Get Connected

Wednesday 4 November
READ: John 1:12
MORE LESSON: I Cor. 6:17

For a gadget to function, it has to be connected to the power source. A microphone works only when it is connected to the speakers. A bulb has the capacity to give light but if it is not connected to a power source or if not switched on, you won't get any illumination. So the primary secret to shinning as light is to be rightly connected to the power source. There is power in the name of Jesus but for the name to work for you, you have to be connected to it. Connection with the name of Jesus is what guarantees the flow of the power of God in your life. Jesus is our connection point; His name makes the power flow.

The emphasis here is simple: when you are connected to Jesus, the power of God is present for you. I want you to understand today that you don't need to struggle about the power of God; all you have to do is be connected to Jesus and every other thing will follow. Can I announce to you that all that your heart has been longing for that you have been running up and down for are in the name; just get connected and when you are connected, you don't struggle over power, light, dominion and every other thing you need. The Bible says, as many as receive Him… - that is connection. To receive Jesus is to be connected to Jesus. To be connected with Jesus is to have the power of God flow upon your life. God is not a respecter of persons.

Whatever any man does in God, you can also do. All the exploits people do through God is not because there were born with the ability, it is because they are connected with God. Everything I do today, I am not doing as I was born by my mother, I am doing all as I am connected to Jesus. If you will get fused with Him, you will do more. John 1: 12 says, as many as ...He gave them power to become… I notice that so many people today look for power just anyhow- power to do just anything- unknown to them that God has made provision for power. God has made provision for all you need in life and destiny. That provision is Jesus. Jesus is the power of God over everything you need for life and destiny. So get connected!

Connection is free, Jesus paid by dying on the cross of calvary over 20 years ago that anyone who willingly comes to God desiring to become God’s own only need to ask for God’s pardon and by accepting that he had been a sinner but desires God’s pardon by the blood of Jesus, shed on his behalf. By accepting Jesus to lead your life, your sins and punishments are permanently behind you. Say YES to Jesus now!

Prayer/Action
* Ask for the power to fully become God’s own.
* Ask for the connecting power of the blood of Jesus to fully connect to Jehovah the eternal source.
* Pray that you will begin to experience the manifestations o f the connected ones.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Father, You will perform the oath that You have sworn concerning me, and none of Your promises to me will fail, in the name of Jesus.

Add and Add

Tuesday 3 November
READ: II Pet. 1:1-9
MORE LESSON: Mk. 9:23-24

It is challenging to hear Apostle Peter urge fellow believers (pastors and congregations) to live a dynamic and ever growing Christian life. The apostle said that as believers the knowledge of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ has already been given to us; …all things that pertain unto life and godliness….: II Pet. 1:3 plus …exceeding great and precious promises….: II Pet. 1:4. However, we still need some other things to add in order to be able to stand solid so that we cannot fail or fall. He outlined such things as follows: …add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity: II Pet. 1:5-7.

Three things are the challenge in this scripture passage. First, I thought we are complete if we have already been obtained with the precious faith through Jesus Christ our Saviour. This means we are already born again and on top of it, we have been given, …all things that pertain unto life and godliness and have been … called us to glory and virtue II Pet. 1:3. Therefore, there is nothing to add. Second, the things the apostle asked us to add other things to are things that look sufficient in themselves: faith, virtue, temperance, patience, knowledge, godliness, kindness, charity. In any case, the apostle did not say we do not have some of these things already, but that we must add to them. Third, all the increases have already …escaped the corruption that is in the world II Pet. 1:4.

So, what then is the lesson? It is that whatever be your height in the Christian faith, you cannot afford to stop adding. The secret of increase and growth is addition; no matter how small, just keep adding consistently and permanently. When you stop adding, you stop growing and start reducing. Even stagnancy is a reduction. May you increase more and more. This year you will not decrease; the Lord shall be your increase.

Prayer/Action
*Ask God to reveal all the small areas of your life to you and add to them.
*Pray that you will never stop increasing.
*Ask the Lord to increase every area of strength and deal with every deficiency in your life.
--Take a definite decision on what you can begin to do to increase your faith. For instance, how many books to read per week, how many hours of prayer to add each week, how many souls to harvest each day and how to intercede for them daily.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
This month, I shall be saved from all my enemies and they that hate me, in the name of Jesus.

