ARMOUR OF GOD PT 2

MEMORY VERSE: But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goest, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes, 1 John 2:11

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ruth 1, Acts 26, Jer 36, Luke 5

Ephesians 6:11 says put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. In part one of these series we defined what an armor is and the uses of an armor. An armor is used to defend one’s self, attack the enemy or plunder the enemy. When we win souls for Christ, we are plundering the kingdom of darkness and bringing out souls that have been condemned to hell back to God. The armor of God is God’s own armor. It is efficient and useful in all kinds of battle – financial , marital , spiritual, physical, emotional e.t.c.

Before we discuss about the parts and components of this armor, we need to know about tools and methods the enemy employs when they want to attack. The enemy has three main objectives – to kill, to steal and to destroy. John 10:10 says the thief does not come except to steal, kill and to destroy. The enemy uses doubts, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, hatred, adultery, fornication, laziness, masturbation, fear e.t.c. to accomplish these three objectives. When the enemy wants to destroy, kill or steal from a fellow they shoot fiery darts or arrows at the fellow (Ephesians 6:16). If the fellow is not putting on the armor of God or there is a missing part in the armor maybe the fellow is saved but still tells lie, the dart or arrow will hit the fellow and poison is released into the blood stream. For example if the enemy wants to plunge a brother of his spiritual gifts or his destiny or his ability to see and hear spiritually, they shoot the darts of adultery and fornication at the fellow. God help the brother if he is not putting on the whole armor of God. Once poison is released in to the blood, the passion for adultery or fornication starts burning. Once the brother commits adultery or fornicates that’s it. The enemy can now come in to take anything he wants, at what time he wants. Not only that, he can now permit demons to live in the fellow or put the fellow in bondage. I pray that this will never be your portion in Jesus name.

Recently we treated a topic titled ‘You and Your location’. One’s location is very important because been at the wrong place at the wrong time could lead to death. Your location could increase or decrease spiritual attacks. The safest location in the world is found in the secret place of the most High. Psalm 91:1 says he that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. The question is this where is the secret place of the Most High or what does it mean to abide under the shadow of the Almighty? 1 John 4:8 says God is love. To abide under the shadow of the Almighty means to abide or live in love. Love God with your Spirit, soul and body. Love your neighbors as you love yourself. 1 John 2:11 says but he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knowest not whither he goest, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. A fellow who does not love walks in darkness. Darkness is the territory of the devil while light is the territory of God. When a fellow walks in the territory of the enemy, he is prone to more attacks.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please fill my heart with love.

YOU AND YOUR LOCATION

MEMORY VERSE: Psalm 1:1 says blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners nor sits in the seat of the scornful, Psalm 1:1

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 21, Acts 25, Jer 35, Luke 4

Location play a big role in our life. Whether a man will prosper or not will be determined by his location. If Isaac had disobeyed God and went to Egypt, he would have died as a nobody but because he remained where God told him to be, he prospered and became very prosperous (Genesis 26:11-14). Actually he became so great that a whole nation began to envy him. Whether the promise of God will come to fruition in a life or not will be determined by the individual’s location. If Joseph had remained with his father, he would never have become the prime minister in Egypt but one way or the other the Lord took him to Egypt and that plan came to fruition. In Matthew 2:13-14 the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and advised him to flee to Egypt because Herod wanted to kill baby Jesus. If Joseph had disobeyed the angel and remained in Bethlehem, Herod would have killed the baby and Jesus would never have been able to die for the world. I pray that God in one way or the other will change your location to where your destiny will be fulfilled in Jesus name, amen.

Your location will determine your harvest. In Mark 4:1- 20 we see the same seed producing varying results. Those that fell by the wayside were eaten by  birds ; those that fell on the mountain produced a bit of result but it did not last long ; those that fell on good soil brought forth a good harvest. We also noticed that even those that fell on good soil brought forth different returns. Some brought forth returns in thirty; some sixty and others hundred fold.

Your location will determine whether you will have faith or not. The good book says faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God(Romans 10;17). If you are in an area where all they talk about is negative things, your faith will not grow.  But if you are in a place where the undiluted word of God is preached, where people talk about possibilities, your faith will soar. Ultimately your location will determine how you finish your race on earth. Psalm 1:1 says blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners nor sits in the seat of the scornful.  Lot lost all as a result of his location. He came into Sodom and Gomorrah with a lot of servants, sheep, cattles, gold and his family but he left with only his daughters. At the end Lot died a frustrated man because his location corrupted the life of his children. Despite the fact that the girls were virgins, what they saw and heard corrupted their mind .At the end these two girls conceived and hatched a plan to get their dad drunk and lay with him carnally.

PRAYER POINT: Father ,please open my eyes to the location you want me to be.

ARMOUR OF GOD PT 1

MEMORY VERSE: Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, Ephesians 6:11

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 20, Acts 24, Jer 34, Luke 3

An armour is a protective covering worn to prevent injury to the body in battle. Battles could be financial, legal, spiritual, physical, emotional (battle of the mind) e.t.c. An armour is mainly for defense. Anyone who has fought battles or any war veteran will tell you that the best form of defense is attack so an armour would include items to defend oneself, items to attack the enemy, items to disarm the enemy e.t.c. The reason for battle could be for freedom, to recover back what the enemy has stolen, to claim back lost grounds or to kill the enemy at infancy thereby preventing it from growing and causing problem in later life e.t.c. Some of the enemies that needs to be destroyed at infancy are anger, jealousy and all. 

The type of battle you are fighting will determine the type of armour you need. If you are fighting a legal battle in court, you need a good lawyer. It will be absurd to turn up at court with an AK17 and missile launcher to defend yourself in court. The type of enemy you are fighting will also determine the type of armour you require. If you are fighting spiritual enemies, you need prayers not a lawyer or statutes or technical know-how.

