with it. Yet others fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bore fruit a hundredfold.

In the explanation of the parable, Jesus says the seed is the Word. No one can doubt the potency of God's Word. If the Word fails to produce result, it is not the inefficacy of the Word or of the sower, but the land, and in this case the heart of men that influences the performance of the seed. It is unfortunate that some listeners in church have the hearts that are vulnerable to birds of the air. Such hearts are those that wonder about when preaching is going on. They hardly hear anything in church. Even if they hear, the Word does not get home with them. The enemies of their souls simply pick everything. Some others have hearts that cannot stay upon God's Word for a season. Although they hear and even respond to altar call, when their flesh demands for things contrary to the Word they hear, they easily submit to their flesh. These are believers who cannot resist temptation because they are not deep rooted in the Word. Some other believers have hearts full of the cares of this world. Although they seemingly love God, they also love the world. They are those who use the Word as a cloak for covetousness. You never can be a friend of the world and please God in anyway, as the Scripture cannot be broken (1John 2:15-17). The cares of the world will stunt the growth of the Word.

It was the same seeds that fell on fertile ground and produced fruit in thirty, sixty and hundred folds. Anytime God's Word finds a fertile ground, the fullness of its potential will manifest. God's Word is perfect, converting the soul. It is a lamp to the feet of men, a light to the path of them who believe. Make your heart ready today for God's Word, and the preaching you hear daily will produce effect in your life.

Prayer/Action
* Lord, make my heart fertile for Your Word.
* I declare that the Word I hear daily will profit me.
* I receive grace for obedience to God's Word.

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High Cost of Stubbornness

READ: Exodus 5:1-11
MORE LESSONS: 1Sam.15:23-25
Bible Reading in One Year: Exodus 14-17

Stubbornness is a character of the devil. Unfortunately, some people magnify stubbornness presuming that they are strong and tough as Pharaoh was seen by all Egyptians as a tough, no-nonsense leader, a mighty man of valour, one who could not be cowed to submission by the miraculous display of Moses and his God. Pharaoh's magicians encouraged him in his stubbornness when they went on to repeat some of Moses' miracles. They turned water to blood (Exo.7:22-23) and brought more frogs on the land (Exo.8:6-7). They did all that to prove to Pharaoh that all that Moses was doing was not impressive.

To be stubborn means: 1) to be unwilling to obey or do what you know is the right thing to do; 2) to deliberately set yourself against the truth; 3) to wilfully continue on the path you know or have been told is wrong; 4) to determine to do the wrong, damning the consequences. God hates stubbornness. In His sight, stubbornness or unwillingness to repent is as iniquity as idolatry (1Sam.15:23). Stubbornness is to say, What can authority do to me? What a man reaps from the sin of stubbornness and non-repentance are plague, affliction, sickness, pain and destruction of property, business and children, just as it happened to Pharaoh, his magicians, and the entire nation of Egypt. Pharaoh in his stubbornness said to Moses, ...Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go: Exo. 5:2. Even if Pharaoh did not know the God of Moses, he knew the power of the gods. But blindfolded by stubbornness, he dared the God of Moses. Stubbornness blindfolds and makes you see only yourself. It makes you rate yourself above your worth, and you become proud. Unfortunately, behind pride and haughty spirit is a monster lying in wait to override you, Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall : Prov.16:18.

It is not the desire of God to send plagues to your life. His desire for you is to bless and multiply you, If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: Isa.1:19. But if you continue in your pigheadedness, you can jeopardise your future and destiny. I plead with you to repent and come out of that sinful way, and you will enjoy the great harvest that God promised us this year.

Prayer/Action
* Lord, I repent of stubbornness. Please forgive me, in Jesus’ name.
* Uproot every element of stubbornness in your life.
* Submit your emotions to the Holy Spirit.
* Go for deliverance prayer if you notice that you find it difficult to submit to authority.

