Beyond my Seed

Text: 2 Cor. 9:10
More Lessons: Gal. 6: 9-10
Bible Reading in one Year: Isaiah 43-45

When a seed is planted, there is need to nurture it by weeding, adding fertilizer, watering, and doing every other thing needed to ensure a good harvest. A farmer who plants and goes to sleep will soon find himself begging for bread no matter how skilful he is in planting. There is a place of skill in every profession but there is also a place for work. For a farmer, planting the seed is not the end. After planting, there is more to do if he must harvest. Harvest doesn't just come, it is worked for. It is possible for a person to plant a seed and not see harvest if he does not follow up the planting with continuous nurturing and tendering of the plant until it is mature.

At the beginning of the year, decide to do and achieve a lot of things in the year but it should not be left at that; you are to continue to work towards it. Andrew Murray, a renowned man of God, once said God’s desire is to accomplish the desire He has in your heart if the ideas and the plans are according to His will. But the onus still lies on you to work out the results you want. In between the planting and the harvest of every seed is a time to work on that which was planted. I pray for you that your seed will not die and your harvest will not waste. Things we blame the enemy for at times may be a result of our negligence of what we should have done but didn't do. You should not be ignorant of the fact that things don't just happen; people make them happen. And that is the message I have for you this morning. If you want to be able to say that God has blessed your effort this year and has made all your plans to prosper, then you must be ready to work at it. It is not too late to do the right thing and the Lord will bless what you do. Psalms 1:3 says, …and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. God will not prosper what is not done because it will be a contradiction of His Word and His nature. I believe you have planted your seed; it is now time to nurture that seed to harvest.

Nurturing your seed involves: living right, doing the will of God, confessing positive things in the face of negative things and living in divine instructions among other things! Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed: 2 Thes. 3: 14 (NL T).

Prayer/Action
* Ask that every seed you have sown will find a place in your future and destiny.
* Pray that you will never be weary or faint in well doing.
* Pray that your harvest will not be stolen.

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Christ in You the Hope of Glory

Text: Col.1:25-29
More Lessons: II Kgs. 22:1-2
Bible Reading in one Year: Isaiah 40-42

Redemption is an activator of God’s glory. A lot of people carry glory but are not manifesting it because the redemption that activates the glory is missing in them. When Mary was carrying the pregnancy of the Lord Jesus Christ, she was carrying a glory. The glory did not start with the pregnancy but with the righteous life she lived before being appointed to carry the Saviour’s pregnancy; she was a virgin. Lazarus' glory was terminated before his time but when the one who raises the dead up came, the glory that men concluded was over came forth. The glory of David was in using the sling. He wasn't born using the sling but he learnt how to use it. None of your ancestors may have manifested that talent, but you just learn it and the Spirit of the Lord takes that over and uses it to bring you to prominence.

Because Lazarus had a relationship with the Saviour, Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick: Jn. 11:3. Just like in today's text, it is Christ in you that gives the hope of glory. If no relationship existed between Jesus and Lazarus, Lazarus would not have the hope of coming back to life. Jesus was sent for because the sisters knew that Jesus loved Lazarus and would therefore be interested in anything that would make Lazarus good.

David used a sling to kill Goliath but we all know that it was beyond the sling. God was involved and God would not have been involved if David had not had a connection with God earlier, But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.: Psa. 4:3.

Joseph is another example of glory. He was blessed with the gift of dreams but had to live righteously both in the secret and in the open for his gift to benefit him. How many people today have countless dreams o f becoming a millionaire and are still poor. It is not first the gift but the contact and the relationship with God and then the glory within the talent on the inside, will come up gloriously. Is Jesus on your inside? Then get ready for glory. No Jesus, no glory.

Prayer/Action
* Ask that the glory of redemption will manifest in your life.
* Ask that the glory attached to your salvation will not be covered up.
* Ask God to make your life a glory centre.
* Pray that every hidden gift of God on your inside come up to the praise of God.