You may be wondering i am not fighting with any one; I am a peaceful person, why do I need an armour? I have not offended anyone, why should anyone want to attack me? I am honest and I have never taken what does not belong to me so why should anyone be after me? Matthew 11:12 says from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. The violence referred to here is not physical but spiritual. Ephesians 6:12 says for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. We are talking of the devil and his hosts of fallen angels. The bible calls them spiritual wickedness which means they do not need a reason to attack you. This is why you cannot adopt a soft nature when dealing with spiritual forces. When dealing with humans the bible admonishes us to be gentle, slow to speak, quick to hear e.t.c but when you are dealing with spiritual forces take the most aggressive stance. Because we are at spiritual war we need spiritual armour. Because we are fighting forces invisible to physical eyes, we need an armour that is invisible to physical eyes. To cater for such enemies, the Lord gave us His own personal armour called the armour of God.This armour is guaranteed to give you victory over bitterness, addiction, masturbation, failure, anger, hatred, unforgiveness and all. Because it is God’s own armour it is guaranteed never to fail. Because it is God’s own armour it is guaranteed to work 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The armour of God has never failed and will never fail.

KEY WORD: The armour of God is God’s own armour.

UNTIL LOT LEAVES

MEMORY VERSE: For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all , James 2:10

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 19, Acts 23, Jer 33, Luke 2

In Genesis 12:1-4, God gave Abram seven promises subject to obedience to three simple instructions. He told him to get out of his country; get out from his family and get out from his father’s house to a land He will show him. In return He promised to make him  a great nation; bless him; make his name great; make him a blessing; bless those who bless him; curse those who curse him and through him all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Abram obeyed all the instructions except the last one - he got out of his country, his family but not fully from his father’s house because he took little Lot (young son of his late brother –Haran) with him. When he arrived at where God told him to go, he was greeted by famine instead of abundance. He ran out of there and went to Egypt with little Lot. In Egypt, Pharaoh took his wife from him but God intervened. He left Egypt for south of Bethel still with Lot (by this time Lot was now a big man). One day fight broke out between the herdsmen of Abram and Lot. That day Abram decided that enough was enough. He told Lot to pick a portion of the land and leave. Immediately Lot left the presence of Abram, God spoke after several years.

Despite the fact that Abram obeyed two out of the three instructions, God did not fulfill the seven promises. God is not looking for those who will obey most of His commandments. He is not satisfied with people who are ready to obey ninety per cent or people who obey nine percent. To the Most High God, obedience to ninety percent of God’s commandments is still classified as incomplete obedience. No wonder the book of Matthew 5:48 says be perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

From time to time, many of us wonder if the words written in the bible are actually true. James 4:7 says Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Many of us have been resisting the devil and instead of the devil to flee, the devil is actually pursuing us in the dreams, why? Malachi 3:9 says bring all the tithes into the storeroom that there may be meat in mine house and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Host, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. Many of us have been faithful in the payment of tithes and instead of lending to nations; our financial situation is getting worse by the day, why? The reason for this is incomplete obedience. James 2:10 says for whoever keeps the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. As far as you are still fornicating, you can pay tithe from today till tomorrow the Lord will not open the window of heaven to any fornicator or adulterer. You can join all the groups in the church; as far as you are not merciful forget about mercy. You can be the Sunday school teacher, as far as you are not fully submissive to your husband or authority, you can rebuke the devil all you want instead of fleeing he might even chase you.

POINT: Lot represents incomplete obedience

REACTING TO THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE

MEMORY VERSE: and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, Genesis 18:2

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 18, Acts 22, Jer 32, Luke 1

BIBLE STUDIES: Genesis 18:2-8

In Genesis 18:2-16 is an account of Abraham and three divine visitors. Abraham was sitting at home one afternoon when he observed three men passing by. He approached them and invited them to turn in for a meal and they agreed. After the meal they said thank you and blessed Abraham and his family. Nine months later Sarah conceived and gave birth to a son .

God is a rewarder, Hebrew 11:6. Although He is the God of the whole universe yet He appreciates every little thing we do for Him. According to Zechariah 1:3 if we return to Him, He will return to us. When we give to Him, He will return it to us in good measures, pressed, and shaken together and running over, Luke 6:38. Matthew 19:29 says if we forsake all for His name sake, we get all back in hundred fold. All your labour in Christ is not in vain.

How we react to the opportunity to serve ( in one capacity or the other maybe to join a particular department in church, or volunteer, or give towards a particular assignment or participate in supporting mission works e.t.c.) will determine whether our service will accepted by God or not. Abraham greeted the opportunity to serve with willingness, excitement and joy. Immediately he saw the three men, the bible records that he ran to meet them and bowed himself to the ground. While the men sat down, Abraham ran around to ensure that his guests were entertained. This man was ninety - nine years old when the angels visited yet he did not allow his physical body or weakness to come in between him and his service to God. Despite there was a delay in the fulfillment of the promise of God for his life, he did not allow this to affect his service to God. Abraham saw the opportunity to serve as a favor from God not the other way round. That was why when the men were eating, he stood beside them ready to run errands. The reason why many of us do not take the things of God serious is because we think we are doing God a favor. By serving God, you are doing yourself a favor. After Abraham had served God to His satisfaction, God fulfilled the promise of twenty four years and made his joy full.

KEYWORD: The opportunity to serve is a favor from God not another burden from God.

