Keeping your Salvation

Friday 5 May
READ: Phil.2:12-16
MORE LESSONS: 1Cor.9:24-27

It is one thing to be born again, it is another to keep your salvation until Jesus comes. There is no doubt that God who saved you has the will and power to keep you to the end (2 Tim. 1:12). However, our text urges, Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling: Phil.2:12. Someone may ask, If I was saved by grace through faith, why do I still need to work out my salvation? It is because there is a part you must play to keep the salvation God has wrought for you.
Some steps are helpful in this regard: 1) You are to live a life of obedience to the Word of truth, whether your leader or any other believer is there or not. 2) Don't murmur or complain. God brought out Israel from Egypt with great power to take them to Canaan. But those who decided to give themselves to murmuring and complaining all perished in the wilderness. It was the intention of God to take them to Canaan, but they aborted that plan by their behaviour. 3) Be blameless sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. Let your conduct be such that even those who hate you will have no ground to fault you. 4) Be the shining light in your corner; dare to be different and unique. The popular saying, if you are in Rome, behave like a Roman or if you can’t beat them, join them, does not apply in the Christian walk. Don't do something because everyone around you is doing it. They could be wrong. When you are in doubt over any matter, ask your pastor. 5) Hold fast the confession of your faith. There are many false teachers and prophets in town, who are agents of satan to confuse young minds. Give yourself to the study of God's Word. 6) Always attend prayer and fellowship meeting where you learn more about God and obtain grace to be obedient to the Word.
God does not intend to abandon you on the way. Yet, as you can see in verse 16, it is possible to run in vain, and void the works of those who laboured over you (preached to you, followed you up, and taught you the way of the Lord). The desire of every spiritual leader is to see his flock blessed here on earth and make it to Heaven. Your success is one of the bases on which he will be rewarded in Heaven. So you are part of the stars on his crown on the last day. If you fail to make it to the end, he will have laboured in vain. You must make up your mind not to disappoint yourself and your spiritual leaders. Run according to the rules. Be focused on the prize for the upward call of God. Indeed, there is an incorruptible crown awaiting you if only you will run steadily to the end.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God for the wisdom you need to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, in the name of Jesus.
* Pray that your Christian journey will not be terminated by carelessness or any other arrow of hell, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Father, my eyes are on You, visit me all- around and let there be a turn around in my entire life, in the name of Jesus.

Assurance of Salvation

Thursday 4 May
READ: Eph.2:1-8
MORE LESSONS: Rom.8:14-16

Yesterday, we considered what it takes to be truly born again and perhaps you prayed and committed your life to Jesus. Many young converts grapple with the problem of confirming their new status in Christ. A young convert may be faced with questions such as: What makes you believe that you are now born again? Did you see Jesus enter into you? How can mere repetition of the preacher's prayer get you born again? Thus he or she is confused. Perhaps you are also confused about the prayer you made yesterday, but I want you to understand the following from our text:
1. You are saved by grace through faith. Having said the prayer yesterday, believe in the efficacy of the prayer.
2. Jesus does not have to physically walk into your life. The Spirit of God entered into you at conversion. So Jesus is in your heart.
3. You are now a child of God. The Spirit of God will henceforth continue to testify, witness to your spirit (conscience) that you are born again.
It is the strategy of satan to put doubt in anyone who confesses Jesus to make him think nothing has changed. But from the very moment you made those statements sincerely from your heart, God who sees your heart knew that you meant every word. So He released His Spirit to carry out a work of regeneration on your spirit man. In the spirit realm, you have been rescued from the control and dominion of the power of darkness (Col.1:13). Your name was removed from the books of judgement and boldly written in the Book of life (Rev.20:11-15).
Satan and his agents and the angels of God know this truth. Stand your ground. Your affection for God and things of God will begin to increase. There is a deep-seated joy and satisfaction in your inner being. You feel as if you have everything even though physically, you may have some lack. You feel God is now nearer to you than before. You will also resent sin. You feel odd in the midst of old friends who practise sin, and you desire a new company. These are some of the evidence that you are born again. Go ahead and change those friends because they can pull you down if you continue with them. Go to a Bible believing church and present yourself to the pastor, and ask him to give you someone who can follow you up. Remember, you are born again by grace through faith, not by works.

Prayer/Action
* I am born again, satan pack your load (sickness, diseases, failure, badluck, fear etc) out of my life, in Jesus’ name.
* From today I have the Spirit of God to lead me, teach me, guide me. Thank You Jesus for saving me, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Father, go to the foundation of my life and dislodge the seeds of wickedness working against my destiny, in Jesus' name.

