Don't Hew the Altar I

Monday 4 May
READ: Ex. 20:25-26 (NIV)
MORE LESSON: Gal. 4:22 -23

If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it. And do not go up to my altar on steps, lest your nakedness be exposed on it: Ex 20:25-26 (NIV). This scripture can be used to illustrate a vital truth in life and ministry. God says if you want to serve Him you should build an altar. Your altar is the place of communing, walking and receiving from God. But God also says here that you should not build an altar for Him by cutting, hewing or dressing the altar with the use of tools.

The tools denote the human element. Many claim that they want to receive from God's altar but they try to 'help' God's altar by using human means. This is not to suggest that man has no part to play in walking with and receiving from God, but to let you know that any ungodly act or effort that is not from the Holy Spirit defiles the altar of receiving from God. How do you explain someone trusting and earnestly praying to God for a job and still lobbying and bribing to get a job. Many parents pay money for their children to pass exams or get admission and then 'add' prayer to it. The Bible says if you want to build an altar for God, do not use your human effort to dress the stones by your tools. Let it be built with un-hewn stones.

God had promised Abraham a son and after many years of waiting, he and his wife decided to 'help' God to get the promise. They began to hew the altar by their human strength. This brought about Ishmael who became a problem to them and everyone around him (Gen 16: 12). Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman, But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise: Gal. 4:22-23. Whenever you use human ability or lobby to get that which the Lord has promised, what you have is after the flesh, but that which God gives is after the Spirit. When you use human effort (the flesh) to obtain the promise, what you have is not from the Spirit, it is from the flesh, That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit: John 3:6.

Whatever God has promised you - prosperity, promotion, success, distinction, greatness, marriage, children or fruitfulness- it does not only matter that you get them, how you get them also matters to God. Make sure it is God that gives them to you and not ungodly human effort. Do not hew the altar with human tools. Do not 'help' God with ungodly efforts.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to help you wait on Him in complete trust for your miracle.
* Renounce every ungodly human act and effort that defile your altar.
* Pray that God will strengthen your faith as you wait on Him.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
In the name of Jesus, this month I receive speed and direction to make up for every delay and loss.

The Dominion

Sunday 3 May
READ: Gen. 1:26-31
MORE LESSON: Psa. 8:4-6

If you place a dead dog and a dead man side by side, there is no difference because both are dead. Man was created out of dust and so He is nothing but dust. However, when God breathed into man, the glory of God came upon man, and ordinary dust became a thing of greatness. Man was given the mandate to exercise dominion over everything that God created by the reason of God's presence and glory upon him. Thus, a nobody can become somebody when the glory of God comes upon his life.

The glory of man is in the dominion that God gave him. I have spoken to different things before, both dead and living and they responded and obeyed in such a way that I knew it could not have been me as I was born; it could only have been by the glory of God upon my life. Dominion comes upon you as the glory and presence of God comes upon you. You cease to be an ordinary human being; you become a God-being because you are now a product of the Godhead. Man is not just a higher animal because man didn't evolve from monkey, I said,"You are gods, And all of you are children of the Most High: Psa. 82:6(NKJV).

You have the dominion, which means the ability to put everything under you. You have dominion over nature, sickness, demons, animals, and even over fellow human beings. The dominion, power and presence of God upon your life is what is called the glory. People should wonder what manner of man you are, as they wondered about Jesus. What puts other people on the run should not chase you because there is something inside you that is greater than what everybody is running away from; that is the dominion. Nothing will chase you around anymore, in Jesus’ name.

So when sickness, depression, poverty and misfortune befall other people and they say, We are human and that is how it is supposed to be, tell them you are not an ordinary human and so it cannot happen to you the way it happens to others. You have the genes of the Almighty God in you and so you have dominion. You were born a human being but translated to a God-being when God came into you at the new birth. Live with the consciousness that God has given you the dominion.

Prayer/Action
* Prophesy every declaration of God in Gen 1:26-27--dominion, blessedness, fruitfulness, multiplication e.t.c --upon your life.
* Declare war against every enemy of your God-given dominion.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Father, I completely distrust my power and might, my abilities and efforts, I give myself into the arms of grace today, help me!

Making the most of Life

Saturday 2 May
READ: Eccl. 9:10
MORE LESSON: John 10:10

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. Eccl 9:10 (NIV)

You have only one life and you have to live it with all your might by putting everything you have into it. The following are the things you need to do in order to make the best of life.
1. Live on purpose: Discover your life's purpose in God and pursue that purpose to the outermost. Do not just live by doing anything and everything; live a purpose-driven life.

2. Accept responsibility for your life: You are the one responsible for your life. Stop complaining about what someone did or didn't do for you. Your life is not about anybody, it is about you. If you think that you are where you are today because you were denied opportunities in the past by some people or situations in your life, then decide not to be stopped by the past but take responsibility for your own life and move ahead.

3. Live a sacrificial life: Do not be selfish about life. Life is too short for you to spend it all on yourself: It is those who live and die for others that live long. If you are living only for yourself, you are dying without knowing.

4. Meet people's need. When you stop meeting needs you are no more needed. Let somebody's need be met because you are alive. Those that remember others are themselves remembered. Jesus is celebrated today because he met the need of mankind. Whatever God has blessed you with don't consume it alone, create opportunities for others.

5. Don't despise the gift of redemption: The best of life comes through redemption in Christ. Redemption is being reconciled to God and laying off all activities that are against God. Jesus died for you at Calvary; the bus-stop for every curse and the starting place of every blessing of life. Surrendering at Calvary ensures that you have the good life here on earth and also in eternity. Righteousness, salvation and redemption are the tickets for making the most out of life. Isa 3: 10 -11 says, Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him. For it to be well with you in life, you must embrace God and receive pardon by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.

Do not ignore salvation and redemption, if you must make the best out of your life on earth and in eternity.

Prayer/Action
* Say, “I will not live a wasted life”.
* My destiny shall be full and fulfilling, nothing lost.
* The best of life and opportunities will be my portion in destiny.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
This month, grace and anointing shall characterise my life,in the mighty name of Jesus.

Reflecting the Glory

Friday 1 May
READ: 2 Cor. 3:18
MORE LESSON: Isa. 60:1-3

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit: 2 Cor 3:18 (NIV). Scientists have been able to prove that the moon has no light of its own; that it derives its light by positioning itself in such a way that the light of the sun falls on it. So the light of the moon that we see is nothing but a reflection of the light of the sun. However, the Bible tells us that the moon has its own glory, There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory: 1 Cor 15:41-42. This is not contradictory to the scientific discovery. The Bible makes us to know that even though the moon reflects the light of the sun, it derives glory just by doing that. In other words, the Bible affirms that it is possible to derive glory by reflecting the glory of a higher person.

Man has no light outside of Jesus the Light, Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life: John 8:12. The good news is that if you position yourself in Jesus, His light will fill you and you will begin to reflect His light and glory in the world. Then will the scripture below be fulfilled in your life,

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid: Matt 5:14. You become the light by allowing the light of the Word of God and the glory of the Spirit of God to so much fill you that you become a light in this generation.
This is the time for your light to shine bright in this world of darkness because you are reflecting the glory of the Lord, which is risen upon you.

Prayer/Action
* Pray that your home will reflect the glory of the Lord.
* Pray that everyone in your household will reflect the greater glory of God wherever they go.
* Pray that as the light of the world, your glory will not be covered in your generation.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Father, through it all, here I am in the month of May, I thank You! I praise You!