One Body in Christ

Text: Col. 4:16
More Lessons: John 17:21-23
Bible Reading in one Year: Isaiah 52-54

After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea: Col 4:16 (NIV). The Church of Christ must function as a single entity. In today’s text, the Apostle Paul instructed the Colossian Church to share the revelations they were taught with the Church at Laodicea and vice versa. The early New Testament churches did not have conflicts of teaching and doctrines because they received from one Spirit, one Lord, one God and Father of all who is in all and through all. The reason for the many differences in doctrines, revelations and teachings today is that people are teaching the traditions of men and not the Word of God.

The Word of God is the standard for one and every church congregation. God still speaks to His church and what He says to one, He says to all. That is why all the books of the Bible written by different people in different ages do not conflict and all speak of the same subject; they all point to Christ. This should be true of the words God speaks to us today. Jesus in John 17 says: I pray that THEY ALL may become one even as I am one with the Father. The will of Jesus is that all of us may be one and not divided. Anything that causes division is not of the Lord. There are many doctrines that have come into the church but not from the Lord. Those are the horns that have scattered the flock of Jesus. They don't have their source in God. When we see much of differences than oneness in the church and emphasize on these differences than what unites us as Christians, then we are not functioning as the Lord desires. The divided church is not of Christ because a house that is divided against itself cannot stand. Jesus promised to build His Church and that the gates of hell will not prevail against it. That means that the Church Jesus builds is not a divided Church and will stand in the face of all the barrage of the artillery of hell against her. The Church of Jesus will be strong again and hell will not overcome it.

Prayer/Action
* Pray against all the forces that are working against the unity of the Church.
* Ask God to bind His Church together again in answer to Jesus’ prayer.
* Ask God to use you to unite your local assembly and not to break it.

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Don't Wash your Net Yet

Text: Luke 5:1-7
More Lessons: Psa. 1
Bible Reading in one Year: Isaiah 49-51

We often find ourselves in certain situations and the only option we think of is to give up. That was the case with Simon Peter; he and his crew had laboured all night but with no result. With all the skills he had in the fishing profession, he toiled all night but caught nothing. There are certain forces that can make a man labour without any result to show for it. They make him do much but with little to show for the much that is done. I pray for you today, that those forces will not overcome you. Do you feel discouraged? Do you think that things are not working the way you planned? You may even wonder why things are not working despite all the experiences you have. I tell you this morning that God is not sleeping; He knows your plight. Do not wash your net yet. What you need is just a word from the Master. His word never fails. God is set to bless your labour. You shall no more labour in vain. This year will not pass without people celebrating with you. Jesus entered Peter's ship and taught the people from it. If you study this scripture very well you will notice that it wasn't only Peter's ship that was there, in fact there were two and it wasn't only Him who did not catch any fish. He was not even the only person who had washed his net. His colleagues were there with him but Jesus entered into his ship. Once the Master's need was met, He in turn met Peter's need. Can you use your business for the Lord? Can you allow God to do what He wants with your job? We may be finding it difficult to make progress because we have not opened up ourselves for the Master's use. When we allow Him access into our life, He blesses us in return. Don't give up on that business. Don't drop that project yet. All you need is submit it to Jesus, hear what He will say and do it.

The devil may want to dissuade you and make you disbelieve the Word of God; your experience of the past may be the enemy you have to face. Because it did not work out last year does not mean that it will not work out this year. That you dug before and you could not get water does not mean that if you dig today, there will not be water. This might just be the last trial you have to make to catch the draught that will break the net. Peter’s testimony was that he had to call unto his partners to help him as the catch was great. He got this result because he acted on the Word of God.

Prayer/Action
* T ell Jesus you will not quit nor give up.
* Ask God to lead you like Peter to a sacrifice that breaks the siege.
* Ask God to grant you the faith, hope and strength to wait until the darkness is over and a new day dawns.
* Today, sow a seed to break your siege like Peter did.

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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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