Jesus: The Manger Born Messiah

Sunday 25 December
READ: Luk. 2:1-7
MORE LESSON: Luk. 2:12.

Jesus' time and place of birth are of great significance and that is why our Scripture reading of today started with it. It was a time of decree and a time of fax, everyone going to his/her city to obey the decree. The prophecies about Jesus' place of birth must be fulfilled and so Ceaser Augustus ordered everyone to move, And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, in Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet: Matt. 2:4-5. In fact, it is not only about the place of His birth; everything written concerning Him was fulfilled. Jesus' birth fulfilled the Scripture because He Himself came to fulfil the whole Scripture (Jn. 19:28). May your life fulfil the Scripture positively, in Jesus’ name.
The fact that He was born in a manger was a sign and highly significant (Lk. 2:7). The Messiah for the whole world was born in a manger; what a paradox and an irony! But as usual, it happened also that the Scripture might be fulfilled. Jesus was born where He was born because of what He came to do! Jesus came as a lamb to take away the sin of the whole world; as it is usual for a lamb to be born in a manger, Jesus was born there. He was also born in a manger because ... there was no room in the inn... which means that Jesus came to a people who were not expecting Him. There was no space in a comfortable and expected place, so, He was born in a manger. We must make room for Jesus in our heart and life so that He can do all that He was sent to do in us.
Moreover, His birth in a manger was prophetic; low place, a place no pregnant woman wants to deliver her child. Can you imagine delivering your first child in a place where sheep and goats are feeding? Jesus was born there to tell the whole world that He would fulfil His ministry with humility, He came and did things the world expected. His birth in a manger is a declaration that He did not come only for the highly placed, but for the lowly too. Jesus came to die for all categories of people and so all celebrated His birth; the wise men from the east, which signifies the learned and the shepherds which signifies the unlearned and the illiterates (Matt. 2:1-2, Lk. 2:8-16).
It also means that if Jesus could be born in a manger, He can inhabit any life no matter how bad it is. Only if the heart can be opened, ready to receive Him, Behold, I stand at the door, and knock, if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him and will sup with him, and he with me: Rev. 3:20. All you need to do to be a saved person is to open the door of your heart, when Jesus comes in, He will take care of your entire life from the earth to Heaven. Can Jesus be born in you today? Is there room for Jesus in your life? He wants to be there now!

Prayer/Action
* Thank You Father for delivering me from the bondage of sin.
* Father, thank You for the gift of salvation and permanent place for Jesus in my life.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Just as angels celebrated Jesus with shouts of hosanna, so shall my destiny be celebrated with songs of high praise to Jehovah, in the name of Jesus.

Christian Leadership

Saturday 24 December
READ: 1 Cor. 11: 1
MORE LESSONS: Mark 10: 35-45

Being a leader is a huge responsibility which is given to us and for which we must give account. Christian leadership, contrary to the world system, is not about seeking title, position or power but commanding emulation through positive spiritual influence. Spiritual leadership is about your life being a worthy example to people spiritually and in other aspects of daily life. Each time you exert positive influence on people's lives, you are leading. This is the reason why when a person gets saved through you, it is said that you led him or her to Christ. A wise man once said, You are a leader if you have ever attempted to get someone to do something right. Another wise man said, If your actions inspire others to learn more, do more and become more, then you are a leader.
This understanding makes leadership accessible, available and possible for all and sundry; you mustn't be president, chairman or head before you lead. You can lead whatever your position in an organisation, group or family. All you have to do is to be a positive influence and add value to that place with or without recognition. Christian leadership is not about having all the privileges and having every one serving you. It is about serving others. It is pouring your life and resources to further God's cause and the welfare of the people. If there is somewhere or somebody whom you can serve with your God-given ability, you are already progressing in leadership.
Christian leadership is about caring, nurturing and raising people; it is both a privilege and a responsibility. You can exercise leadership as a father or mother in the family, as a person positively impacting your friends, a teacher or coach influencing young people for Christ; you can exercise leadership one-on-one. It is not only when you face a crowd or you are in a big position that you are in leadership. In fact, it is faithfulness to God in little and seemingly unimportant areas of leadership and tasks that you do either in church, at work or at home that determines how God commits bigger things to your hands, He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much: Luke 16:10.
Christians should not lobby, seek or rush into leadership positions, most especially in the Body of Christ. They should allow God to place them according to the measure of grace He has given them, Don't be in any rush to become a teacher, my friends. Teaching is highly responsible work. Teachers are held to the strictest standards: James 3:1 (The Message). However, if God has made you a leader, His grace is sufficient for you even in your weakness. I pray you will not fail in your assignment, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God for grace to be a leader indeed.
* Pray that you will not fail in your responsibility as a leader and that you will not mis-use the privilege.
* Pray for the leaders of your local assembly.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
As the pregnancy of Jesus could not be aborted despite all satanic anger, so shall my destiny survive all attacks, in the name of Jesus.