PURITY IN SPEECH

MEMORY VERSE: but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation, 1 Peter 1:15

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 16, Acts 20, Jer 29, Mark 15

What is the meaning of the word pure? It has two major meaning. 1) Purity means of a single content e.g. pure wool or pure cotton. When we say a material is pure cotton, it means the only thing you will find there is cotton. When we say a material is pure wool, it means you won’t find a single trace of nylon or cotton in it. The word purity inclines singleness of purpose; singleness of mind. It means reliability. It means trustworthiness. When we say a fellow is pure, it means the fellow is trustworthy. When we say a brother is pure in speech it means you can trust whatever comes out of the brother’s mouth. When a sister who is pure in speech says yes, she means yes. There is no question of that is it to say. Pure in speech means you mean what you say and say you what mean. Matthew 5:37 says let your yes be yes, and your no be no. When a brother who is pure in speech says I am coming, you can go to sleep because you know he is going to come. When a sister who is pure in speech says I am not going to do, she is not going to do it no matter what. 

Purity also means no contamination. If we put a little bit of wool in cotton, it is no more pure wool. It has been contaminated by cotton. If we put a little silk in cotton, it is no more pure cotton; it has been contaminated by silk. Every contamination is dangerous. Imagine a big bowl of clean water is set aside for people to drink. One way or the other a nursing mother whilst cleaning her child mistakenly allows a small tiny bit of feces to fall inside the water; will you drink the water? I bet No. Why? Because the water is no longer pure, it has been contaminated by feces. Imagine the same tiny feces in a big tank of clean pure water; would you still drink the water? I bet No. Why because the water is no longer pure. Regardless of the mass of the water, just a tiny bit of feces contaminates it. A little contamination destroys purity. When we say a fellow is pure in speech, you will never hear a word that should not be uttered by a Christian from his mouth. Ephesians 4:29 says let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth. Not even one by mistake. Colossians 4:6 says let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt. Ephesians 5:4 says neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving thanks. You will never hear a fellow who is pure in speech use slang phrases or idle words. You will never hear them use a simple swear word e.g., f**k, s****t, mothef******r e.t.c

1 Peter 1:15 says but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. In all your conversation, you need to be pure in speech. Anger is not excuse not be pure in speech. Luke 6:45 says out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. You need a pure heart , to be pure in speech.

PRAYER POINT: Father , please purify my heart.

CONDITIONS FOR REVELATION

MEMORY VERSE: for I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him, Genesis 18:19.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 15, Acts 19, Jer 28, Mark 14

BIBLE STUDY: Genesis 18:17-21

There are certain conditions that must be satisfied before the Lord reveals things to a fellow. Firstly the fear of the Lord must be deeply rooted in the heart of the fellow. According to Psalm 25:14, God shares His secret with people who fear Him. A fellow who fears God will not toy with sin at all. Proverbs 16:6 says by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil. The tendency to do evil is in everyone but the fear of the Lord drives people from committing evil or participating in evil. Secondly the fellow must raise his children and household in the fear of the Lord. In 1Timothy 3:1-13, Paul told Timothy before you anoint a man to the office of a Deacon or Bishop , first of all check how he runs his household. Where his children and household spend eternity, is it a concern for him? If it is a concern for him, he will rule and raise them in the fear of the Lord. If that is not his priority don’t bother anointing him because a man who does not love his family enough to do everything in his power to get them to heaven will not love the church of God.

How you raise your children and household is directly proportional to the level of revelation you will get from God. In other words whether God will reveal things to you or not is dependent on the effort you put in to training your wards. When God was contemplating whether to tell Abraham His plans or not, He concluded by saying I know Abraham, He will command his children and household after Me. God was not obliged to reveal His plans to Abraham but He did so because He knew that Abraham took raising children up in the fear of God as priority.

The question is how did God know that Abraham was going to raise His children and household in the fear of the Lord? Well God is God and He knows all things. According to Isaiah 46:10, God makes known the end from the beginning and from the ancient times things that are not yet done. Asides this, how you train the child of others is how you will train yours. After the death of Nahor (Abraham’s brother), Abraham took Lot and raised him as a son. Abraham raised Lot up in the fear of the Lord. Despite the atrocities of Sodom, Lot managed to keep himself pure. Not only that, Lot raised his two daughters has virgins in Sodom all thanks to the training Lot received from Abraham. Thirdly, the fellow must be upright. Psalm 11:7 says for the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright. To be upright is being in accord with what is right or to be honest.

POINT TO NOTE: When you raise a child in the fear of the Lord, you are preparing him to be used by God to influence nations.

DEMONSTRATING LOVE

MEMORY VERSE: And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me, John 12:32.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 14, Acts 18, Jer 27, Mark 17

Jesus said and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me (John 12:32). In other words I will do everything possible to help everyone I know get to heaven or I will use everything in my power to bring people to where I am going ( heaven) or I will spend and be spent for the sole purpose of evangelism. A careful study of this verse exposes the determination of Jesus to save humanity. Not only that, it reveals the willingness of Jesus to go all the way just to make His Father (God) happy. The Most High built heaven for fellowship with His children on earth. He wants to see all His children at the end in heaven. The sum total of it all is Jesus loves us and He is prepared to go to any length to get us to heaven.

Many of us say that we love our children, family, work colleagues, business partners, neighbor e.t.c in actual sense we don’t. The only way to show that you love a fellow is by pointing him or her to Christ in other words witness about Christ to them. How can you say you love a brother, and you see him treading on the path to hell and you keep quiet or do nothing about it?

