Time of Courtship

Friday 15 July
READ: Heb. 13:4
MORE LESSON: II Tim. 2:22

The period between the acceptance of proposal and the actual marriage is what is referred to as courtship. It is a period of time when conjugal love develops between two people who are genuinely in love with each other. It is sure that people with blossoming love will want to do things together, but they must avoid the wrong assumption that they belong to each other. Deeper intimacy must not be allowed in courtship because it is just a shadow of marriage and not marriage itself.

The period at which two people who have the conviction of God that they are meant for each other and so choose to acquaint themselves with each other is very important because it is like the first stone in foundation laying. Courtship is the first step in preparation for Christian marriage and not the actual thing, so parties involved must exercise caution and great discipline as they are not yet married. Christian courtship must not involve petting, caressing and any type of sex or sexual arousal, but a time to pray and plan the future together. If two people in courtship will focus solely on marriage and godliness not carnal appeals, they will be able to run a successful courtship without sin. Therefore, Christian courtship involve the following things:

1. Not a time of series of do's and don'ts but a time to depend more on the truine God, His Word and His Spirit. The two parties must fully surrender to the Lord and allow Him to rule in their life.
2. Long period of courtship extending over several years may not be so desirable and may be dangerous. It can lead to unwanted sins and pregnancy if care is not taken. It is better if the two people in courtship have their marriage date in view so that they can work towards it without distraction.
3. Courtship time is a time to learn to understand each other and every necessary marital demand such as the dowry, the partners’ backgrounds and cultural beliefs.
4. Courtship time is a time to know your in-law to be. It is good to plan to visit the two families together. It is necessary to see each other’s relations and know them. There is danger in going to the altar of marriage without knowing your partner’s people.

5. It is a time to fix the wedding date and plan things in preparation. Courtship must not accommodate physical passion, kissing, petting, carousing, and sleeping together, they are sinful in a Christian courtship. To do these is to deceive yourself and lay a foundation for a difficult and unbearable pain in marriage.
You can trust God for a pure courtship by surrendering totally to His Word and His Spirit. I had a five year long courtship and by the grace of God without sleeping with my partner. It wasn't easy to do that but my anchor was God’s Word (Prov. 6:32).

PRAYER/ACTION
* Father, give all our youths the power to enjoy courtship that is void of sin, in Jesus’ mighty name

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
I shall advance in destiny and nothing shall be able to turn me back, in the name of Jesus.

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.