What to do when the tempter comes I

READ: James 1:12-15
MORE LESSONS:1 Cor . 10:13
Bible Reading in One Y ear: Luke 7-9

The devil did not and cannot create anything. God alone is the Creator-King. Everything he manipulates were made by God and they belong to God’s children. But it is often said that if the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable. What he does is to try to abuse and pervert the original purpose for which they were created. For instance, God ordained sex as a marriage celebration of the covenant of Christ and the church; but this is one of his most powerful tools satan uses in destroying mankind today. Though God made them and He saw that they were good, the enemy tries to tempt people to use them against the will of the One who made them so that we transgress the will and intention of God and thus face the consequences. There is nothing that the devil has used and will use to tempt children of God that was not originally meant for us. His strategy is to make us use God’s property at the wrong time, with the wrong motive or with the wrong person. Even though cocaine has health and medical purposes, taking it without doctors’ prescription is abuse and slow suicide. Also grapes are sweet and healthy but when allowed to ferment they could become alcoholic. Too much alcohol damages liver cells and eventually causes death.
It is pointless to yield to someone who has nothing original to offer. The day we realize that the devil has nothing to offer for himself and all things are ours including the things he is tempting us with, we will stop being easily enticed by the sinful lusts he presents to us. It is our Father’s creation he uses to tempt us against our Father. What a great truth that can help to keep the devil under our feet. When next that old serpent comes to lure you into sin, tell him you cannot take anything from him even with a long spoon because he is a liar and non of the things he presents are actually his. Settle it in your heart that you will rather listen to the voice of God your father rather than the suggestions of an old schemer. Nothing paralyses the tempter like telling him you know the end of his schemes and snares. When the tempter came to Jesus, He didn't think, ponder, seek counsel or even pray.
There might not be enough time for that, rebuke him aloud. The many times as he tempts you should be the same number of times you respond with a definite word to prohibit, disallow and rebuke him.

Prayer/Action
* Thank God for giving you all good things freely to enjoy
* Pray for wisdom and discernment in handling the pranks for the enemy at the junction of temptation
* Ask for boldness and power to shut the devil up when he raises evil suggestions against the will of God for your life.

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Resurrection for New Things

READ: Isa. 43:18-19.
MORE LESSONS: Lk 24: 50-53
Bible Reading in One Y ear: Luke 4-6

The resurrection of Jesus was the beginning of a new thing. Jesus was not the same anymore after His resurrection; He began to operate in another dimension. When He came in to see His disciples after His resurrection on the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together , with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you: John 20: 19. Jesus supernaturally knew where the disciples were, He didn't need anybody to give Him the address. They had locked the door because they were afraid of the Jews; Jesus didn't bother to knock at the door, He knew if He did they would melt in fear. Guess what Jesus did? He just stepped in: They looked up and there was The Master standing in their midst. Before He resurrected, everywhere He went He needed someone to open the door but after His resurrection a new dimension came in, He could enter anywhere even with the doors locked. The resurrected Jesus had no respect for obstacles. So, by His resurrection, you prevail over obstacles and pass through where others cannot.
When they shut the door against you, you still cross by the power of His resurrection. On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.... John 7:37-39 (NIV). The power of the Holy Spirit came upon mortal men only after Jesus was glorified. This is another new thing that happened after His resurrection. On the day of Pentecost when the disciples first received the Holy Ghost the Bible says that the Jews heard them speaking different languages and were amazed. They thought the disciples were drunk because it was a new thing. The Jews were amazed! This means that by the resurrection of Jesus, you receive the power of the Holy Spirit, new things begin to happen in your life and you become a wonder.
It was after resurrection that the ascension happened, He was taken up into heaven. It was a new thing, no one had ever seen a man so ascend before. They kept looking as He was going up in their very presence; surprisingly, none of them could grab Him. The force that was taking Jesus up restrained them, they could only look. Do you know what that means? By the power of His resurrection, you are going higher and no power or force can hold you down. Celebrate Jesus for His resurrection!

Prayer/Action
* Pray that whatever door has been shut against you, will be by-passed by the power of resurrection
* Father, do a new thing in my life that will by pass natural laws and protocols
* Declare a new dimension of operation in every aspect of your life.