One the Day of Judgment many friends will look at their Christians friends and say you are the reason I am going to hell. They will say you knew about hell and never bothered to tell me about Christ. Many children will look at their parents with tears and say Dad or Mum; you know my lifestyle did not reflect Christ and you kept quiet. Many would look at their colleagues at work and say ‘I sat opposite you for ten years and you never bothered to introduce Christ to me’. Some colleagues will say we ate lunch together at work every day and you never talked about Jesus once. Others will say I gave you lift to work every day and you never bothered to tell me about Christ. Many husbands would look at their wives and say ‘you knew that I was heading for this place (hell) and you could not even fast for my salvation ’. Many land lords will look at their tenants with the look of so you knew about Christ and you never told me about Him. Many will say bro I sat by you in the bus from Location A to B and throughout the journey you did not even bother to tell me about salvation. A lot of family and friends will say i came to your child dedication, christening, birthday’s e.t.c and you never cared to ask if i have accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. The only way to demonstrate love is to witness. The best gift you can give anyone is Jesus. You don’t really love those children until your number one priority becomes where they spend eternity. You don’t really love that bro or sister until your number one priority becomes where he or she will spend eternity.

TO PONDER ON: How can you say you love a brother, and you do not care about his salvation?

LORD, WHAT WILT THOU HAVE ME TO DO?

MEMORY VERSE: and he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do, Acts 9:6

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 14, Acts 18, Jer 27, Mark 13

BIBLE STUDIES: Acts 9:1-6

Paul (formerly Saul) persecuted the church out of Ignorance. He was a party to the group who stoned Stephen to death. Any where the name of Jesus was been mentioned, he would go there and commit them to prison for torturing. He had this passionate hatred for the gospel and he took it upon himself to stop the gospel at all cost. One day on his way to Damascus to arrest some believers, he met Jesus and everything changed. Paul had a brain wave; he realized that all this while he had been fighting his creator. Not only that, he was on a first class to ticket to hell. Upon this realization he asked Christ, ‘Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?’ In other words he was asking Christ, what can I do to make up for the times I had wasted before I met you? Not only that, he was telling Christ ‘thank you for saving me, but I am indebted to you forever. I do not care about what you can do for me , all I care about is what can I do for you to show I appreciate the salvation of my soul?’

One of the greatest speeches that revolutionized USA in the sixties was the inaugural speech of John F Kennedy in 1961. He said ‘ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do your country’. I have always shared the story of how I was taken before the judgment Seat of Christ. Before the doors were opened, I was giving an opportunity to go through my heavenly file. When I saw the contents I broke down in tears and began to ask for a second chance. I knew what I saw there and I knew what the decision was going to be. Romans 6:23 clearly states that the wages of sin is death. I knew the decision looking at my past.To cut the long story short I got a second chance. I am very grateful to and I am eternally grateful for the second chance to put things right.

Brethren, when i woke I noticed a passionate hatred for sin especially the sin of adultery and fornication inside me. Not only that I felt indebted to the One who saved my soul and gave me a second chance. I felt I owed God who delivered from the power of darkness and translated me into the kingdom of his dear son (Colossians 1:13). From that day I began to think of what I can do for the one who rescued me from hell. I am always sad when we go to share fliers for evangelism and people share more fliers than me. When it is time to clean the church, I always love to take the lion portion the work. I always love to do extra work and go extra length. When everyone wants to do 50 per cent, I try to do 80 per cent. Why? Because I want to show my savior i appreciate my salvation. Once you are really saved, you forget about what Christ can do for you and you begin to concentrate on what you can do for the One who saved your soul. You suddenly realized that you should have been on that cross, but He took your place and died on the cross of Calvary?

PRAYER POINT: Father ,please reveal to me what I can do to show I appreciate your death on the cross of Calvary.

PRAISES AND FAVOR

MEMORY VERSE: Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved (Acts 2:47).

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 13, Acts 17, Jer 26, Mark 12

What is favor? Favor is simply receiving what you do not deserve. If a fellow who is not qualified for promotion gets promoted, we say such fellow has been favored. One of the ways to attract God’s favor is through praises. The world is full of complainers – people who are always reminding God of what He is yet to do in their life. Oh Lord you have not done this or that. Oh Lord you are yet to give me a life partner; you are yet to buy me a house; you are yet to buy me a car e.t.c. There are others who challenge God. Oh Lord, why was I not shortlisted for the interview? Oh Lord why am I facing these challenges? Oh Lord why am I broke e.t.c. Before you go and complain to God, ask yourself when was the last time you sat down to thank God for the gift of life, at the end of the day only the living has challenges and face difficulties. When was the last time you thanked God for the salvation of your soul? Someone died in your place, don’t you think you need to tell Him thank you daily?

Once in a while when God hears people praising Him on earth, He becomes happy. When people praise Him, He personally visits them and deal with anything that requires His attention in their life. This was the exact thing that happened when Paul and Silas were praising God in prison (Acts 16:25-34). When God heard them praising Him, He decided to personally pay them a visit. As He took the first step, the earth shook a little because of His weight. He took the second step and the earth quaked, by the time He took the third step the foundations of the prison were so shaken that the doors flung open and every one’s bands were loosed.

Acts 2:47 says praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Praises attract favor from God. The last person you would expect God to anoint and his cup would run over was David. The boy did not merit it in anyway because he was a product of adultery. No wonder he said behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me (Psalm 51:5). Bible scholars told us that he was an embarrassment to the father. The old man messed up with a woman and the product of the affair was David. So whenever the family was around they would keep David away because he represents shame. While in the forest, David began to praise God. He said it is true no one wants to see me but I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth, Psalm 34:1. The Lord decided that in that case, I will promote you. It is true that no one wants see you (David), but I will promote you so that you will be their head. He decided that it is true they have relegated you (David) to the background, but I will bring you (David) to the palace. That was how David found favor before God and became King.

ACTION POINT; Dedicate time to praise and worship God frequently.

