Unity in the Church

Tuesday 27 June
READ: Psa. 133: 1 - 3
MORE LESSON: James 3: 16

The place of unity is the place of the commanded blessing. In every family, church and nation one of the things that should be a top priority is sustaining oneness and unity among the people. In the house of God, no matter how much people pray if there is no unity, there will be no blessing. This is why you must never be part of people running down others and causing dissension within the church. It is not enough that you are not part of discord, you must rebuke it. When a person comes to you to sow a seed of discord, you should correct him/her.
Tell the pastorate and leadership about any one creating disunity through his words and actions in the church. This is important so that the issue can be promptly resolved and the person corrected. When you keep quiet about disunity being sown, you allow it to grow and it will destroy everything, including you. Does someone see cancer in any part of his body and hide it from the doctor, saying he doesn't want anybody to know? No, it should quickly be exposed so that it can be curbed before it becomes malignant. It is possible to have a misunderstanding with someone in the church; after all, it is humans that are in church; so there will be imperfection. However, you should settle it quickly and solve the problem and not turn it to an instrument of disunity.
The spirit of witchcraft rides on the wings of disunity. Witches are always looking for who to fight, gossip about and talk evil of. In the church of Christ, there is only one person you are permitted to gossip about – that person is Jesus Christ. Just as there is a blessing commanded on the place of unity, there are curses in the place of disunity. James 3:16 says, For where envy and strive is, there is confusion and every evil. When you see people dying in a church, things not working and every manner of stagnation, check the unity of the people. Competition, jealousy and strife in a place bring evil such as death, sickness, affliction, sack from job. There is a spiritual hedge that disunity breaks which makes all kinds of evil to come into the house.
In the satellite church system, the unity of the whole Body of the Church must be preserved. We must not seclude or divide ourselves but rather see ourselves as part of the whole; the oneness of the church must be maintained. Corporate meetings and accountability to the head should be much honoured. The unity of the entire Body of Christ must be promoted and no denomination should cause division within the Body. Don't partner with people that the devil wants to use to break up the Body of Christ. Don't allow anyone to bring you under a curse.

Prayer/Action
* Today, I come against every spirit of disunity at home, work and church, in Jesus’ name.
* Lord, expose every agent of disunity in our camp, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Oh Lord concerning that matter (mention it) let me hear joy and gladness, in the name of Jesus.

Power to Forgive Sins

Monday 26 June
READ: Luke 5: 17 - 25
MORE LESSON: Psa. 32: 1 - 5

A man was brought to Jesus for healing. Invariably, his sickness was as a result of a sin he committed. Sin causes sickness and every kind of calamity. It was after the first man sinned that death, sickness and every other form of suffering entered into the world. Many times the troubles that a man faces are as a result of the sins he has committed. A person who lives in sexual immorality contacts HIV/AIDS and the toll of sickness begins to tell on his/her body. Sin has gross repercussions.
However in the text, we see a man who was suffering from sickness as a consequence of the sins he committed. When he was brought to Jesus, contrary to what many men would have said, Jesus didn't tell the man, “That serves you right. You committed sin and now sickness is ravaging your body. Good for you.” The compassionate Jesus looked at the man and said, ...Man, thy sins are forgiven thee: Luke 5:20. The religious guys were angry because He attributed to Himself the ability to forgive the man's sins. Jesus told them, But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house: Luke 5:24. Jesus healed the man as a proof that He had actually forgiven the man.
No matter how numerous or grievous your sins are, Jesus has the power and willingness to forgive you. Even if your suffering today is a consequence of the mistakes and sins of the past, Jesus is ready to forgive you and remove the consequence of your sins. If you have contracted a disease because you lived in immorality, Jesus is not one of those people who will stigmatise you and say that your condition serves you right. He wants to forgive your sins and heal your diseases. You will no longer be judged by the mistakes of yesterday, the Blood of Jesus will wipe your slate clean. His blood washes all your sins-past, present and future. The accuser might still be looking for your sins, but the blood of Jesus washes you.
There are only two things He requires of you. First, He wants you to come to Him in utter repentance. He has promised that whoever comes to Him, He will by no means cast out (John 6: 37). Come to Him and He will forgive you, wash away your sins and their consequences by His Blood. The second thing He demands of you is what He said to another man that had diseases as a result of his sins; Jesus said to Him and to you, ...Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee: John 5:14.

Prayer/Action
* Father, whatever is happening in my life as a consequence of my lifestyle, have mercy Lord, in the name of Jesus.
* Father in Heaven, forgive me my past and present sins, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Every dark stain on the horizon of my glory, by the blood of Jesus I decree them removed, in the name of Jesus.

