Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Have Faith in the Father

Text: John 14: 1
More Lessons: Matt 21: 18-22
Bible Reading in one Year: 1 Corinthians 13-16

A friend of mine who is a servant of God in the United States was approached by the school teacher of his child who asked,‘ ‘Please sir, can you find a way of reducing your daughter's confidence in you?'’ The man of God was surprised and asked why? The teacher replied that he felt the extent of his daughter's confidence in him might be disastrous because if he fails to meet those expectations, the girl would be so deeply disappointed and there is no telling what she might do. The preacher asked the teacher to further explain what he meant.

The teacher explained that the girl had actually been going around boasting that if anyone dies, there is no need to worry; they should just send for her dad and he would pray for the dead person to come back to life. The girl actually had so much confidence in her father that she went around boasting about him. So the teacher came to warn the father because he felt if he fell short of the expectation, the might be permanently affected. The man of God replied that his girl had believed rightly that he could do anything by God. He walked over to his daughter and further encouraged her, ...to believe in God, believe also in me: Jn. 14:1. Faith is the confidence and assurance in a person's ability and willingness to do a thing. It is amazing that some children of the Creator of heaven and earth do not have as much faith in Him as this little girl had in her dad. Have faith in God, His Word and His ability. Believe that He can do what He says, and there is nothing greater than His Word. Stand on His Word and you will see mountains move for you. After having faith in God, also have faith in yourself. Have faith in the prayers you pray; believe that your own prayers also can command results. Until you believe in God and also in yourself, there is no prophecy that can be fulfilled in your life. Believe the message and also the messengers that God sends to you so that you shall prosper.

You have the honour of being God's child and He, your Father. Whatever God is, is what you are here on earth. Hence, be confident when you come before Him in full assurance of faith and do not be like a beast that perishes because it does not understand who it is. ‘‘Come boldly’’ is what the Word of God says; anything short of such confidence is borne out of ignorance which can bring even a believer to destruction. It is written, my people perish for lack of knowledge. So child of God have faith in your Father and be confident always about Him.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to help you keep your faith in Him in all situation.
* Rebuke and renounce everything that could make you doubt God.
* Lift up your face to heaven and say to God, “Oh Lord, I believe in You!”

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Tuesday, August 26, 2014

The Confession of Faith

Text: 2 Cor. 4:15-18
More Lessons: Josh. 14:6-13
Bible Reading in one Year: 1 Corinthians 10-12

Faith is about having assurance that what God has said will happen. Men who will stand on what God has said with all confidence have the authority to make things happen. So you make things happen by believing the Word of God with all your heart. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation: Rom. 10: 10. In making confessions of faith, the state of the heart should precede the speech of the mouth. The reason many people have made 'confessions of faith' without getting an answer is because they do not realize that the heart precedes and supersedes the mouth. You must believe before you confess. Locate what the Lord has said concerning you and believe it in your heart. It is after you are confident, assured and convinced of what the Lord has said that you can now speak. Don't confess until you are convinced. Stand on what God says, then believe it and keep saying it.

A man of faith is a mountain mover. You can move any mountain if you believe it. You, however, must follow the sequence: find what God has said, believe it and then start confessing it with your mouth. I have seen people insist on what God has said until things that men considered impossible became a reality. Believe in your heart and don't keep shut; confess the Word with your mouth. That is how to activate the promises of God. Caleb the son of Jephuniah believed God’s Word spoken to his life by prophet Moses and kept holding on to the promise for forty five years. One day he went to Joshua, a partner in the promise and said to him, ... Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee...: Josh 14:6. He knew what is said concerning him and confessed it to the appropriate person and he got the promise.
In the midst of Joshua’ s fear that he might not be able to achieve success where his master Moses failed, God spake to him how not to fail, This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth ... for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, ... have good success: Josh.1:8.

Prayer/Action
* Today, make a faith confession by confessing a verse of scriptures in every one hour for the next 10hours.
* Ask God to turn every scripture you confess today to a reality in your life.
* Give God thanks for the expected answer.