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Resurrection

READ: John 20: 19-20
MORE LESSONS: John 20: 1-20
Bible Reading in One Y ear: Luke 1-3

Resurrection from the dead began with Jesus Christ. Until Jesus died and resurrected there wasn't a record of anyone who died and resurrected. This is the reason the Bible calls Him the firstborn from the dead, (Rev 1: 5, Col 1: 18). Any one seen after his death before the resurrection of Jesus was a ghost. When, without passing through the door, Jesus entered the room where His disciples were gathered the second time after his resurrection, He said to Thomas, ''Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands and reach hither thy hands and thrust it to my side. . .v 27. This is to prove that He wasn't a ghost. Ghosts don't have physical bodies that can be touched. Jesus is the resurrection and the life; the first born from the dead. You might ask, ''What about the dead that were raised in the Old Testament including the ones Jesus raised?'' No, they were not the first, they only had a miracle. Jesus however fulfilled prophesy. All of them needed someone to raise them up; Lazarus died and needed Jesus to call him forth, the same with the widow of Nain's son. Nobody stood at the entrance of Jesus' tomb to call Him forth but by Himself, He did as He said, ...I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father: John 10:17-18.
Also all of the people that were raised finally died again, even if it was in their old age. But Jesus, after His resurrection lives forever. So Jesus is the first to resurrect; and by every standard, His resurrection was a new thing. What perfected the work of redemption was not His death but His resurrection. If Jesus had not resurrected His death would have been a waste, there would have been no difference between Him and Adam and other Old Testament prophets. But we thank Jesus because He rose again. Our victory is in the resurrection. It is in the resurrection that Jesus was able to say, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?: 1 Cor 15:55. By resurrection, He went beyond death which is the limit of mankind and removed the punishment placed upon man. He also collected the key of death and life from the devil by His resurrection.
Resurrection is what perfects redemption. It is the beginning of a new life. If the resurrected Jesus is in you, you should not be down. Everyone who has accepted Christ should live a resurrected life. This is your inheritance.

Prayer/Action
* Father, I claim my victory today by the power that rose Jesus from the dead
* Ask the Lord to remove every force that limits you today.
* Declare that henceforth, you will live a resurrected life in Christ Jesus.

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The Precious Blood of Jesus II

READ: Matt. 27: 24-31
MORE LESSONS: I Pet. 2: 22-24
Bible Reading in One Year: Joshua 22-24

In continuation of the shedding of the Blood of Jesus from different parts of His body and the application to our lives, we realise that His Blood was shed by the stripes He received to purchase our healing. One of the parts of His body where the precious Blood was shed was His head on which thorns were pressed into as a crown. And then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said: Matt 27:29 ( NIV). The head represents the destiny of a man. The implication of the Blood shed from the head is that we have been redeemed from every curse. When man sinned at the beginning, God pronounced a curse on the ground to bear thorns and thistles and the man to labour much and get little (Gen 3: 14-19). When Jesus came, the same thorns and thistles were made into a crown and placed on His head. The Blood that came out destroyed the curse and redeemed man from the curse. If the curse God placed at the fall of man can be redeemed by the Blood of Jesus, it will do more much on the curse placed on you by men.
The head represents the best of a man while the thorn represents the curse against the best. So when blood came out of the head it simply was saying: “The curses are destroyed and the best of your life will now start to come out.” His Blood was also shed from His hands that were nailed. Beloved, the Blood that came out of the hands of Jesus was for a purpose. The hand is the place of productivity. You have the right to stretch forth your hands and demand by the Blood that was shed from the hands of Jesus that every non-productivity, poverty and life of labour be terminated. Your hands shall begin to bring forth result, in Jesus’ name. They also nailed His legs. This also has an implication for you; the legs are for movement, that is, making progress. When a man is stagnant in destiny, he needs to engage the Blood of Jesus. By the reason of the Blood that was shed from His feet, every blockage in your pathway in life is cleared, Amen. He begins to make a way where there is none and by the Blood that gushed out of His side we have victory over barreness of all kinds. The Blood of Jesus is the key to all round victory. I apply the blood to every location of any challenge in your life. Take your victory now. Don't watch the enemy ruin your destiny as if you are helpless. Jesus Blood is available and sufficient.

Prayer/Action
* Lay your hands on your head and plead the Blood of Jesus on your spirit, soul and body.
* Command every stranger to bow out of your life now by the authority of Jesus’ Blood.
* Speak to every part where the blood was shed and command the blessing therein to manifest upon you.
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