The Heart, not the Message

Sunday 25 June
READ: Luke 8:4-15
MORE LESSONS: John 8:31-36

A friend once asked me why there are so many churches and powerful preachers in Nigeria, yet unrighteousness abounds. Before I could give an answer, he concluded, I think there is something wrong with the messages that are preached. It is either the preachers are not preaching the right stuff to change the people or the messages lack power to convict men of sin, righteousness and judgment. My friend may be right, but I also think there is something more as the Scripture reading explains. The sower planted the same seeds at different locations, but what influenced the different performances was the nature of the land.
Those which fell by the way side were trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured the seeds. Some fell upon a rock and as soon as they sprang up, they withered because there was no moisture. Some fell among thorns and were choked up by the thorns that sprang up with it. Yet others fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bore fruit a hundredfold (Luke 8: 4-15).
In the explanation of the parable, Jesus says the seed is the Word. No one can doubt the potency of God's Word. If the Word fails to produce result, it is not the inefficacy of the Word or of the sower, but the land, and in this case it is the heart of men that influences the performance of the seed. It is unfortunate that some listeners in church have the hearts that are
vulnerable to birds of the air. Such hearts are those that wonder about when preaching is going on.
They hardly hear anything in church. Even if they hear, the Word does not get home with them. The enemies of their souls simply pick everything. Others have hearts that cannot stay upon God's Word for a season. Although they hear and even respond to altar call, when their flesh demands for things contrary to the Word they hear, they easily submit to their flesh. These are believers who cannot resist temptation because they are not deep rooted in the Word. Some believers have hearts full of the cares of this world. Although they seemingly love God, they also love the world. They are those who use the Word as a cloak for covetousness. You never can be a friend of the world and please God in anyway, as the Scripture cannot be broken (1John 2:15-17). The cares of the world will stunt the growth of the Word.
It was the same seeds that fell on fertile ground and produced fruit in thirty, sixty and hundred folds. Anytime God's Word finds a fertile ground, the fullness of its potential will manifest. God's Word is perfect, converting the soul. It is a lamp to the feet of men, and a light to the path of them who believe. Make your heart ready today for God's Word, and the preaching you hear daily will produce positive effect in your life.

Prayer/Action
* Bind the forces that destroy the seed of God's Word in you.
* Decree that your heart will be receptive to God's Word.
* Pray that you will not miss any Word of God meant for you, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
In my life, work and family, I reject backward motion and lack of testimony, in the mighty name of Jesus.

The Heart, not the Message

Sunday 25 June
READ: Luke 8:4-15
MORE LESSONS: John 8:31-36

A friend once asked me why there are so many churches and powerful preachers in Nigeria, yet unrighteousness abounds. Before I could give an answer, he concluded, I think there is something wrong with the messages that are preached. It is either the preachers are not preaching the right stuff to change the people or the messages lack power to convict men of sin, righteousness and judgment. My friend may be right, but I also think there is something more as the Scripture reading explains. The sower planted the same seeds at different locations, but what influenced the different performances was the nature of the land.
Those which fell by the way side were trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured the seeds. Some fell upon a rock and as soon as they sprang up, they withered because there was no moisture. Some fell among thorns and were choked up by the thorns that sprang up with it. Yet others fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bore fruit a hundredfold (Luke 8: 4-15).
In the explanation of the parable, Jesus says the seed is the Word. No one can doubt the potency of God's Word. If the Word fails to produce result, it is not the inefficacy of the Word or of the sower, but the land, and in this case it is the heart of men that influences the performance of the seed. It is unfortunate that some listeners in church have the hearts that are
vulnerable to birds of the air. Such hearts are those that wonder about when preaching is going on.
They hardly hear anything in church. Even if they hear, the Word does not get home with them. The enemies of their souls simply pick everything. Others have hearts that cannot stay upon God's Word for a season. Although they hear and even respond to altar call, when their flesh demands for things contrary to the Word they hear, they easily submit to their flesh. These are believers who cannot resist temptation because they are not deep rooted in the Word. Some believers have hearts full of the cares of this world. Although they seemingly love God, they also love the world. They are those who use the Word as a cloak for covetousness. You never can be a friend of the world and please God in anyway, as the Scripture cannot be broken (1John 2:15-17). The cares of the world will stunt the growth of the Word.
It was the same seeds that fell on fertile ground and produced fruit in thirty, sixty and hundred folds. Anytime God's Word finds a fertile ground, the fullness of its potential will manifest. God's Word is perfect, converting the soul. It is a lamp to the feet of men, and a light to the path of them who believe. Make your heart ready today for God's Word, and the preaching you hear daily will produce positive effect in your life.

Prayer/Action
* Bind the forces that destroy the seed of God's Word in you.
* Decree that your heart will be receptive to God's Word.
* Pray that you will not miss any Word of God meant for you, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
In my life, work and family, I reject backward motion and lack of testimony, in the mighty name of Jesus.