God’s Nature

Friday 23 December
READ: II Pe.t 1:4
MORE LESSONS: 1Jn. 2:12-20

We cannot get enough of the Word of God which brings God to us. The environment of Heaven finds expression in the Word of God. The more of the Kingdom of Heaven we want to experience, the more of the Word we must deliberately digest. Growing in the Word of God requires discipline and a lot of effort at first, but as we make a habit of reading and meditating on the Word, we soon begin to build our lives around it with ease. Every time we receive the Word, we receive God. All of this is simply to say that the reason God gave us His Word is to make us like Him.
Beyond the breakthroughs and miracles that we receive as we walk in God's Word, the ultimate invitation of God for us is to become like Him. This is the very heart -beat of the Father. God is building Himself into us by the instrumentality of His Word; He wants to totally transform us. This is the ultimate assignment of God's Word in us; to upgrade our present reality into God's realm of dominion. God is constantly changing our lives into His image. Through every victory, deliverance and healing, God is calling us to become channels of deliverance, healing and victory to the world around us. The life of God must be seen in and through our daily living, for this is the ultimate work of the Word in us. The Living Book is given to make us living books and epistles to our generation.
We are called Christians because our biggest responsibility is to be like Christ, walking in the divine nature of Christ; a life that absolutely portrays Heaven on earth. Jesus walked the earth many years and never fell sick, rather, He healed the sick. This is because no virus or disease can thrive in the divine nature of Christ, none, not one! The divine nature is an absolute supernatural life that natural people cannot resist. And this is one of the greatest tools for evangelism.
God is calling us out of this present noise into maturity of soul and spirit. It is God's desire that every word of ours and deed beam the Gospel to that person who might never get to read a Bible, And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,...: Col. 3:17. Let us live in the consciousness that we are the living epistles of the Gospel of Christ today. For it is only through contact with the Word that we can impact our world.

Prayer/Action
* Father, help me to devote myself to Your Word.
* Father, let me manifest the seed of God in me in my character.
* Because I have the nature of God, sickness, diseases and sin shall not reign in my body.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
As mountains surround Jerusalem, so shall the angels of the Lord surround me on every journey this month, in the name of Jesus.

Forgiveness by the Blood

Thursday 22 December
READ: I John 2: 1-2
MORE LESSONS: Prov 28: 13

An important dimension to forgiveness is the need to forgive yourself of the mistakes and errors of the past so that you can overcome guilt and inferiority complex. You might be disappointed about some things you have done in the past but you need to rise again from the fall and go ahead with God. Satan rejoices in seeing us fall into sin and remain fallen, but God rejoices in seeing us get up and overcome sin. The devil always tries to remind you of the sins and mistakes of yesterday. When satan reminds you of your yesterday, you should remind him of the cross. There may be imperfections and mistakes as we live day to day but we shouldn't because of this give up on ourselves. We must learn to accept that we occasionally stumble.
Forgiving oneself is part of the blessings of the cross. A lot of people today are in crisis because they cannot forgive themselves. We should deal with guilt by the Blood of Jesus so that the enemy will not use it against us. A guilty conscience is dangerous. Most suicide cases stem from a feeling of being disappointed about something and refusing to accept help. Not forgiving oneself can be as a result of pride, as some feel too big about a mistake they made that they find it difficult to forgive themselves.
This pride gives room to satan to penetrate deeper into their lives. When you refuse to forgive yourself, you simply believe that no future or opportunity exists for you anymore. But I am glad to announce to you today that through the Blood of Jesus, there is a better tomorrow for you, My little children, these things have I written unto you that ye sin not: I John 2:1. Sin can never be justified no matter who commits it; sin has no approval in scriptures, But if any man sin…, That is a conditional statement. God doesn't expect or want us to sin but He made a provision in case it happens. …we have an advocate with the Father.
An advocate is one who pleads on behalf of another. Jesus who died on the cross of Calvary is our advocate with the Father, who pleads our case. He knows our frame and because of His righteousness, He can stand before the Father from where He points to His Blood on the cross to obtain forgiveness for us. If God has forgiven us, we should forgive ourselves. Calvary, therefore, is the place for self forgiveness, And he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world: v2. No matter what you have done, today, it is time to say, 'Jesus, I accept Your gift of forgiveness.'

Prayer/Action
* Father, I am released from every guilt that unforgiveness has brought upon me and I accept the forgiveness by the blood of Jesus.
* I declare, no more will I walk under the condemnation of satan because I have been forgiven.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Angels of blessing, visit me today as you visited Abraham and Sarah at the crucial time of their life, in the name of Jesus.