Walk in the Spirit

Saturday 23 December
READ: Gal. 5:16-26 
MORE LESSON:  Acts 10:38

Sometime ago, I counselled a young man in his mid-twenties to make him stand in the Christian faith. Unfortunately, he kept falling and rising, and one day he came to me to say he could no longer continue in the faith.  He asked,  “Sir, how can I make it?” I was glad at his question. I showed him Matt. 7:13-14 to confirm his feelings about the Christian race, Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Jesus’ admonition in this passage attests to the fact that the gate to eternal life (the Christian race)is narrow and the road is difficult.

But He has not left us to go through the rough road alone. He provided a carrier to bear us: the person of the Holy Spirit. The Scripture reading today gives us a guide on how to enjoy the services of this great carrier. The summary of the guideline is: Live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit (v. 25). To live in the Spirit entails being alive (fully awake and excited) about the Holy Spirit, hearing and understanding His instructions and directions for your daily living.

To walk in the Spirit involves being obedient to (respect and carry out) His instructions and directions. The Holy Spirit is resident in every Christian and He is ready to instruct, guide and direct every single step of his daily life. When you practise this, you will find the Christian race easy and sweet to run. Walk in the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Jesus did not come to the earth as a spirit. He walked and lived on the earth as human, with flesh and blood, and was tempted and confronted with the same issues as men are but was victorious in all because He submitted Himself completely to the Spirit of God from arrival to departure.

That was why when He was leaving the earth He left nothing behind for the believer than the same Holy Spirit that helped Him triumph. Whosoever therefore will listen and obey the Holy Spirit’s directives on the earth will not do less than Jesus did. In fact, he will do greater than Jesus did.
To achieve these, do the following:
1. Ask the Holy Spirit to come upon you fully.
2. Learn to pray in tongues for a minimum of one hour everyday.
3. Ask the Holy Spirit for approval before you do anything.
4. Ask God to renew His Spirit upon you today.

Prayer/Action
* Ask the Lord to grant you grace to live and walk in the Spirit, in Jesus’ name.
* Ask for the help of the Holy Spirit in your daily walk with Him, in Jesus’ name.
* Receive the grace to understand the directions of the Spirit every time, in Jesus’ mighty name.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
My prayers will not go unanswered, my fire shall not be quenched, and my glory shall stand like the sun, which no man can challenge, in the mighty name of Jesus.

Living by Faith

Friday 22 December
READ: Heb. 11:1-40 
MORE LESSON:  Psa. 44:1-3

The Bible tells us that we are saved by grace through faith. It is through the exercise of faith that a man is saved. However, it is not enough to be saved through faith and abandon the faith that is responsible for our salvation. George Muller is remembered for his ministry of supporting thousands of orphans without advertising his needs to man but God alone. At times, lacking the very bread to give the orphans, their needs were always met at meal time. Muller believed in the literal necessity of praying, Give us this day our daily bread: Matt. 6:11. As exceptional as Muller was when compared to contemporary Christians, he only did what all true Christians must do, which is to live by faith. Living by faith is the secret of extra-ordinary life.

There are two ways to live, living by sight and living by faith. The book of Hebrews says without faith it is impossible to please God. The greatest tragedy of man on earth is to live without pleasing God, that is, living without faith. Living by faith draws you closer to God, which takes the burden of daily struggles from you. The faith way of living does not stop your work, but adds value to your work. Considering the wind before sowing is one way to walk by sight. Thank God for the life of Isaac who sowed in a dry land in the year of famine. Because his sowing was an act of faith, he reaped in the same year a hundred fold. God's Word is the root of faith. No man can have faith without the knowledge of God's Word as faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). Without faith it is impossible to please God and without the Bible, it is impossible to have faith. So it is God's Word that produces faith in us and our faith makes us to please God and because we please God by faith we obtain good report (Heb. 11:2).

Therefore, faith is the key to a successful living because by it we please God and He in turn gives us good report in life. God gave good report about Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Daniel, Joseph, Moses, and all who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouth of lions, quenched the violence of fire (vs. 33-34). All these set examples for us that living by faith gives great results without struggle.