BECOMING YOUR OWN PROPHET

MEMORY VERSE: and it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions ( Joel 2:28)

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 12, Acts 16, Jer 25, Mark 11

Back in Old Testament times, only those who are anointed to operate in the office of a prophet can prophesy. In those days if a nation or an individual is facing a challenge they will run to a prophet of God, once he or she prophesy everything will return to normal. When the women in the house of Abimelech could not conceive including his female servants, he went to a prophet who prayed and they all conceived (Genesis 20:1-17). When the king of Syria found out that one of his general had a disease medical science could not cure, he sent him to a prophet in Israel (2 Kings 5:1-17). Elisha told the general to go and dip himself in river Jordan seven times, that one did as he was told and he was cleansed. In Judges 4:1-22, Deborah the prophetess prophesied to Barak that the Lord had delivered Jabin( king of Canaan) into his hands. That one went to war against Jabin; the king of Canaan ran away on foot.

Once a sincere and God fearing prophet get involve in a situation, whatever the mountain is it will give way. If a prophet of God blesses a fellow, Heaven has no choice than to honor the request but if a prophet of God curses a fellow God have mercy. Back in the Old Testament times, you require a fellow anointed to operate in the office of a prophet to prophesy to you, God help you if the prophet of God is far away or is not your friend. Today you do not need a man anointed to operate in the office of a prophet to prophesy to you, you can now prophesy to yourself. Joel 2:28 says and it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. When you study this verse very well, it did not say your sons and daughters shall become prophets and they will prophesy. It says they shall prophesy.

The sons and daughters referred to in Joel 2:28 are me and you. Once the Holy Spirit is inside you, you can now prophesy and expect results. Numbers 14:28 says as truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears so will I do to you. Someone might ask that how come when I prophesy nothing happens. Firstly only the righteous can prophesy and expect a result. Proverbs 12:6b says the mouth of the righteous shall deliver them. Proverbs 15:29b says but He heareth the prayer of the righteous. Secondly if you do not respect your words, the heaven will not respect your words. The way you treat your words, is the way the heavens will treat your word. If you do not regard your words, heaven will not regard it. No wonder the bible says let your yes be yes and your no be no (Matthew 5:37). In other words say what you mean and mean what you say.

ACTION: Repent of all unrighteous ways of life. Begin to study your bible and do everything possible to keep your words.

SACRIFICIAL OFFERING

MEMORY VERSE: that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall posses the gate of his enemies, Genesis 22:17

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 11, Acts 15, Jer 24, Mark 10

BIBLE STUDIES: Genesis 22:1-18

Everything we have is giving to us by God. According to John 3:27, a man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. It is important to know that God is not a beggar, Haggai 2:8 says silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts. Gold represents wealth and silver represents health. By taking a little out of the much He has giving to you to give an offering, you are simply saying God I appreciate you. One of the things that happen when you give God an offering is that, He reverses curses into blessing in your life. After the fall of Adam, God cursed the ground for his sake. A cursed ground cannot produce any result that was why God told Adam that he will sweat before he can eat(Genesis 3:19). This curse was very active until Noah offered a burnt offering and God said I will not again curse the ground anymore for man’s sake, as from today there will now be seedtime and harvest (Genesis 8:20-22). The next time you hear offering time, know it is a blessing time.

There are different types of offering. There is the regular one we give during services and there is a sacrificial offering. Sacrificial offerings are not ordinary offerings; actually you need a strong faith in God to give one because it will cost you something. Such offerings will hurt your pocket or finance. They are not for everyone; they are for those who are ready for a deep walk with God. They are for those who know deep within them that God is their source that even though they give God all, they will never be hungry or lack anything good. There are many who confess that God is their source, but when it comes to sacrificial offering they begin to ask for grace. I pray the Lord will give you the grace.

The first thing I want you to know is that sacrificial offering reveals humility. What is humility? Humility is submitting to the will of God when you don’t feel like it or when it is uncomfortable or inconvenient. An offering that will cost you something is not a comfortable offering at all. At times before you give such offering, you will be wondering if you are doing the right thing because if people hear they might wonder if all is well with you. I am yet to meet a fellow who has regretted giving God a sacrificial offering. From our bible studies, we deduce that sacrificial offering provokes a response from God. After Solomon gave a thousand offering, God responded by asking him to ask for anything he wanted. When push comes to shuffle in my life and I need God to act, while praying and fasting I give a sacrificial offering, sir it has never failed me! Sacrificial offering provokes a divine response to your circumstances. As far as God was concerned, Abraham offered Isaac. God said by myself have I sworn for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son; that in blessing I will bless thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall posses the gate of his enemies (Genesis 22:16-17). The sacrificial offering of Abraham provoked such a response from the Almighty. When you give a sacrificial offering, you become a blessing and also receive a trans-generational blessing.

KEY WORD: Sacrificial offerings are for those who are ready for a deep walk with God. They are for those who know deep within them that God is their source

AND THEY SHALL BE ONE FLESH

MEMORY VERSE: therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh, Genesis 3:24

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 10, Acts 14, Jer 23, Mark 9

How can two individuals from different academic background, family background, different cultures become one? How can two people with different mentalities, different life experiences, different perspective to life, different ambition, e.t.c become one? It takes more than flowers for them to become one. It definitely takes more than the chemical reaction in the brain or physical attraction for them to become one. It takes a lot of things like determination, patience, endurance and most importantly God.

When God created Adam, Eve was not there and when God created Eve, Adam was fast asleep so both of them had little or no knowledge of each other. When Adam met Eve, he had challenges understanding her and when Eve met Adam, she had a challenges understanding him also. The reason for this was that they were not created together or they were created differently. Yet Adam and Eve came together and became one despite these challenges. How did they do it? Despite the fact that there were challenges understanding each other and meeting the needs of each other, there was no record of God coming down to earth to settle fight between them, how did they manage to live in peace and harmony?