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Monday, August 25, 2014

Lifted Heads

Text: Psa. 43:1-5
More Lessons: Psa. 3: 3-8
Bible Reading in one Year: 1 Corinthians 7-9

But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head: Psa. 3:3. I always tell people, when they come to the altar in church to pray not to cast down their head but to lift it up. This is a symbol of the lifting of a man's destiny that happens every time he comes to God. David asked in the Psalms that we read, Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God: Ps 43:5. I ask you the same question, 'why are you cast down?' In the same Psalms, David said, O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God. Ps 43:3-4 KJV. I want you to know that the cure for a cast down destiny is the altar of God.

Do not allow anything to keep you depressed and downcast. God is your glory and the lifter up of your head. A cast down countenance is a sign of defeat while a lifted head is a sign of boldness and confidence. No matter what you are going through or what you are trusting God for that you have not received, I want you to keep the excitement. Be lively and vibrant in countenance and sustain the joy of God in your heart. Keep your confessions alive; don't speak like a feeble man manifesting fear and discouragement on your face. Keep your heads high and lifted because He is your glory and the lifter of your head. Each time you cast down your head or allow depression to take a hold of you, Satan celebrates, your strength diminish, fear replaces faith, defeat is closer, the enemy is empowered to do more and gate of hell is opened wider. Therefore, you must refuse the temptation to give in to depression by singing a victory song. Instead make scriptural confessions, find a fellow believer to pray with, read the scriptures and mediate on them. Victory will immediately rise up for you.

Prayer/Action
* Take Psalm 121 and pray 8 prayers from verse 1-8, then say to the Lord “I have confidence in You, oh Lord! Keep my head above every troubled waters’’.

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Sunday, August 24, 2014

Build upon the Rock ll

Text: Matt.16:16-17
More Lessons: 1 Cor . 3:9-17
Bible Reading in one Year: 1 Corinthians 4-6

Yesterday, we saw the need for every life to be built on the Rock which is Christ. In the text, Jesus Christ makes us to understand that He is not only the right foundation for building of individual lives and destinies but also the building of His Church. Peter said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Matt 16:16 NIV and Jesus replied him, you are correct! And on the Rock that I am Christ the Son of the living God will I built my church . . .Many people have erroneously thought that Jesus meant that Peter is the rock on which He will build His church. No, the truth is that, Jesus is the only sure foundation for the Church. The implication of this is that the Church of Jesus will not be built on any man no matter how anointed or celebrated; neither will it be built on philosophies, ideas or traditions of men. There is a Rock, the foundation upon which the Church of Jesus will stand and this Rock is Christ Himself. That is the Rock against which the gates of hell cannot prevail. A church built on something other than Christ is destined to collapse Traffic from hell has taken over some churches because the builders have neglected the Chief Cornerstone who is Christ. A church not built on the doctrine of Christ will fail. Christ is the Chief Cornerstone and the Church will only thrive on a clear understanding of the revelation of the person and the power of Christ for without him, we can do nothing.

Christ is the essential foundation for building a strong Church that will not bow to the sway of hell. One of the strategies of hell is to cause division in the Church by spreading doctrines of the devil (1 Tim. 4:1). Division is the root of carnality, confusion and weakness. God needs men who will build together with Him. And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness: Mal.3:3. These are the days of purging, when Christ will yet purify the sons of Levi that they may offer acceptable sacrifices unto God in righteousness. God is washing the Church from all filthiness and removing the dross from her silver. God is removing those things that have hitherto caused division.

God is taking away those things that we have but not from Him.
A new day is dawning; a new order of worship is being restored to the Church and in these days shall we see the Church of Christ in her full strength. Christ is gathering all things together in Himself (Eph. 1:9). Christ is the builder of His Church.

Prayer/Action
*Ask God to help all spiritual leaders to build the Church on Christ and His Word only.
* Declare every wind against the Church a failure.
* Pray for your local assembly and pastor by name that Jesus will be their all in all.

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