Trouble with Riches

Thursday 14 July
READ: James 5:1-6
MORE LESSON: I Tim. 6:9

King Solomon (the richest king who ever lived) in his attempt to express his view about the importance and worth of money said that money is a defence and it answers all things (Eccl. 7:12, 10:9).

Money is the universally accepted medium of exchange, be it Naira, Dollar, Pound, Euro, etc. With good amount of money, one can do a lot of good things. The Bible says God gives us power to get wealth, and truly speaking, some people have enjoyed this “power” to an extent that they have so much more than can be counted. A good example of this is Abraham and Lot as expressed in Gen. 36:7. But to my amazement, the rich always contribute very little when it comes to issues that do not concern them. A popular author, Vance Packard, says that the USA has at least 800 people worth more than 100 million dollar. How much do they give to the church and charity? Less than 2%!

There was this story told by a man who while on a visit to Haiti, saw a poor elderly woman at a missionary station walk miles for a meal, which she shared with a young girl. He said, “The very poor are much more generous than the very rich”. Right from the Old Testament prophets until now, many of the rich have exploited the poor. Apostle James in our text today warns that the wealth of those who oppress the poor “will be a witness against them and will eat their flesh like fire (James 5:3).

Silver and gold belongs to and must be used to serve God and humanity. But a great percentage of the rich people are very strong and can hardly part with what they have without any hope of return. Realising this, we should honour the wealthy who are generous and pray for the stingy and mean ones that they will be as lavish as they can out of their abundance. Every rich believer should share testimony with rich believers in Macedonia as stated in II Cor. 8:1-6, specifically, vs 4-5 say, Praying us with much in treaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.

Rich believers must first give themselves to the Lord in full surrender and serve Him actively with their possessions. Using your money to spread the Gospel, take care of your priest, the needy in your assembly and the neighbourhood is a must for you. You must also not rob God in tithes and offerings; bring all, ten percentage of all earnings belong to God whether you are in business or you are a civil servant. In addition, you must give pledges, mission offering, building offering, prophet's offering, Sunday offering, first fruit, etc.

PRAYER/ACTION
* Today I receive the power to give generously in my assembly, in Jesus’ name.
* Father, let Your Gospel spread through me, in Jesus’ name.
* I receive the heart to minister to the saints’ need, in Jesus name

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Father, thank You for making me Your battle axe against all satanic onslaught in my generation, in Jesus' mighty name.

Information or Revelation?

Wednesday 13 July
READ: John 8:32
MORE LESSON: Luk. 24:13-31

An average Christian has information about the finished work of Christ. Many know about the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, the fact remains that the finished work of Christ is merely head knowledge to many. Most people have not really began to explore the authority Christ purchased for us on the cross of Calvary. The death of Jesus on the cross, His triumph over death and the victory He left for us need to be properly appropriated. Often times, when we find ourselves in difficult situations, we keep banging on the gates of Heaven calling on Jesus to descend. But the truth is that Christ never went away with the victory He won for us. He plainly stated this, Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you: Lk. 10:19. He left the power with us; the power you are crying to Heaven to send down is already resident in you and you only need to have a revelation of it.

The reason situations in a believer's life seem to defy all solution is because the dividends of the finished work of Christ has not become reality to the believer. That is, it is still just information and not yet a revelation. Except you begin to exercise your authority over the forces attacking your destiny, satan will keep thriving on your ignorance. It is the truth you know and work with that makes you free not the one you are aware of. Move from just being aware of your place in Christ and start working in the reality of it.

Many people have information without revelation. Pontius Pilate was the man that handed Jesus over to the Jews. He had been looking forward to see Jesus and had been searching for the truth. However when Jesus, the Truth, stood before him, he could not recognise Him. He asked Jesus if He was a king and Jesus told him that He was. Pilate even wrote on the cross a sign that read, 'Jesus; the King o f the Jews.' but all these were information to him not a revelation. So he was not saved.

You could hear the Word a thousand times over, but until it becomes a revelation, it will be mere information that doesn't change you. It is the revelation of Jesus as King that puts an end to all life's struggles. The Word of God is a spirit and it is only by walking in the spirit that we can understand it. Therefore, the more of the Holy Spirit we allow in our lives, the more depth of God’s Word that we wil have. All who attempt to understand and interprete God’s Word by human knowledge will enter into error. But if we by prayer and deep connection to the Holy Spirit we seek to understand the Word, there can be no limit to the revelations. Next time you read the Word, ask the Holy Spirit to give you revelation.

PRAYER/ACTION
* Pray that your eye of understanding be enlightened.
* Ask God to give you fresh revelation of His Word each time you read/hear it.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
From today onward, as the Lord lives I shall never again be cited as a negative example, in the name of Jesus.

