Religion or Relationship

Wednesday 6 December
READ:  Mk.7:13  
MORE LESSON: Jn. 5:39-47

All religions of the world have one thing in common; a special book considered to be holy and containing instructions  from a 'divine deity'. This special book is seen to impact the culture and even determine the entire lifestyle of devotees. They are required to diligently study and sometimes memorize portions of these instructions until the words become part and parcel of their lives.

In  today’s text, we see that this is not the case in Christianity. Christianity is not a religion; it is the way of life. The pages of the Bible are not given to us to  flip back and forth as religious requirement for spiritual accreditation by an impossible to please deity or anything of that sort. The scriptures are carefully scripted and crafted by the inspiration of Almighty God. The Living Book is a love letter from God  to us His kids, the sons of God; for ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Gal.3:26

It is the Creator's manual for effective living. In it are spiritual lively capsules for living above the circumstances and forces of life. The Bible is God's given manual for unending victories and success. As an anchor is to a ship, so is the Word of God to our souls. Those who hold on to the Word of God are the most successful people alive.

Unfortunately, a lot of unbelievers  practice some teachings of the Bible more than some of us who are saved and profess to be Christians. The Word of God works any day, any time and God did not give His Word to only a group of people  but to the whole wide world (Jn3:16). Anybody who believes the Word and practices it will find the favour and successes that it provides. A good example is the act of giving as taught by the scriptures. I see Muslims who pay tithes and heathens who give offerings to help the needy. In fact, only recently, ten of the richest men alive, most of who are unbelievers, met at a round-table and decided that they would spend half of their wealth on the orphans, widows and the needy. This is because they discovered that giving is one secret of wealth that they all share. Simply put, they discovered that God's Word on giving and finances works!

Take up the challenge today. Those of us who have Christ living inside us should not live less than the Bible speaks of us. If you will dare to act on the words of the Living Book today, the skies are only a run-way. Like the noble man in Jn. 5:39-40, when everything else fails, go for God's Word. It never, ever fails because it surpasses religion; it creates relationship with God.

Prayer/Action
*  Rebuke the spirit of religion from your heart and soul. 
*  Declare a season of deeper intimacy with the Holy Ghost from today.
*  Confess your favourite scriptures into the atmosphere over your life and prophesy unending victories in the battles of life.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Every evil circle of lack, debt, begging, loss and inadequacy that has persisted since January, I break your yoke off me this month, in the name of Jesus.

Not a cliché: Jesus is Alive

Tuesday 5 December
READ: Acts 25:13-19 
MORE LESSON: Rom. 8: 9-11

In the anchor text, Apostle Paul got into protracted trouble with the law of the land as was common among all other apostles and followers of Jesus in His days. Extra biblical facts show us how that all the apostles of Jesus were prosecuted and executed because of the havoc and destruction that their ministries caused the kingdom of darkness. Paul was jailed and had the opportunity to defend himself before the king and in the presence of his accusers – the elders, chief priests, prominent men in the city, king Agrippa , Bernice and Festus. The accusation levelled against him by the chief priests leading to his arrest was that his words and works affirmed to the presence and power of “a certain Jesus, who was dead and is now affirmed to be alive”.

Apostle Paul was not guilty of the hideous things people do in the name of the Lord today, No! In fact, his crime was a total shock to Festus when he said, When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such things as I supposed; Act 25:18. His crime was that – although Jesus had gone to the Father, Paul’s works made the presence of Jesus whom they condemned to death, so real and compelling that it felt like Jesus was with them. Paul was guilty of doing the works of Jesus. He lived his life as a testimony that Jesus is alive. Whenever they saw or heard him, it was as though they were face to face with Jesus whom they crucified. Nothing made them more agitated than that; they wanted Paul dead.

This is our calling. It is our heritage. This is what we live for, to make Jesus known until the world thinks He still walks the earth because His works through us are evident to all. That's the reason the Holy Ghost is given to us without measure; it's something to celebrate. The highest honour any believer in Jesus can attract is to be queried for putting the power and glory of Jesus on display. this is especially so when  it becomes evident, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that Jesus is indeed alive. This is the Christian life at its best. Nobody who meets you should ever have a doubt about the life and presence of Jesus.

That's how I know that a believer in Jesus should not be poor, because Jesus provides his needs and  those of the people around him. Your prosperity not poverty is the proof that Jesus is alive. Oh, glory! When you get  hold of this truth, you will never be sick or oppressed of the devil any more. Jesus was never sickly; so, your divine health  is the evidence that Jesus is alive. Get this revelation today and speak to your situation, commanding it to conform to the reality that Jesus is alive. Paul's 'holy crime' is the proof that it's “not a  cliché; Jesus is alive’’.