For two people to become one there are few things that need to be in place. For a brother and sister to become one there must be agreement between the two. Amos 3:3 says can two walk together except they agree? Many agree to come together but they do not agree to become one. When two people become one, my money becomes our money; my vision becomes our vision ; my resources becomes our resources, e.t.c. No one owns anything, everyone owns everything. Secondly, both of them must be humble. It takes humility for a woman to submit to her husband and it also takes humility for a man to love his wife (Ephesians 5:22-33). Thirdly, there must be communication. Communication is very essential because the only way to let the other party know how you are feeling is by talking about it. In a relationship don’t ever expect the other party to know how you are feeling, if you are not happy say I am not happy at least the other party knows and he can do something about it. Fourthly, there must be forgiveness. Disagreements are inevitable in relationships, people close to you will offend you but you must forgive or else bitterness will set in. Fifthly, praying and studying the bible together. The devil finds it very difficult to penetrate into a marriage where the husband and the wife are always praying together, studying the bible together, praying in tongues together e.t.c. sixthly, there should be no secrets. Openness and transparency in marriage helps unite couple together and build trust. Lastly, avoid third parties. One of the great dis-services you can do to your marriage is allowing a third party opinion in your marriage. The third party could be your friends or in-laws. Whatever happens in the relationship, settle it between yourselves. Once you allow third parties in your relationship, it becomes a union of three not two .Remember two is a company but three becomes a crowd.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please give me the wisdom to run my marriage in a way that is pleasing to you.

QUICK TEMPER FRUSTRATES GOD’S PLAN FOR OUR LIVES

MEMORY VERSE: he that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of 
wicked devices is hated, Proverbs 14:17

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 9, Acts 13, Jer 22, Mark 8

As far as you are alive, people will annoy you. As far as you are living amongst men, people will irritate you. As far as you have dealings with people, they will offend you. The only way to avoid been irritated by humans is by living with animals in the thick forest. Even at that animals will irritate you for example, whilst you are enjoying your early morning nap birds will start singing and that can be irritating especially when you are tired. The shocking thing is you don’t have to offend people before they offend you. Not too long ago i heard a loud bang behind me so i looked back to check what was happening. When i looked back i saw a woman and a man by a car, the man looked at me and started running towards me. When he got to where i was standing , he began threaten to do me i.e. attack me. I have never set my eyes on this man before, never spoke a word to him in my life yet he wanted to do me. The devil is a liar.

If i was the type that get angry easily or get angry at every giving opportunity, i would have done something stupid and probably end up in jail. When you get angry easily or at every opportunity you may lose your destiny if care is not taken. Disagreement is inevitable especially with those you are close with. Many have landed themselves in hot water as a result of what they said or did in anger. I beg you in the name of God, never reply an email or text in anger because you may live to regret it for the rest of your life. I heard the story of a fellow who threatened his colleague in a text message. One thing led to another and the matter ended in court. The text message was used as evidence in court.

People who get angry easily end up destroying their future in advance. Proverbs 14:17a says he that is soon angry dealeth foolishly in other words a quick tempered fellow will behave in a foolish way. A host pastor invited two guest pastors to come and minister at their annual convention. He printed fliers and paid for radio jingles. Out of the blue one of the guest Pastor - Pastor A called and demanded that his name be removed from the flier and radio jingles. The disappointing thing was Pastor A gave no reason for not coming. The host pastor had to pay for another 5000 fliers and radio jingle. Anyone in the host pastor's shoes will be very disappointed. After the convention, the host pastor continued to be friends with Pastor A. Today that host pastor now owns a church building worth over a million courtesy of Pastor A. It was Pastor A who connected the host pastor with the estate agent who sold the church building. The question is what if the host pastor had called Pastor A after the convention and began to abuse him or swear never to greet him again for the rest of his life; would Pastor A have connected him with the estate agent?

PRAYER POINT: Father every spirit of anger in me; please drive them away by force.

THE DANGERS OF NOT BEEN ABLE TO SAY NO

MEMORY VERSE: submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you, James 4:7

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 8, Acts 12, Jer 21, Mark 7

As far as you are on planet earth, you will be required to say no from time to time. James 4:7b says resist the devil and he will flee from you. When you resist the devil you are saying no to the devil. You will be required say to no your children; you will be required to say no to your friends and family; you will be required to say no to your loved ones; you will be required to say no to your colleagues at work or school; you will be required to say no your business partners; you will be required to say no in the house of God; you will be required to say no to sleep or food. You will be required to say no temporarily or permanently. You will be required to say no to some pleasures of life if you want to grow spiritually. Many of the movies, soap operas, play stations games e.t.c, add nothing to our spiritual life.

In 1 Kings 13:8-28 is the tale of a man of God who had problems saying no. The Lord sent him to Bethel to deliver a message. He also warned him not to eat or drink. After delivering the message, the king invited the man of God to dinner. Instead of politely telling the king no, he began to tell stories – oh king, the Lord has warned me not eat or drink. The question is who asked him what the Lord told him? As soon as he began tell stories, the king said thank you and good bye. On his way back, a strange prophet met him and invited him for food. Instead of politely telling the prophet no, he went into stories again. The strange prophet noticed that this man of God had problem saying no so he told him that the angel of the Lord had sent him. One of the reasons why people don’t like to say no is because they don’t want to offend people. It is better to offend people and please God than offend God and please people. Anyway the man of God didn’t want to offend the prophet so instead of going back to God to check the story of the prophet he went in to eat and drink. After eating and drinking, on his way a lion met and kill him.

If you have problem saying no to people, you will end up offending God if care is not taking. If there is anyone you can’t say no to please God, friend you are in trouble because the devil may use that person to make you sin against God. The man of God decided to please the prophet instead of God because of his inability to say no. A woman of God once shared her story with us. She was invited to a function. As she normally does, she prayed about it and the Lord told her not to go. Because she could not say no to the host, she decided to go and spend only ten minutes. Immediately she stepped into the hall, she lost virtually all her spiritual gifts – gifts that she fasted and prayed for years for. 