Above All

Tuesday 12 July
READ: John 3:25-36
MORE LESSON: Eph. 2:6-10

We are seated with Christ in heavenly places, far above principalities and powers. John 3:31 tells us, he that is from above is above all. Everyone who has Christ on the inside is above all. When Jesus was on earth, He lived as a King. After He resurrected, He ascended to the right hand of the Majesty on High and we are seated with Him. The authority of a believer is as a result of who Jesus is, and not because of who we are. Jesus is King and it is He in you that makes you a king. And if you are a king by the virtue of redemption, nothing can put you under any more. Kings are above not below. This is the reason the Bible says concerning you, the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath.... Deut 28:13.

You are above financial difficulties, health challenges and life situations. Whatever you go through, say to yourself, ‘I am above all’. Make your destiny run in victory by having a consciousness that you are above. Jesus is King over nature, demons, death and all things and He is in you, then you are also a king over all things. No longer must you act and live as a slave, you are to act and believe as royalty.

The Kingship of Jesus has an implication for us. The implication is that satan has lost authority over all things in our lives forever. When we are conscious of Christ on our inside, we become a people above every situation. My Christian life took a new turn when I recognised the fullness of what Jesus did for me on the cross of Calvary. It makes it easy for me to access forgiveness when I need it, strength when I need it and the power of the Holy Spirit in the time of need. Righteousness has been imputed unto us. We are in Christ and since He is above, we also are above. When next someone asks you where you are, tell him you are above. My son once said to me, “Dad, how far” and I replied “Far above principalities and power!” It sounds like a joke but it is real.

David saw and declared this (Psa. 110:1) Every human being can determine his position in life and eternity by this verse. All who are in Christ are not only comfortable by the sitting position but are in addition, sitting at the right hand of God, which obviously is in the highest of all and all who make themselves servants of the devil are not only located at the lowest level but serve as footstool for the righteous. The conclusion is simple: who you serve determines where you are located. This is what John was telling those who came to report Jesus’ activities to him (John). In our text, that same Jesus is far above, He cannot be compared with John. Jesus is above all.

PRAYER/ACTION
* Father, in the name of Jesus, the veil of ignorance that has covered my eyes is hereby destroyed by fire,
* In the name of Jesus, I take my place of authority, power, divine health and prosperity where I belong.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
I affirm and confess that it is well with my soul this year and it shall never be ill with me, in the mighty name of Jesus.

Great Calm II

Monday 11 July
READ: Mark 4:35 -39
MORE LESSON: Psa. 93: 4

Jesus was in the boat with His disciples and despite His presence, a storm struck the boat. The presence of storms in your life does not indicate the absence of the Lord. The fact that you are experiencing difficulties doesn't mean that the Lord has forsaken you. It is however expected that you must know how to handle storms when they come so that you will not be a victim but a victor over the storms of life. The first thing that should be noted from this story in the Bible is that God expects you to invite Him to act on your storms and not for you to assume that He will act automatically. Jesus didn't calm the storm the disciples found themselves in until they invited Him.

We must also take note of how Jesus calmed the storm. When Jesus was invited into the storm, He rose up and spoke to it. You must learn to speak to your situations in life. Complaining and panicking will get you nowhere, only faith inspired words bring a miracle. The disciples said to Jesus, Teacher, don't you care if we drown? Mark 4:38 (NIV). That is a question not a declaration! You must learn how to speak the Word of God to your situation and not speak words of complaint, murmuring or questioning God. In Jer. 22:29, the Prophet spoke, O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord. That is the kind of declaration you are expected to make; speak the Word of the Lord to the storm. There is no storm that will not respond to the Word of the Lord in your mouth. Your power is located in your vocal chords and whatever you cannot declare, you may not receive. So speak the Word! Even salvation is gotten by declaring and believing. The problem with many Christians is that they stare at storms of life instead of rebuking them.

In Ezek. 29:2-3, the Lord told Ezekiel to set his face against Pharaoh and prophesy against him. You also must set you face against your storm and prophesy against it. You don't have to wait to feel the Spirit of God like goose pimples on you before you prophesy. Just face that crisis and begin to make decrees from the Word of God against it. A decree is a declaration backed by the law. A decree carries full authority and the greatest authority and law is the Word of God, so when you speak God's Word against your storm, it must bow. Job 22:28-29 agreed, thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. So make sure you control the situations on your outside from your inside. Speak words of command from the inside and every storm on the outside will bow. Use the constitution, which is the Word of God to back up all you say and that storm will give way, in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER/ACTION
* Help me not to lose sight of Your presence with me even in the face of the storm, in Jesus’ name.
* Speak the Word of God against the storm confronting your home, health and finance.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
In the name of Jesus, this day, this week, this month, this year, the sun shall not smite me by day nor the moon by night.