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The Wiles of the Devil

READ: Exodus 1:8-11 .
MORE LESSONS: Eph.6:11
Bible Reading in One Year: Exodus 28-31

The second text admonishes us, Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Satan has tricks to get people to do what he wants in order to scuttle people’s destinies. One of such schemes is cunning. In the main text Pharaoh adopts a crafty method in dealing with the growth rate of the Israelites in Egypt, Come on, let us deal wisely [cunningly, shrewdly, craftily] with them; lest they multiply....: Exo.1:10. Pharaoh had foreseen that the Israelites would one day leave Egypt and that would reduce the labour force and affect the building of his empire. Therefore, he acted fast and strategised to ensure it never happened.

In Genesis 3:1-6 satan cunningly overpowered Eve. He made her see how good and concerned he was about their welfare and how unfair God had been to them (Gen.3:4-5). Satan said it was because God did not want Adam and Eve to know good and evil, and become like the gods; that is why God prevented them from eating the fruit. However, satan’s plot was to overthrow the plan of God for Adam and Eve.

Satan and his agents have not changed from using cunning to alter people's destiny even today. When they set out to overthrow someone, they first make him see why following God's way of doing things is a waste of time, and foolishness. They make the victim see the 'blessings' he stands to gain if he will follow their suggestions. They craftily make their suggestions, appealing to the man's emotions, as it happened to Eve, And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat:Gen.3:6.

Make up your mind today that you will not yield to satanic suggestions that you should stop being 'over righteous' and try other means outside Jesus to solve your problems. That is the voice of satan. He wants to overthrow your destiny. Do like Paul and shake the beast into the fire (Acts 27:3-5) and get ready for God's miraculous intervention in your matter. Your destiny is designed for the top and you will get there.

Prayer/Action
* Ask the Lord to help you win over every plot to short-change or overthrow
your destiny.
* Put on the whole armour of God.
Set on fire every scheme of the devil over your life.

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Begotten into a Living Hope

READ: 1Pet.1:3-12
MORE LESSONS: Eph.2:11-14
Bible Reading in One Year: Exodus 25-27

Our texts explain some of the privileges of salvation which include: 1) Being born into a living hope. Prior to the time of your salvation, you were a stranger to Christ and hopeless in destiny (Eph.2:12). Though you had many aspirations, your hope was a dead hope, without a surety. But the day you said ‘yes’ to Jesus, your hope and aspiration received the life of God. (2) Begotten into an incorruptible inheritance that doesn’t fade, reserved in Heaven for you. You may not have possessions here on earth, perhaps you lost them to thieves, natural disaster, or seized from you by your persecutors. The possessions are nothing in comparism to the inheritance reserved in Heaven for you. (3) You are under preservation by God's power so that you can be ready through faith to be revealed on the last day. Whatever and however it is today, there is a set time for your release. 4) Although there may be reasons to be in heaviness through manifold temptation, such circumstance is only for awhile, That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: v7.

Beloved, your days here on earth are only a preparation for the heritage awaiting you in Heaven. Jesus is emphatic, Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: .... And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also: John 14:1-3. There are mansions undergoing construction in Heaven. When the job is done, the Master Himself will come for us. While it is enough for a master to send for his servant, Jesus Himself shall come from Heaven to take His saints to be with Him in Heaven (1Thess.4:16-17). The plan of God is for us to live forever with the Lord.

Today, make a choice for this glorious inheritance. Be content being a member of the royal priesthood, a peculiar people; no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God (Eph.2:19). Set your affection on those things above and not on things here because you died and your life is hid in Christ Jesus and in God (Col.3:1-3). Surely, our Master comes soonest. He is at the door. May He find you ready even if He comes in the night hour.

Prayer/Action
* Jesus, help me to be ready for Your coming.
* Open my eyes to the inheritance awaiting me and help me to be content here on earth.
* Jesus, I pledge to be occupied for You until You come.

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