Greatness by Service

Monday 2 November
READ: Matt. 20: 25-28, Mk. 9:33-37
MORE LESSON: Phil. 2:1-15

The world defines greatness in terms of power, possessions, prestige and positions, that is, your status in the society. Jesus, however, measures greatness in terms of service not status. God determines your greatness by how many people you serve, not how many people serve you (Mk. 10:43 MSG).
God often tests our hearts by asking us to serve in ways we are not trained or conditioned for. It is our servant heart that will reveal our maturity. No special talent/gift is required to pick trash or wash toilet. Anyone can be a servant; all it requires is your willing heart. It is possible to serve in church for a lifetime without ever being a servant (Matt. 7:16).

True greatness involves losing what the world says we should hold dear. This is Christ’s message to His disciples exemplified by Jesus Christ Himself (Mk. 10:45). True greatness is found in: (a) the way of service (b) the way of humility.
a. The way of service:
i. Service in evangelism – Jn. 1:35-42.
ii. Service in edifying others - Eph. 4:16.
iii. Serve others in benevolence - Eph. 4: 32.
b. The way of humility:
I. Reach out to those who are less privileged – Jms. 2:5.
ii. Learn from your subordinates.
iii. Interact with those that are less privileged.
iv. Help with mundane tasks.

Another aspect of service is rendering service to your leaders. Joshua for example, became the great successor of Moses even though he started as a servant (Exo. 24:13). Also, Elisha succeeded Elijah and got a double portion of Elijah's anointing by faithfulness in service. He followed till the end.

Our entire life's purpose and existence should be viewed as that of a servant; first, of God and second, of our brothers and sisters on earth. We should value our lives only in the light of how Christ valued His own. He laid down His life so that others might live. This is the only true great man (Phil.2:9).

Prayer/Action
* List out 10 character traits of Jesus that attracted you to Him
* Pray each one into your life so that you also can be like Jesus.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Father, I declare that You are going to make room for me in this new month and I shall prosper in it, in the name of Jesus’

Continuous Assessment

Sunday 1 November
READ: Lk. 15:1-10
MORE LESSON: I Cor. 11:27-29

Success in life can be maintained by a continuous assessment of one's performance. It is not wise to keep doing things without periodic evaluation to make room for improvement. Jesus’ parable about the lost sheep and the lost coin is interesting because of what the shepherd and the woman individually did to get back what they lost. The price each of them paid was high. The shepherd had to leave ninety-nine secure sheep in search of one lost sheep. The woman had to light a candle and sweep the whole house in search of the lost coin.

What I really like about these two people is that they both recognised that they had a loss. The shepherd who had a hundred sheep suddenly realised, by continuous assessment, that his sheepfold was less by one. The woman also, by continuous assessment, realised that she lost a coin. You must periodically examine your life and what you are doing to see if all is well. There are blessings that the Lord has given you that you must keep monitoring to ensure that you don't lose any. Learn to check your spiritual life to see if you have lost any virtue.

For example, it was not in your character to get angry or tell lies, but suddenly you realised you are easily provoked, and that you exaggerate easily. Another situation could be that you have suddenly discovered that you lust easily or that you have become materialistic. This means there is an emergency and you need to go for spiritual evacuation. Like the shepherd and the woman in today’s examples, look for whatever you have lost at all costs and you will get it back. It is very dangerous for you to wait until God to examines you Himself, because judgement may follow as it was for Nebuchadnezzar, TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting: Dan.5:27. That was why Paul admonished, Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves...: II Cor.13:5. This was in contrast to David’s cry in Psa. 26:2, Examine me, O LORD, and prove me.... The good thing to note here is that ... if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged: I Cor. 11:31.

Again, recent medical discoveries have proved that a regular medical check is a better guarantee for long life than treatment against sickness. This is also the same in the academics; a student who is successful in continuous assessment is not likely going to be a failure. So in whichever area of life, a continuous check is a guarantee for well-being. Have you had a spiritual check up today?

Prayer/Action
* Ask that God will not hide your true spiritual state from you.
* Tell the Holy Spirit to maintain a continuous x-ray of your spirit man all life long.
* Ask God to restore all your losses in life and cause you to recover fully.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Father, it’s the eleventh month, thank You for the privilege of seeing today, in the name of Jesus.