KEYWORD – If you have problems saying no, pleasing God will be impossible

SOURCE OF PRIDE

MEMORY VERSE: And Samuel said when thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel? (1 Samuel 15:17)

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 7, Acts 11, Jer 20, Mark 6

BIBLE STUDIES: 1 Samuel 15:1-23

What is pride? Pride is the opposite of humility. What is humility? Humility is seeing yourself as little in your own eyes. When you see yourself as little in your own eyes, submitting to the will of God becomes easy. When you consider yourself as little before the Most High, letting the will of God to take precedence in your life becomes easy. Since pride is the opposite of humility, pride can defined as seeing yourself as a big man or big woman in your eyes. One of the reasons why the proud always amount to nothing at the end of the day is that they become so big that no one can advise them. They become big to the extent that no one can correct them. One of the things to watch out for in courtship is does that brother or sister listens to correction? Another thing to check is there anyone the brother or sister respects and listens to? Make sure you know at least one person who can speak to that bro or sister and he or she will listen to. Never get married to a brother or sister who no one can correct!

The Lord through the mouth of Prophet Samuel gave an instruction to King Saul to go and destroy the Amalekites. When Saul got to Amalek, he destroyed all except the sheep, oxen and Agag the king. Not only that, his soldiers took spoils from Amalek. When the man of God came to see King Saul, he found out that Saul did not destroy all as instructed by God. King Saul had become a big man; he could now decide which of God’s instruction to obey and not to obey. King Saul wasn’t a proud fellow when the Lord anointed him king over Israel. He was so humble that he even listens to his servant. No wonder the man of God reminded him that when he was little in his own sight, God made him the head of the tribes of Israel. Because of pride, God dethroned him and anointed David as king.

Pride entered into King Saul when he began to see himself as a big man. This man saw himself as a big man because he was measuring himself by the people around. Matthew 5:48 says be ye perfect as God is perfect. Every time you measure your life by the life of people around you, you may be tempted to see yourself as a big man especially if the Lord has blessed you. The elders have a saying, in the town of the blind; a one eyed man is the King. When you measure your prayer life by the prayer life of those who pray for only 30 minutes you might be tempted to see yourself as a big prayer warrior especially if you are the type that prays for two hours. To avoid these, always measure yourself by God. If you measure your prayer life by the prayer life of Jesus who fasted for forty days and night, you will always see yourself as little in your own eyes.

KEYWORD: When you measure yourself by people around you, you may be tempted to see yourself as a big man but wh

HUMILITY AND PROMOTION

MEMORY VERSE: Humble yourselves in the sight of the Light, and he shall lift you up, James 4:10 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 6, Acts 10, Jer 19, Mark 5 

What is humility? Humility is not using ‘sir’ or ‘ma’ for everyone that comes your way. A lot of ‘hello sir’ and ‘hello ma’ are not from the heart.  The fact that a fellow is gentle does not mean he is humble. Eighty –five percent of those we think are gentle are only shy. Once they get into the midst of their friends, you know they are not gentle at all or if you mistakenly offend them you will see their true color. The fact that a fellow is quiet in the church does not mean he is humble. There are a lot of brothers who are quiet in the church but not the in the place of work. 

What is then humility? The first thing I want you to know is that humility is not an act but a thing of the heart. Humility is simply submitting to the will of God when you don’t feel like it. When you submit to the will of God in your mind, emotion, your body because you love God, then you are humble. Humility is submitting to the will of God regardless of the pain, inconvenience and so on. One the meekest man that ever lived was Moses. The Most High even testified of his humility. What did Moses do to earn such recognition? God sent him to Egypt to deliver a message to Pharaoh and he obeyed. Moses wasn’t a friend of the Egyptians at all; an average Egyptian wanted him dead for killing their brethren (Exodus 2:11-12). Not only that, the reason why he left Egypt in the first place was because Pharaoh was after him. He left because there was a price on his head. He left because he was number one on the most wanted list of criminals in Egypt. You will agree with me that everything in Moses did not want to return to Egypt but despite all he submitted to the will of God. At the end God promoted him, by the time we get to Exodus 7:1, the Lord had already made him a god over Pharaoh.

Another definition of humility is putting yourself in a lower position than you are for the will of God to be done. Humility is forgetting all your achievements, connections, money you have in the bank, your degrees and becoming nothing just for the will of God to be done. The most humble man the world ever knew was Jesus.  Despite the fact that He owned the whole world, He humbled himself to become like man and die a very shameful death just to give us eternal life. Colossians 1:16 said for by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be throngs, or dominion, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him. Brethren, Jesus knew who He was when the soldiers stripped Him naked and began to beat Him with rods but he did not retaliate because of the will of His father. Jesus knew all things were created by him, and for him yet because of your salvation and mine, Jesus died the most disgraceful and shameful death on the cross of Calvary. He suffered the humiliation for three days but after that He was given a name that is higher than any other name that at the mention of the name of Jesus all knees must bow. 

PRAYER POINT- Father, please give me the grace to humble.

IDENTIFYING THE WICKED

MEMORY VERSE: little children, let no man deceived you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous ,1 John 3:7

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 5, Acts 9, Jer 18, Mark 4

1 John 3:7 says little children, let no man deceived you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. Also beloved, a fellow that does wicked things is wicked, even as he is wicked. How do you identify the wicked? The wicked does wicked things. According to Leviticus 20:17, it is a wicked thing for a man to see the nakedness of his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter and vice versa. There are many young ones who peep through the key hole to see the nakedness of adults when they are in the bathroom bathing or in the bedroom changing. There are even some adults who are involved in such practices too. They go and peep through the key hole when the wife of the neighbor is taking her bath. Such adults need deliverance from the spirit of lust! Any child caught doing this should be seriously disciplined because before God it is a wicked act. And this goes to the Parents who dress in the front of their children. This is very bad! Don’t say they are young and you permit them into your bed room when changing. This is unacceptable!

