Death and Life

Tuesday 29 November
READ: Phil. 1: 21-23
MORE LESSON: Ezek. 33: 12-19

Death is a certain reality that men must face. Searching through scriptures, we see that death will definitely come to all men if Jesus tarries. The right prayer is not to die an untimely death and if Jesus appears before death comes, that you will be caught up in rapture with Him. There are two definitions and perspectives that we can look at death from. The first is that death is the door that opens a man into eternity. This shows that death is not the end after all but the beginning of eternity. This is what some people do not understand that makes them get tired of life and commit suicide. They think that by so doing, they will end all their misery, distress and unbearable pains in life. Such people die only to realise that they have opened the door to another life with a beginning but no end where their misery, pains and distress is amplified without a hope of escape. It is a sin for any man to take any life, including his own. No man can create life and no man should take life. No matter the pain and agony in this life, a man must rest in God and draw succour from Him to overcome the challenges of life. No man should take his own life. Allowing Jesus into your heart will bring all the comfort and succour that you need to face and overcome the challenges of life.
Another definition of death that should be noted is that death is separation. A good understanding of death is to see it as a true separation. When a man dies physically, he is separated from his body. The spirit and soul of the man move into the realm of eternity and his body returns to dust. Physical death is also separation from friends, loved ones and other people on earth. Since we will be separated from all these things on earth, we must be wise in our approach to them.
Spiritual death is separation from God. When a man is spiritually dead, he is separated from God. A man does not have to die physically before he is separated from God spiritually. As long as a man is not connected to the Spirit of God through Jesus Christ, he is spiritually dead. This means that a man can be physically alive but spiritually dead. Such is the fate of every man that is alive physically but has not accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
Jesus is Life. Life is the only victory over death; when you accept Jesus Christ into your life; you have accepted the Life that death cannot overcome. The Spirit of Life in Jesus Christ is in you and death will not have power over you in Jesus name. The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die: Ezek. 18:20-21.

Prayer/Action
* Renew your commitment and love for God and His kingdom.
* Ask the Lord to make you an effective tool in His hands.
* Tell the Lord that you will not see death until your mission here on earth is fulfilled.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
The heaven and earth shall declare Your glory upon my life and my enemies shall live to see it and be dumbfounded, in the name of Jesus.

Rapture

Monday 28 November
READ: I Thess. 4: 16 - 18
MORE LESSON: : I Thess. 5: 1 - 9

From creation through different dispensations in the dealing of God with man, the eternal agenda of God unfolds. God is not a God of chance and error working haphazardly. Like a master-strategist, He is working with an eternal plan and takes each move at the right time. God is a God of times and seasons and makes everything beautiful in His time, as portrayed in Eccl. 3: 11, He hath made everything beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. The birth of His Son, Jesus Christ, which was prophesied dispensations earlier, was unfolded at the right time. According to Gal 4: 4, When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law. The resurrection of Jesus also happened after He spent the appointed number of days in the grave. The Holy Spirit was released at the fullness of time for Pentecost.
It is time again for another major step in the eternal agenda of God. Be it known to you today that the next thing on God's agenda is the returning of His Son Jesus Christ. God sent His Son to die at the right time, He raised Him from the dead at the appointed time and He is going to make Him come back to bring the saints home at the appointed time. The appointed time for the coming of the Lord is now! The fullness of time has come and it could happen any moment from now. The next most important agenda of God on the face of the earth is what is popularly called the rapture.
The word rapture is not in the Bible. However, it is a generally accepted doctrinal term which is used to describe the 'catching away' of the saints to meet the Lord in the sky. 'Rapture' is used to describe the global event when the Lord will appear in the cloud with a mighty trump and all those that are ready will be caught up to be with Him, The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord: 1 Thess 4:16-17.
Any man that misses the rapture is in for great trouble. His eternal chances are dimmed as such will be left behind to face untold tribulations. Remember the great hymn which says, When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, the time shall be no more. Remain rapturable.

Prayer/Action
* Today and for the rest of my life, I will live a rapturable life.
* I refuse to be distracted by the cares of this world.
* Lord, help me so that I will not live like the unwise virgins or the foolish rich man, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Rise God of Israel, the warrior of old who never loses a battle, and end my battles, in the name of Jesus.

