Soldier of the Cross I

Friday 14 April
READ: II Sam. 11:1-4, 13-15
MORE LESSONS: Psa. 51:1-5

There are many lessons to learn from the pathetic story of King David and Uriah the Hittite, that true and exemplary soldier of David's (Israel) army. That was the soldier whose wife Bathsheba David the king impregnated while the man was on the battlefield to defend the territorial integrity of the kingdom. In fact, verse 1 ends by saying, …But David tarried still at Jerusalem. For me, there is a serious lesson here. May be, if David had been at the battle front as expected at that time, he would have been spared this shameful story. May be grace to help him at that hour of temptation could have been available if only he had been at the right place. Obviously, one sin will always lead to another until there is courage (grace) to say no.
There are lessons to learn from this story. First, David didn't go to war and then he fell to adultery, then to cover the first sin, he attempted to make Uriah go back home in time of war (v 8) and when that didn't work, he went for the worst. He arranged for Uriah a faithful soldier to die at the battle front, so David committed murder. Our first lesson today among many is that every attempt to conceal a sin will lead to a greater sin. Only mercy can cover iniquity, nothing else! Truth, when spoken, can cause an initial pain, shame and embarrassment, but in the long run truth is a healer, deliverer and it brings honour.
Lying does not offer permanent joy but a false hope because every secret will eventually be revealed. King David eventually faced the truth, terminated the guilty conscience, went through the punishment and is today in Heaven with Jesus.
No matter what we say or write about this story, David is with Jesus and the temporary setback eventually became a glory, because he settled with the Lord of his life. Stop the secret act, brace up for the truth; it is the only mark of a soldier of the cross! Jesus' blood has paid for and covered the past. Enlist in the army of the truthful soldiers now! A truthful soldier does not seek to cover the evil he has done, rather he will seek to be forgiven. He does not call black, white or vice versa, he can say it as it is, no diplomacy by lying. A true soldier is more interested in pleasing his commander in chief - Jesus, and truth is his greatest pleasure, so let us fear the Master, not the men around Him and stand in the truth. Man may never forgive or forget when we tell the truth, but God will, so be a true soldier of the cross; stand in the truth always.

Prayer/Action
* Ask for mercy and cleansing by the blood of Jesus wherever any sin exists, in Jesus’ name.
* Declare that sin shall not have its grip over you, in the name of Jesus.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
The sound of unending joy and jubilation shall characterise the rest of my year beginning from today, in the name of Jesus.

Separating Light from Darkness II

Thursday 13 April
READ: Gen. 1: 1 - 5
MORE LESSON: Isa. 60:1-2

God created light in the beginning and saw that light was good, so He separated light from darkness. God doesn't want good and bad mixed together; He wants your life filled with good. God didn't stop at separating light from darkness, He pronounced a verdict on both light and darkness. The Bible says, And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day: Gen. 1: 5. Thousands of years have passed since creation and night is still associated with fear, danger and evil while day is associated with lively activities, sunshine and good. According to the psalmist, ...weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning: Psa. 30: 5.
God separated light from darkness, He called light day and called darkness night. This is a form of declaring judgment on light and darkness. He sentenced light to a life of day and darkness to a life of night. This shows that we should not only separate light from darkness in our life, but also sentence the light and the darkness to where we want them to be as far as we are concerned. You can sentence light to come to your life and darkness to stay away from you. This is what the Bible calls executing the judgment that is written (Psa. 149: 9). A written judgment is a publicly acclaimed statement that cannot be changed for as long as it stands. If a judgment is merely verbal, it can be misconstrued and someone can later claim that it is not exactly like it is.
The written judgment cannot be misconstrued; there is evidence in writing to back it up. It is time for you to declare judgment on every form of darkness in your life. Separate darkness from your life and sentence it as far as you want it to be from you forever. It is your duty to execute judgment on darkness in your life; you need to enforce what God has said about you. Refuse to accept negative things. Separate your destiny from darkness and pronounce judgment on it. The fact that you have not overcome a sin, sickness or poverty in your life doesn't mean you should settle down with it. Never accept darkness as normal. Execute judgment on it.
God executed judgment by proclamation, God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night: v5. One of the strongest ways to keep darkness away from your life is by your confession. Job 22: 28 (NKJV) says, You will also declare a thing, And it will be established for you; So light will shine on your ways. Child of God, do not allow darkness in your life. Separate light from darkness and declare judgment on every form of darkness in your life. You are the light of the world, so ascertain that no shade or form of darkness manifests in your life.