Are You truly Born Again?

Wednesday 3 May
READ: John 3:1-8
MORE LESSONS: Acts 8:26-39

It is interesting to know how much the Gospel of Jesus Christ has prevailed in our time. Some years back, it was a sacrilege in many homes to be born again. You automatically became an outcast, an object of ridicule, one that missed his way in life. Today, it is fashionable to be born again. Even those who are yet to be saved hate to be called unbelievers. While this development in our time is glorious, it is necessary to review what it means to be born again so that no one lives on a false assumption that he or she is saved.
It is possible to be very devout, God-fearing, pray regularly, show kindness to fellow human beings, go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem and read/study the Bible, yet you are not born again. From our text, Cornelius the Centurion was a devout man. Many Church leaders of our time cannot earn the commendation accorded Cornelius. Now consider the commendation: Cornelius (was) 1) A devout man. 2) Feared God with his entire household. 3) Gave much alms to the people, 4) Prayed to God always. 5) Had a vision in which an angel told him his works were noticed by God. Yet he needed to send to Peter at Joppa who had to tell him the way of salvation.
Another personality that God had to intervene in his matter to get him truly saved was the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:26-39). This man went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. He was even reading the Bible (the book of Isaiah) on his way back to Ethiopia. The Holy Spirit had to prompt Philip the evangelist along Gaza strip to explain the way of salvation to the eunuch. Are you truly born again? The two examples demonstrate the fact that you are not born again because of your good works or religious activities.
What then does it take to be truly born again? One must:
1. Admit and confess Jesus as Lord and Saviour, and put one’s total trust in His name: Rom.10:9-10; 10:13.
2. Turn from following satan and his agents to God: Acts 26: 17-18; 1Thess.1:9.
3. Be made a new person in character and affection by the power of the Holy Spirit: Titus 3:5; 2Cor.5:17.
4. Live a life that is solely dependent on God's Word and His Spirit: John 3:3-8; 1Pet. 1:23; Matt.4:4. You live by the Bible and are led by the Holy Spirit (this is what it is to be born of water and Spirit).
Think about these facts: Are you truly born again? Does your life manifest the issues raised above? You can surrender your life to Jesus today.

Prayer/Action
* Today, I make a public declaration (if you have done it before) I rededicate my life (if you have done it before) that I am born again, in Jesus’ name.
* Because of this declaration, I confess Jesus, I surrender to Him, I will live for Him, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
My Father, disgrace every power of financial shame that may be sent to my life in 2017, in the mighty name of Jesus.

Praise and Worship II

Tuesday 2 May
READ: Jam. 5:13
MORE LESSONS: Psa. 50:23

Yesterday we studied the power of praise and worship as exemplified by the case of Jehoshaphat and Paul and Silas. The Bible is filled with such examples of praise and worship, note that Jesus our Lord did not go to Golgotha without a time of singing, And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives: Matt. 26:30. David was another example who in pain and joy sang and prayed as recorded in the psalms which we still sing today. Singing for King David was a medium of communication with God; he had a permanent access to God's throne through the psalms as we do today. David, Jehoshaphat, Paul and Silas all sang and Heaven responded. Can your own song do the same? Can your song move God and move men to God?
There is a need for the 21st century Church to re-examine the type of music that is played in Christian gatherings. If God asks you to make a choice between the two, what is your priority, the wordings or the music? Both are important but I guess the words will bring result from Heaven long before the music is considered.
My greatest worry today is the source of Christian songs. Most are from the world because our worship/music leaders lack the commitment and time to go to the presence of God and receive inspiration; and since they must perform the easy way out is to copy worldly musicians most of whose inspiration is directly from hell even when they sing well. Now we must go back to the hymns, examine them and emphasise the wordings of our songs more than the music which is what will supply the needed strength in time of trouble, Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord Col. 3:16.
The people of God must recognise song as a weapon not a decoration, an inspiration not an entertainment. Church must begin to put priority on wordings of our songs beyond the lycrics (music). The major preoccupation of Heaven is not night vigil, Bible study, crusades, conventions, etc. All that ends here, but songs and singing, will be the only thing we do all through eternity, worshipping and praising the Father with the elders. Let’s start here and do it as it will be there.

Prayer/Action
* Pray for all our gospel song ministers for a fresh inspiration of God upon them, in Jesus’ name.
* Pray for a new revelation of God that will provoke His praise in your mouth, in the name of Jesus.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Agents of spiritual slumber and compromise, get out of my life now, in the name of Jesus.