Unbelievable Love II

Monday 20 July
READ: John 20:1-15
MORE LESSON: Heb.11: 28-33

The love of Jesus for man is incomparable and has no equal in affection. However, there are men in the Bible who also did great things that are worthy of our emulation as Christians who want to get to heaven.

1. In our text today, a woman reciprocated the love of Jesus with great love when men who were stronger stayed in hiding. The woman’s love was so compelling that she went to the graveyard alone and without fear to look for Jesus. Even after the disciples checked and left, she still stood there insisting for the body of Jesus. Thus she became the first to see Jesus in His resurrected body (Jn.20:13-16). Mary was a practical example of passion for the Lord. She had great courage and wonderful commitment to the Lord. Is your commitment to God unshaken even when your pastor or leader is not there to supervise? Several people have gone into hiding, away from church because of persecutions and insurgencies. Will you also go away? Mary stayed devotedly and over 2000 years later we still read her testimony. Receive courage to serve God even in the face of persecution and threats, and you will have a testimony of victory.

2. In Lk.8:1-3, there is a record of women who sustained Jesus’ earthly ministry with their substance. They were so committed and regular at it that the the Bible recorded it and thereby etched their names on tablets of gold. God expects you to use your material wealth to serve Him. Your attendance in church is good and imperative but the fullness of your blessing will not come until you serve the Lord with your substance. It is part of reciprocating Jesus’ love.

3. There is an unbelievable and awesome chronicle in Heb. 11 of men who believed in God and did great exploits. Sarah and Abraham conceived in old age (Heb.11:11); Moses forsook the Egyptian crown to stick with Jehovah. (Heb.11:24-27) and many others. And what more shall I more say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae, of David also, and Samual, and of the Prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens: Heb. 11:32-34.

They did all these because of their faith although they were Old Testament saints. We who are of the New Testament owe God more because the precious blood of Jesus has given us a better covenant than that of the Old Testament.

Prayer/Action
*Father, the chronicle of those who did great exploits for You will not end until my name is added, in Jesus’ name.
*I will do awesome things for my awesome God in awesome ways by His Spirit and power.
*Go ahead and do for God that which He is laying in your heart right now; do not procrastinate!

PROPHETIC PRAYER
I command every devouring power to jump out of my life now, in Jesus’ mighty name.

Unbelievable Love I

Sunday 19 July
READ: Isa. 53:1-10
MORE LESSON: Rom.5: 1-8

The foundation of the Christian faith is the truth about the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Anyone who does not believe that Jesus came, died and rose from the dead is not a Christian. The Christian faith does not exist without this truth. The reason why several people cannot accept this fact about the Lord is because it sounds unbelievable to a natural man. It's incomprehensible to the carnal, natural man how the following things about Jesus Christ, the One and Only Messiah could be true
1. The Son of God could go through intense pain as described by the prophet Isaiah. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and by his stripes we are healed: Isa.53:5. No one wants to be wounded, have bad cuts from which blood flows freely as Jesus experienced except for criminals, who go through such by force. Jesus unbelievably went through pain, so who is man not to. He was deeply wounded and scourged with the Roman whip used for hardened criminals of those days.

2. He died for ungodly and sinful men. But God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us: Rom. 5:8. Hardly will men die for a good man, but Jesus went ahead to die for sinners, making a provision ahead for even unborn men, who have all sinned and come short of the glory of God ( Rom3:23).

3. Jesus became a substitute for us by taking our place, receiving God's punishment for our sin though He was righteous and without sin. What love! That is why having made such awesome provision for man to escape damnation in hell, if anyone rejects this redemption package, there will be no mercy or remedy again after death. I urge you to reciprocate this unbelievable but absolutely free offer of God by entering a love relationship with Him.

4. He went to hell (sheol) to rescue men's souls as part of the package of redemption. He collected the keys of hell and death from Satan.

5. He paid the price for us to have a change of status and position. We were no people but have become members of God's family by the price Jesus paid on the cross (Eph.2:11-12). Now we are raised up to sit at the same level with Christ in the spirit realm above all other spirits (Eph. 2:6).

By these acts of Christ, men can have access to all the goodness of God spiritually, physically, morally, psychologically and in all areas of life. What a love! Incomparable love!

Prayer/Action
* If you have not personally accepted the love of Jesus for you, do so today.
*Appreciate the great unbelievable sacrifice of Jesus for you by His death and resurrection and appropriate the benefits to your life.
*Declare that from henceforth Satan will no longer rob you of your inheritance as a child of God.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Father, rid me of strange spiritual gifts and inheritances from this day on, in Jesus’ mighty name.

Speak Back!

