Love, don’t Hate

Text: Lk. 11: 4
More Lessons: Matt. 22:37-40
Bible Reading in one Year: Isaiah 46-48

A good person will not think of killing any other person. Now the Bible says, Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and… eternal life and murder don't go together: 1 John 3: 15 (MSG). The person who hates has no eternal life and so he is spiritually dead. God equates hatred to murder; hatred is darkness and is of death which is separation from the source of life. And the true source of life is God. Therefore, any man who hates his brother separates himself from God. Hatred is the nature of the devil. The man that is not born again does not have the capacity to love because he does not know God. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren. Love is the expression of the new life the believer receives at new birth. At regeneration we receive the ability to love.

A brother shared a testimony of how God healed his mother of a disease. This woman had experienced long years of health crises. She had visited many doctors, spent a lot of money, and visited men of God for prayers but to no avail. Medical science could not diagnose what was wrong with her until the disease reached a terminal stage. People fervently interceded for her, and then she was finally diagnosed of cancer. The doctor said she needed to go through surgery. Then, during a fasting and prayer programme, he Lord revealed to this brother that the cancer was a product of hatred, which the devil used as a foothold to afflict her. It was also revealed to this brother that if she would repent and forgive the person who had offended her, she would be healed. She reconciled with the person and asked God for mercy and then went for the surgery. After the operation, the doctors confirmed that there was no trace of cancer in what they brought out of her. She had been healed. Hatred is a foothold for satan to afflict a man.Hatred is the nature of the devil and it is a mark of spiritual death. A spiritually dead man cannot love because love comes out of life. As you determine to forgive those who have offended you and let go of your past hurts, prophesy today that death will not have power over you.

In the Scripture passage we read, the man came to Jesus to ask him what good thing he would do to have eternal life, and he answer Jesus gave was to keep the commandments. The commandment of God is love. Love is the key to life. Love he Lord your God and love your neighbour, your distant and close brother, your hurting friend and all! Let a new season of love begin today, that we might be forgiven and healed.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to destroy every trace of hatred (little or large) in your heart.
* Ask God to forgive you of every bitterness, hatred, and hurt that you have nursed.
* Ask God to forgive you and heal you wherever you have allowed hatred.

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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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