What Kind of Fruit?

Saturday 25 June
READ: Matt. 7:15-20
MORE LESSONS: Luke 3:9

Jesus said, I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing: John 15:1. He clarified this statement by comparing people to trees, vines and plants. Fruits are products of life. Many people may not be able to identify an orange tree unless they see an orange fruit growing on it or an apple tree unless they see an apple growing on it. As trees are identified by their fruits, so do people identify Christians by the fruits they produce.
Literal fruit bearing depends on the type of soil, the amount of rainfall in the year, the season and cultivation. In the same way, bearing fruit spiritually depends upon some factors:

1. Death to self: a Christian remains unfruitful unless he/she dies to self and the world, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit: Jn. 12:24. When as Christians, we love what the people of the world love and do what they do, we become unfruitful. But when we become new creatures in Christ Jesus we can bear good fruits (Rom.7:4).

2. Abiding in Christ: living in Christ entails living a life that is pleasing to God by consistent obedience to the Word and the dictates of the Holy Spirit, Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me: Jn. 15:4 Jesus is the vine while the believers are the branches; our faithfulness depends on our relationship with Jesus. It is as we yield to God on a daily basis and live a life of constantly abiding in Him that we can bear expected fruits (II Pet. 1:5-8).
The Bible makes us to understand that God wants us to produce the fruits of righteousness (Phil.1:11). God is honoured by fruitfulness. As true believers, you should see that your life, attitude, behaviour and influence are different because what people see in you is your fruit. What kind and how much fruit do others see in your life?

Prayer/Action
* Ask the Holy Spirit to destroy every seed, tree or fruit growing inside you that the Father has not planted.
* Declare that you receive grace today to bear fruits of righteousness every day of your life.
* Ask for the Spirit of obedience to flood your life.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
My destiny shall shine more and more, I shall not look back or go back, I shall reach my goal, in the name of Jesus.

Purity is Power

Friday 24 June
READ: Psa. 15:1-5
MORE LESSONS: II Tim. 2:19-21

Purity is the standard of God for everything we do because it is His nature. God wants us to live a life that is free of pollutants, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Eph. 1:3-4. When we do, then we become His likeness and whenever He finds His likeness He bestows His all. An impure heart is a waste basket and the devil's workshop, Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Philistia, triumph thou because of me: Psa. 60:8.
God detests impurity of heart and life. For humans to become pure, he needs to be grafted on Jesus the main branch. As it is recorded in II Pet.1:3-4, divine nature is through the Lord Jesus Christ. Human effort cannot do it. The Bible says all human efforts to be pure and truthful is like a filthy rag (Isa. 64:6). When we believe God's provision for our purity, we will be able to live a pure life. Whenever a branch is properly grafted on the main stem, it will begin to bear the fruit of the stem. At the beginning it may not be total but as long as the branch remains and abides, the nature of the stem is transferred into it.
Purity of life starts from the heart. When the heart is pure and aligned with God's Word and purpose through the Spirit, then purity of life is possible. Your experience, your relationship and the fruit you bear are indicators of the state of your heart. When you are defeated every single time you are confronted by satan and unable to live a consistent Christian life, then your life purity is low. Inability to live up to the standard of the Word of God is another indication that the heart is not in a good state. When your heart is pure, you become a hot coal and a no-parking-zone for the enemy. Understanding God and His Word becomes easy because the heart is clean and free of filth. Such a believer becomes demon-proof .
Purity brings boldness and courage. It makes one to be at peace with God and man. Unusual favour of God begins to manifest in such people. Such a one can easily become a tool in the hand of God to dislodge darkness (II Tim.2:20). A pure man will always have God's approval as it was with Jesus, this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased: Matt. 3:17. May this be God's testimony for you also, in Jesus' name.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God for children that Heaven and earth will be proud of.
* Pray against any child’s wrong doing that could wipe away God’s favour from the entire family.
* Ask God to send more godly children to the earth through all waiting mothers in the church.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Satan, you are a liar, God’s promises over my life in 2016 will not fall to the ground, in the name of Jesus.