Prayer/Action
* Thank You Holy Spirit, the Power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
* I confess that You are at work in me, producing the same incredible results you did through Jesus. 
* I declare that my life is pregnant with undeniable proofs that Jesus is Alive. Hallelujah!

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
I open floodgates of testimony for December and no demon shall be able to close it, in the mighty name of Jesus.

Commanded Help for your Journey

Monday 4 December
READ: Ezra 1:  2 – 7 
MORE LESSON:  Psa. 133: 3

King Cyrus of Persia was ordained by God to ensure that His Temple in Jerusalem was rebuilt. Therefore, the king issued a decree throughout the realms of all the kingdoms under his domain that all Israelites who wanted to go home to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple were permitted to do so. King Cyrus ordered that the vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had seized from the Temple of God when he invaded Jerusalem be returned to the leaders of Israel who would take them back to Jerusalem. The Israelites had been brought as slaves into Babylon but Cyrus made them return with wealth and abundance as he charged all the  Babylonians to make freewill offerings to the exiles returning home to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.  King Cyrus also decreed that the people who wouldn't go to Jerusalem should help those that went to build the Temple with gold, goods, food and all other necessities for the journey.   

When the king commands a people to be helped with all they needed for the success of their journey and venture, then success is guaranteed. The building of the temple was successful because there was commanded help for the journey. It is God's command that the people doing His work be helped with all they need for the work and for their personal needs so that they can be comfortable doing the work of the Lord. The work of the Lord prospers when there is commanded help from people towards the work. 

Conversely, in the journey of life there are people that God commands to help you with what you need for your journey. The journey of life is difficult without help; it is when men are commanded to help you that you fulfil your destiny with ease. You may want to go to school to fulfil your purpose in life but you cannot afford the school fees; what you need is commanded help. Commanded help for your academic journey may come in form of scholarship, awards, grants or even people who take it upon themselves to support you through school.

Ezra 1: 4 says, Wherever this Jewish remnant is found, let their neighbors contribute toward their expenses by giving them silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock, as well as a voluntary offering for the Temple of God in Jerusalem (NLT). Men will contribute towards your expenses and make supplies available for the journey of your life and you will be built up and become a builder of God's Kingdom, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to command help for you as you go out today.
* Pray that you will be an instrument of God’s help to many, in Jesus’ name.
* Pray that you will not make a waste of God's help over your life.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
I seal December with the blood of Jesus, and I declare it totally defended, in the mighty name of Jesus.

The Law of Exposure

Sunday 3 December
READ: Phil. 4:4-8 
MORE LESSON:  Rom. 12:1-2

The fuel you put into an appliance determines its performance. This is why it is ironic that in one of the most important areas of life, which is the mind, we disregard this basic wisdom. The verse in focus today reveals a transforming truth: – think excellent thoughts! Don't ever stop doing so. What enters your mind repeatedly, occupies it, shapes it, controls it and in the end expresses itself in what you do and who you become. That is the law of exposure; it’s as sure as the law of gravity- what goes up must come down. The substance in this law is that your mind will absorb and reflect whatever it's exposed to. Where you go, what you read, the music you listen to, what you see or listen to, the thoughts you entertain, all shape your mind, and eventually your character and your destiny. Napoleon Hill said that success is achieved and maintained by those whose mind is filled with positive thoughts. This is simply amazing!

So what should you do in a world where the messages are so often twisted or trivial, or foolish or downright evil? First, Rom. 12:2 recommends the renewing of your mind. This can only be fruitful if you sincerely do a checkup from the neck up. And second, go to God in prayer in this pattern: “Lord, what I want is a renewal of mind because I am tired of this present state of mind. It keeps leading me down the wrong paths of life. I want the kind of mind your Word describes; one that is filled with true, pure, right, friendly, and good thoughts”. Just imagine what your life would be like if you constantly pray that way. 

The good news today is that you have control over your life through your mind, and since what you feed on determines how you grow, you are no longer a slave of your mind and thoughts. Feed it with pornography and become a rapist and live in masturbation, or watch horror films and enjoy nightmares. Worst still, you can company with sadists and end up in suicide. It is all up to you!

King Solomon however has a load of advice for all who desire victory over their thought life; Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life: Prov. 4:23. Keep it by giving yourself to reading the Bible, and other spiritual books, by asking God to renew your mind daily and by deliberately being cautious on what you hear, see or say.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to transform your mind to think excellent thoughts and for grace to diligently guard it.
* Ask God for the mind of Christ.
* Ask God to fill you with the spirit of counsel.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Thirty-one celebrations, hallelujah to Jesus today and to the end of this twelveth month, there shall be nothing less throughout, in the name of Jesus