Prayer/Action
* Ask for the grace to walk by faith and not by sight, in Jesus’ name.
* Pray that you will be filled with the knowledge of God and that your faith will be built on His Word, in the mighty name of Jesus.
* Ask God to increase your faith in Him, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
I shall dwell on high, my place of defence shall be the munitions of the rock: bread shall be given me! My waters shall be sure, in the mighty name of Jesus.

The Best at no Cost

Wednesday 20 December
READ: Exo. 29:36-46    
MORE LESSON:  Heb. 4:1-7

Each time I read about how much it cost for a sin to be forgiven in the Old Testament, it baffles me that the best the blood of bulls could offer was an atonement (i.e a cover for sin). But the blood of Jesus, which is for the remission (washing away) of sins (Matt. 26:28) is made available in the New Testament at no expense to man. Obviously, being spared the requirements for cleansing of sins is enough reason why Christians have to celebrate Jesus, who made access to God cheap by picking the bill 100%. Again, unlike the Old Testament frequent sacrifices (vs. 37-38), Hebrews 9:11-12 says, But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle,... Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Although shed over two thousand years ago, the blood of Jesus is fresh in power and until we see Jesus it will make a sinner a saint.

Have you been washed by this blood? Go and celebrate its efficacy by renouncing every work of darkness and accepting that every sin you have ever committed is hereby forgiven. Whereas Naaman had to plunge into River Jordan seven times to be cleansed of his leprosy, one time is sufficient for the dirtiest sinner to be cleansed of all spiritual leprosy. What is more, the blood of Jesus does not only cleanse from sins, it gives us all things freely to enjoy, He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Rom.8:32. What a gift at no cost.

The question is, “Will God be wrong to punish eternally anyone who rejects this free but precious gift? Will God not be justified to freely pour His anger on defiant offenders?” The writer of Hebrews was concerned about the issue, How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation...:  Heb. 2:3. Salvation is free but costly to miss.

Prayer/Action
* Thank God for making the best available at His cost, in Jesus’ name.
* Ask God for the grace to spread the goodness to the world, in Jesus’ name.
* Celebrate the best gift that God has given to you and promise that you will not turn down His love, in Jesus' name. 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
*In a season of rejoicing, I shall not mourn, I shall not be referred to as late, I shall be triumphant and glad, in the mighty name of Jesus.

No Applause

Monday 18 December
READ: Matt. 6:1-4  
MORE LESSON:  Matt. 19:16-22

Giving and receiving are essential parts of the circle of life; for example, the rain gives the earth water, which it receives to produce food for man and others to eat and live. Man receives energy and strength from food to be able to give back in different ways of productivity to his immediate environment, family, community and society at large. Indeed, giving is essential and is so much built into our entire existence and daily survival that it must be done without expecting applause and accolade, especially when done in obedience to God's command and instructions, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering: Exo. 25:2.

In the world, when men give money for projects or charity, they are applauded but for us Christians, our attitude should be different. We must learn to give cheerfully with simplicity, without expecting human applause or appreciation. Remember Jesus’ words: Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven: Matt. 6:1. Even when men forget to applaud or announce your donations, be assured that your heavenly Father will reward you, which is of greater effect than the applause of men. The windows of Heaven will be open upon you such that there shall not be room enough to receive the blessing (Mal. 3:10).

My mother once told me an adage which literally translates to saying,  “if you labour at God's backyard He takes over the care at the front for you”. Nothing done for God in the secret will go without public reward. And God's public reward cannot be compared with men's loudest celebration. Even God's secret reward cannot be compared with men's public applause. I once read a commentary on the miracle of the multiplying of oil for a widow of the prophet, it says that the dead prophet was one of the prophets who hid and secretly fed seven thousand priests in the days that Elijah ran from Jezebel (I Kgs. 19:1-18). No wonder the wife was not abandoned in the day of trouble. The care of Jonathan for David was secret but the reward was public for his son, Mephiboseth (II Sam. 9:1).

Don't look up to men for reward, God can do more.    

Prayer/Action
* Pray that no earthly reward will replace your heavenly reward, in Jesus’ name.
* Ask that the windows of Heaven will be open upon you, in the name of Jesus.
* Command the devil to take his hands off your service for God, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Every register of death, accident, poison and affliction bearing my name this December, catch fire, in the name of Jesus.