God's Hedge

Thursday 23 June
READ: Job 1:6-12.
MORE LESSON: Isa. 59:1-3

In the Word of God, there is provision for safety or defence. God is emphatic about this,
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee Isa. 43:2.
It is of paramount importance for us to have the right attitude to the Word of God. Your level of trust in someone's word reflects your relationship with the person. What is your relationship with Jesus?
God built a hedge around Job, thus satan could not touch him initially. Similarly, God's hedge has been raised around your family, finance, business etc, that is why there is safety. May the Lord's hedge be strong around you. It is God's hedge that is constantly around you when you sleep and wake up. There are many that sleep and have bad dreams, unpleasant experiences, some even die in their sleep. But David says, I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me: Psa. 3:5. God's hedge around you is your security, strong and lasting since God is everlasting. Our non-consistency, disobedience, and broken relationship with God weaken the hedge, He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him: Eccl. 10:8. You need to repent of your secret sin or else the serpent will strike you. A sinner can be attacked at anytime because he doesn't have God's defence/hedge. Ask the Lord for forgiveness and make your way straight with Him. Thereafter, God's love will be available for you all your lifetime, As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever: Psa. 125:2.
I proclaim this shall be your portion. However, you must dwell in the secret place of the most High and abide under the shadow of the Almighty (Ps. 91:2). Henceforth, you will not be afraid of the terror by night; nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness. As David declares in Psa. 91:5-6,
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
So shall it be for you, in Jesus' name.

Prayer/Action
* Give thanks to God for His cover over you and your family.
* Declare that this cover shall never be removed.
* Pray that you will live up to God's expectation and that He will keep the hedge around you intact.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
In 2016, I shall not labour for another to harvest, I shall not be a slave of labour, I shall flow in harvest.

Believing is Seeing

Wednesday 22 June
READ: John 11: 30 - 40
MORE LESSON John 20: 24-29

Many people want to see God's glory made manifest in their lives but they want to see God do it first before they believe it. Are you trusting God for admission into school, marriage, employment, provision, healing, breakthrough, success or any other miracle? Do you insist on seeing it before you believe it? Then you have reversed the spiritual order and that is why the expectation is not forth coming. According to God’s standard, Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? John 11:40.
However, men say, If I see then I will believe. They say 'seeing is believing' but the Scripture says 'believing is seeing'. You don't have to see what you are trusting God for before you believe God has met your need. You don't have to see the medical report before you believe you are healed and you don't have to see the evidence before you believe it is done. As a matter of fact, the scriptural procedure is that you believe first and see the evidence later because it is your faith that God sees and commands the result. Only believe it and you will certainly see it, But as many as received him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: John 1:12. It is when you believe and receive Him that Jesus gives you power to become what He wants you to be but some want Him to first give them power and then they will believe Him.
When Jesus resurrected and showed Himself to the disciples they all believed because they saw Him. Thomas had gone out when Jesus came; he missed one church service and that was costly for him because everybody at that service had a visitation from the Lord. So please don't miss church service. When Thomas came back to church, he insisted that he would not believe Jesus had resurrected except he saw Him. In other words, seeing is believing. Jesus kindly reappeared when Thomas was around and said to him, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing: John 20:27. He immediately believed but he was reprimanded, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed: John 20:29.
Today, many condemn Thomas' doubt but each time they want to see the miracle before they believe God they are doing the same thing that Thomas did. Step up today; believe, declare and thank God for a miracle even when you have not seen it and you will see the glory of God.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to help and increase your faith today.
* Give thanks to God for every pending request you have before Him.
* Rebuke the spirit of fear and doubt around you.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
I pull down every plan to surchange my destiny and God’s programme for my life, in the name of Jesus.