Prayer/Action
* Announce that the light of God will chase out every darkness in your life, in Jesus’ name.
* Tell God that darkness will have no representative in your life, in the mighty name of Jesus.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Whatever operates against me this month by flying shall lose their wings, the ones that walk shall be crippled and the ones in the waters shall be dried up, in the name of Jesus.

Separating Light from Darkness I

Wednesday 12 April
READ: Gen. 1: 1 - 5
MORE LESSON: Gen. 1: 17 - 18

The first thing that God created in the beginning was light. Darkness was reigning until God commanded light to be. However, after God created light, the darkness didn't disappear, it was only swallowed up. This means that after creation, light was present and darkness was also present. God had to divide the light from darkness. Sometimes, light and darkness are all mixed together in a man's life. Good things are symbols of light and bad things are darkness. Many believers are suffering from a lot of darkness; it is only that the light present does not make the darkness to be obvious. There are silent tears, hidden pains and other problems covered by the good house and nice clothes that many wear. Sickness and poverty may still be punishing a man while the only consolation he has is the joy of salvation and the fact that he will make Heaven when he dies. God doesn't want partial light and darkness mixed up in your life. He desires that there should be a total separation of light from darkness.
According to 1 John 1: 5, This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. God is all light and no iota of darkness. In the same manner, there must be no room for darkness, no matter how small, in your life. Sickness, demonic oppression, nightmares, sinful habits and poverty are darkness. You must separate between light and darkness and send the darkness away.The very first step in separating from darkness in your life is to know what is light and what is darkness. I have realised that some of the things people celebrate as light are actually darkness. Some people celebrate some problems in their lives and say that it is the cross that God has given them to carry. Some believers actually feel spiritual bearing problems. It is not God that heaps problems on you, it is darkness that makes you celebrate problems. Separate light from darkness and condemn darkness. No matter how many scriptures men try to use to justify lack, what is bad is bad; poverty is darkness.
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness: Gen 1:4. God saw that light was good and that darkness was bad, so He separated light from darkness and chose light for Himself. Today you must step out of any theology that makes you celebrate darkness. Even if religion wants to make you see something that is darkness as acceptable, refuse to be taught into accepting it. Don't accept sickness, failure, poverty, smallness or obscurity; you must shine as light. Don't accommodate and pamper your problems and limitations, you are light and darkness has to be separated from you.

Prayer/Action
* Speak condemnation upon every agent of darkness around you, in Jesus’ name.
* No activity of darkness will survive my presence, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
I banish the hands of the enemy from this day and I release God's mighty hand upon it, in the name of Jesus.

Light versus Darkness II

Tuesday 11 April
READ: Luke 10:17-22
MORE LESSON: Psa. 27:1-3

Has it ever occurred to you that darkness travels in reverse order of the speed of light when ever light shows up? No matter the strength of darkness, it rolls back at the spark of light. The speed at which darkness will roll back is as fast as the strength of the light that confronts it. As fickle as light might be, darkness must submit to its authority. This phenomenon is a typology of the prevailing power of the kingdom of God over the kingdom of darkness. When you know this truth and operate in it, you will always be on top of situations and satan cannot harass you at will.
When Jesus sent out His disciples to propagate His kingdom, He gave them authority over the powers of satan, to heal the sick, deliver the oppressed and even raise the dead. It seems the disciples did not comprehend the magnitude of what they carried. They might have gone in simple obedience. They came back full of excitement as they reported to Jesus, …Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name: v17. Jesus also responded: And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven: v18. Can you imagine the speed of lightning? Thundering is as a result of clash of windstorms. When the windstorms collide, we see the flash of light before hearing the sound. Jesus said, the speed at which satan falls from any position he occupies and reigns when a light carrier appears is like that of lightning. Even before you hear satan tumbling and crashing out, he has fallen.
Why then do some believers tremble in fear of satan and what satanic agents can do to them? The answer is one: they do not know the power they carry as believers. The psalmist said, The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell: Psa. 27:1-2. You are light. Satan and his agents will fall back when you arise to take your place; the Scripture cannot be broken. As it is impossible for darkness to overthrow light, so it is with those in Christ Jesus. You must be conversant with this truth and walk in victory.

Prayer/Action
* Lord Jesus, teach me the truth that sets free and let me walk therein, in Jesus’ name.
* I command satan and his agents around my life to fall back and disappear at the speed of light now, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
I decree that as the month advances so shall my greatness increase this month, in the mighty name of Jesus.