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Healing is God's Will

Text: Mark 1: 39-45
More Lessons: Matt. 10: 5-8
Bible Reading in one Year: Isaiah 37-39

A leper met Jesus and said, Master, I know You are able to do anything and You can heal me but I don't know if it is God's will for me to be healed of this leprosy or not. In a time when lepers were not permitted to appear in public places, this particular leper was courageous enough to make his way to Jesus despite all odds. However, like many believers today, he wasn't sure whether it is God's will to bring him out of the problem he was facing. Some people are sick, poor, challenged with difficulties, unfruitfulness and confronted with other problems but they say, Maybe it is God's will for me to face this. God is trying to teach me a lesson. When the leper got to Jesus, he said, If it is your will heal me. In other words, he meant, I know you can heal me as long as it is according to the will of God, but I don't know whether my leprosy is part of God's will for me. Jesus looked at him and said Son; I have good news for you. It is God's will for you to be healed. So be healed.

There are countless scriptures that show us that your healing is God's will, But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed: Isa 53:5. ...If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee: Ex 15:26.

All of God’s promises are available for God’s children to activate provided the following scriptural conditions are met:
1. You must be a child of God - Mk.7:27, Deut.28:1-3.
2. You must have knowledge of God’s promises for your life - 2Pet.1:3-4.
3. You are able to seek God by prayer and fasting - Mk.9:29.
4. You have absolute faith in God - Heb.11:1-2.

Prayer/Action
* Command every promise of God due you to be activated now.
* Rebuke the delays, cancel the hindrances, prophesy the promises into action.
* Say to yourself, “The promises of God will not fail over me!”

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The Gift of Prophecy

Text: 1 Cor. 12:10
More Lessons: 1 Cor. 14:3-5
Bible Reading in one Year: Isaiah 34-36

Prophecy is inspired utterance in a known language. It is not conceived by human reasoning or thought. As with the other gifts of the Spirit, genuine gift of prophecy will point to Jesus as Lord. The manifestation of prophecy is not to elevate or magnify man or to show that a man is powerful and gifted or even to prove that a man is a genuine man of God. The gift of prophecy is not to prove anything; it is to glorify Jesus. Any prophecy that is always creating division in the Body of Christ is wrong, ...he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to EDIFICATION, and EXHORTATION, and COMFORT: 1 Cor. 14:3. A true prophecy will edify, exhort, and comfort people, helping them to be better Christians. Some people who supposedly speak by prophetic utterance never speak comfort to the Church. They never edify or build up the Church—they give only denunciations and terrify people with predictions of doom. That is not the gift of prophecy in operation.

Believers are to be guided by the Word of God. Prophecy is to edify, exhort and comfort (1 Cor. 14: 3). Notice that prediction and guidance are not even mentioned here. Even though prophecy might tell things of the future, the primary purpose of prophecy is not prediction but edification. There is a vast difference between the gift of prophecy and the prying into the future by fortune-tellers, whether ‘in the world’ or on the pulpit. Some predict which football team is going to beat the other one or which number will win in a pool all in the name of prophecy. But God is not in the business of doing that because I don't see how that edifies the church or bring men to Jesus. The Spirit of God can tell us things if He wishes but a man that has an opinion on every issue in the name of prophecy has gone astray.

The simple gift of prophecy must not be confused with the office of a prophet. It is not everyone who prophesies that is a prophet. The Bible says to desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy; And for ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted: 1 Cor. 14:1; 31. So we know that everyone and anyone can be used by the Holy Spirit in the gift of prophecy but that doesn't mean to go and open a church and put the title 'Prophet' before his name.

The office of the prophet is strictly a calling into ministry. Ephesians 4:11 says, He gave SOME Apostles, SOME prophets . . .. I pray that God will endow you with His gift of genuine prophecy and also give you wisdom and maturity so that you are not to be carried away by fake manifestations.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to cleanse His Church of all false prophets.
* Pray that your heavens will remain open for revelations, comfort and strength.
* Pray that you will not miss your way into the hand of any fortune teller in a prophet’s cloak.

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