It is also a wicked thing to take advantage of the poor. Psalm 10:2 says the wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor. You are married woman, every time there is a misunderstanding between you and your husband you refuse to cook at home to teach him a lesson. This is a wicked act! You call yourself a spirit filled Christian and every time there is a misunderstanding at home you refuse to fulfill the duties of a wife to her husband. Sister that is wickedness! You are an evangelist, every time there is a misunderstanding at home just to punish your wife you begin to fast so as not to eat her food or fulfill the duties of a husband to his wife. Bro that is wickedness! There is nothing wrong in fasting but don’t embark on fasting to punish your partner.

One way to identify the wicked is they borrow and never pay back. Psalms 37:21 says the wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth. The wicked borrow and never put measures into place to pay back what they have borrowed. If the lender calls them on the phone they ignore the call. They will not call back and when the lender calls at their home to check if all is well, they tell their children to tell the lender they are not home! Brethren no loving parents will ever teach his or her child to lie. If one way or the other the lender meets them and ask for the money or the item they borrowed, they get angry and begin to insinuate that the lender was rude to them. Some even go to the point of reporting the lender that he or she is disrespectful. It is wicked thing to dodge those you have borrowed things from.

ACTION: Repent from wicked acts and ask for mercy.

FELLOWSHIP WITH THE BRETHREN

MEMORY VERSE: blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, Psalm 1:1

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 4, Acts 8, Jer 17, Mark 3

There is safety in fellowshipping with christian brothers and sisters. There is peace in fellowshipping with the brethren. You will never find a true brother or sister in Christ get into trouble with the law because they are law abiding citizens. The life of Christian brothers and sisters maybe boring but it is problem and heart ache free. It is true they don’t do fun things like partying late at night or clubbing but there lifestyle gives peace of mind. I heard a story not too long ago that brought tears to my eyes. A Christian lady escorted her friends to a night party. While everyone was having fun, someone spiked her drink (added some drugs to her drink) and she unknowingly drank it. Before you know it some strange men took her into a room and began to have sex with her. One way or the other her friends found out what happened and reported the matter to the police. The boys were arrested and the parents of this lady demanded a blood test. The result of the test that came out showed that two of the boys that slept with her were HIV positive. If only her friends were born again, she would not have gone out that night.

When you fellowship with the brethren, evil ideas and strange suggestions will not be giving to you. When you fellowship with the brethren, they will never advise you to divorce your husband or be rude to him. When you fellowship with the brethren, they will never encourage you to participate in extra – marital affairs. When you fellowship with the friends, there is no jealousy or people talking behind your back. When you fellowship with the brethren, you will never get depressed because they are always talking about faith. When you are down, they will speak the word of encouragements to you and share bible verses that would build your faith. When you fellowship with the brethren, you don’t give up easily because faith in the power of God is always preached.
Psalm 1:1 says blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. In other words, if you want the Lord to bless you walk with the godly / brethren. If you are looking for a counselor, choose a brother or sister in Christ. The reason is that the mentality of the brethrens is very good. In all their counsels, God always come first. If those that are counseling you do not have the fear of God deeply rooted in their heart, God help you. Not that they will purposely lead you astray, but their counsel will be devoid of divine wisdom which is pure, full of mercy, impartial, sincere ( James 3:17).

ACTION POINTS: Choose your friends in Christ.

WHY HAVE YE DONE THIS?

MEMORY VERSE: and ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars : but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? Judges 2: 2

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Judg 3, Acts 6, Jer 16, Mark 2

BIBLE STUDIES : Judges 2:1-3

Psalm 24:1 says the earth is the Lord and it’s fullness thereof ; the world, and they that dwell therein. The Most High owns the whole world. He owns Germany, UK, Malaysia, Morocco, Somalia, just name it. Because He owns everything , He can decide to take a slave and make him a prime minister at any time. If you don’t believe me, read the story of Joseph and Daniel in the bible. Both of them started as slaves in a foreign land but the Lord turned things around and made them Prime Ministers. In my short time on earth, i have seen the Lord take a prisoner from death row and make him a Head of State in the same country. 

As the Lord had promised His friend ( Abraham) , He delivered his descendants from Egypt and gave them Canaan – a land flowing with milk and honey. Before He gave them the land, He warned them not to make league with the inhabitants of the land i.e. participate in the abominable practices of the land. Not only that, He warned them to continue to serve Him as they did in the desert. When the children of Israel got to Canaan ,they did the exact opposite . They Lord then sent an angel to ask them why they did that? The Lord was not asking a question, He was simply expressing His disappointment in the way they conducted themselves in Canaan.

Just like the Israelite of old, the Lord has brought many out of Egypt i.e. bondage, unemployment, sickness, lack, e.t.c to Canaan- a land flowing with milk and honey. Instead of serving God as they used to serve Him when they had nothing they suddenly become too busy with the activities of Canaan. Brothers who used to evangelize when they were in university no longer have time for evangelism because they are busy with work. The Lord is asking why have ye done this? Individuals who never used to miss church services when they were looking for visas to travel abroad now get abroad and forget the Lord completely. The Lord is asking why have ye done this? Sisters who never used to miss workers prayer meeting when they were looking to God for a life partner now come late or even miss it. The Lord is asking why have ye done this? 

QUESTION? Are you serving the Lord the way you used to serve Him before you got that breakthrough?

Abo