Signs of His Return

Sunday 27 November
READ: Matt. 24: 4 - 8
MORE LESSON: Matt. 24: 35 - 36

When I was in secondary school, I heard people say Jesus was coming on a particular day. We waited and waited and it turned to be a lie. At the turn of the millennium, there was so much said about the end of the age and that Jesus would come. Years have gone by and their predictions have turned out to be lies. The next time anybody tells you that Jesus will come on a particular date, just look the person straight and tell him that he lies. This is because the supreme Word of God settled it by saying, But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only: Matt 24:36. Even Jesus didn't give a date but He gave signs.
In the text, when the disciples asked Jesus the signs of His coming, He told them, take heed that no man deceive you .... So do not be deceived because there will be a lot of religious, political, financial deceptions and lots of lies. In Oyingbo, Calabar, Ibadan and diverse places, we see many people claiming that they are the Christ and multitudes flocking to them. Some of these so-called christs died and the inner caucus of their cults used someone else to camouflage and continue as if the man was still alive. The deceived multitudes keep following the false Christ 'that lives on'. That is a sign that the end is come upon us. Another sign is pointed out by scriptures as wars and rumors of wars. Iraq, Somalia, Syria, Sudan, Russia, the list goes on and even in our neighbourhood we see religious wars and hear rumours of war everyday. It takes a man that is hardened not to believe that these are truly the days of His return.
When you read through the scripture that talks about the coming of the Lord, you will see that virtually all the signs that were told by the Lord have been fulfilled in our days. This is the reason you must know that the days are truly upon us. The date is unknown but the signs are clear. So if men fixed dates and it turned out to be lies, you must know that it doesn't mean the fact that He will return is a lie. From the signs we can fix the correct date, and that date is 'any moment from now'. Jesus can return before today is over, prepare to meet the Lord.

Prayer/Action
* Lord, help me to be prepared for Your coming.
* I receive the Spirit of God to discern every deception of satan.
* Let Your Word enlighten my understanding on the signs of Your coming.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Jehovah is the strength of my life,though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear, in this one thing will I be confident, that Jehovah leads my battles, in the name of Jesus.

Strength for Zero Hours

Saturday 26 November
READ: I Kgs. 19: 1 - 8
MORE LESSON: Isa. 40: 31

There comes a time in life when an achiever just feels downcast and weak. You have been moving on and you have been greatly helped by God but at that point, it seems as if you are just tired of everything. Boredom sets in, you realise that you are no longer enjoying what you do. Fear, doubt and weakness arise and zeal goes down. It is like a vehicle that is rusty and unserviced and you feel you can't go on anymore. I want you to know that such things happen even to great men and great women. The difference is always in the way you handle it.
Elijah had just done one of the greatest exploits in history; he challenged the false gods and their priest to a duel on Mt. Carmel where He called down fire from Heaven. The people of Israel praised and turned back to God. Then one woman threatened Elijah and he ran away and was begging God to take his life because he was so weary, downcast and tired of life. Here is what he said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers: 1 Kings 19:4. When you get to this point, you begin to feel inadequate and afraid that you will fail.
There is strength for such zero hours. When it looks like you have reached level zero and you are afraid that you may not be able to rise again, you can let God pick you and raise you again. The Word of God is what you need to be spoken into your life at such times. At such moments, remember scriptures like, For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind: II Tim 1:7. Say, ...for the joy of the LORD is your strength: Neh. 8: 10, and I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me: Phil. 4: 13, ...greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world: 1Jn. 4:4.
Eventually, as Elijah retreated to the wilderness, God showed up for Elijah and gave him food to eat. And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee: 1 Kings 19:7. When the journey of life becomes too great for you, you need spiritual food so that you can be rejuvenated. You might need to retreat into God's presence or find someone to speak the Word of God into your life. As you draw strength from God at points when all your strength is gone, you will bounce back from weakness and continue to advance in your glorious destiny. One more thing, never give in to fear, worry, doubt, or any satanic suggestions that may be flowing into you at such time. Rather, doubt your doubts, read and confess God’s Word. Never stay down, rise up and work.

Prayer/Action
* Declare in faith, I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.
* Declare, not by my strength but by the Spirit of the Lord I will make it.
* Lord, refresh and renew me for the journey ahead, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
I am from above, I shall be above all and I'm not coming down, saith the Lord, in the name of Jesus.