Saturday 18 
READ: Josh 6: 26 - 27
MORE LESSON: Heb. 11: 3

There is nothing in the universe whose origin is not in the Word. Everything was created by the spoken word. The same way everything was created by speaking so also can things be destroyed by speaking. A believer must not just learn to speak positive situations into existence in his life, he must also learn to speak back to negative ones and destroy them. Don't allow anything to shut your mouth such that you cannot make declaration into your own life anymore. The Christian life is lived by speaking.

It is not correct for a believer to wake up from a bad dream and start crying and panicking. What do you have a mouth for? Don't cry or fret, just use your mouth to cancel that negative dream in the name of Jesus. Also if somebody curses you as a believer, there is no need to fear, just use your own mouth to reverse the curse and turn it to a blessing for yourself. If the person believes he has the mouth to curse you, you also have the mouth to return it. There is something called 'back to the sender'. If sickness wants to harass you, know that the sickness came from somewhere; use your mouth to send it back. In the same way send all afflictions, negativity, pain and misfortunes back. Use your mouth to speak to everything that you don't want in your life to leave. If it wants to know where to go, tell it to go where it came from.

Jericho was like the gate-city that Israel needed to pass through to get into the Promised Land. However Jericho closed the door against Joshua and the children of Israel and even tried to kill the Israelites sent to spy the land. (Josh 2: 3 – 6). They fought against Joshua in battle to stop Israel from making progress but after victory over Jericho, Joshua did something. He declared that any man that would rebuild the city of Jericho, he will lay the foundation at the cost of his first child and build the gate at the cost of his last child. (Josh 6: 26). By so doing, Joshua was declaring that the challenge that gave him trouble shall never rise again. Jericho wanted to stop Joshua but he used his mouth to finish Jericho.

This morning you are to speak back to everything that wants to destroy your destiny and you are going to terminate them. Never let the enemy have the last word in your matter, declare the final verdict with your mouth. Use your mouth to speak back to situations and circumstance and close the book on any negative thing in your life.

Prayer/Action
* Speak every word ever spoken against you back to sender.
* Command that the shout of the king will swallow every enemy’s noise in your life ( Num. 23:21).
* Lay your hands on your chest and prophesy greatness into your life and destiny.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
As Caleb expelled the existing giants dwelling on his heritage, so I expel every territorial spirit occupying my inheritance today, in Jesus’ name.

Removing Reproaches II

Friday 17 July
READ: Gen. 15:13-14
MORE LESSON: Josh. 5:9

When God made a covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15: 12, He told him, . . . Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs and they shall afflict them four hundred years. That was a reproach that was going to come upon the nation of Israel who were the children of Abraham. We can see that the reproach of slavery that the Israelites went through in Egypt was known by God even before it happened. It is comforting to know that the pain you are going through is known to the Lord. God knew in advance that Israel was going to be in slavery in a strange land and He even knew the duration of the slavery.

The greatest consolation is that the Lord also knew the deliverance that He would give them. So 400 years before their slavery, Jehovah had made a covenant with Abraham, And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance: Gen 15: 14. God had sworn that He would put an end to their reproach, judge their oppressors and bring them out with great substance. The covenant of God with Abraham that He would bring them out of slavery, judge the nation that held them captive and give them great wealth were all seen to be fulfilled in scriptures. So in the Bible, we see how God struck all the first born of Egypt, parted the Red Sea and did many other wonders in order to fulfil the covenant that He made to Abraham that the reproach of Israel will be removed. This shows us that God knew about the reproach, knew the deliverance He would wrought and has all the power to do whatever was needed to bring that deliverance to be.

I want you to know that God sees your reproach and He has made a provision in His covenant that the reproach would not be forever. He has sworn to put an end to your reproach and He has the power and might to do whatever it takes to see that your reproach is removed. If you have given your life to Jesus Christ, you are a partaker of the covenant of God with Abraham (Gal 3: 14) and so God will do everything it takes to see that your reproach is removed. If you are not part of God's covenant, today is the day you should accept the covenant through the blood of Jesus. For a born again child of God that is still experiencing a reproach in any area of your life, you must stand, claim and engage the covenant of God against every form of reproach against your life. Today remind God of His covenant to put an end to all reproach in you. I declare according to the word of the Lord that this day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you in Jesus’ name (Josh 5: 9).

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to terminate every negative name that describes or defines your name today.
* Ask the blood of Jesus to end now, every old negative order in your family line that connects you with any reproach,
* Ask that the power that terminated the reproach of Israel in Egypt will visit you today and repeat that miracle.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Oh Lord, use my present circumstance as a ladder to my greatness by your power, in Jesus’ name.