NECROMANCY FORBIDDEN

MEMORY VERSE: And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself. 1 Samuel 28:14

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 90-92

READ: 1 Samuel 28:12-19

Spiritism is the general name for the practice of attempting to contact the departed or the dead. It involves getting into contact with the ‘spirit world’, and especially with their departed relatives and friends, through the help of ‘spirit guides’ and mediums. This is also known as ‘necromancy’. The so-called ‘spirit world’ people get into contact with is a domain of demons. Human spirits do not remain in this world after death, but are either with God in His kingdom, or are in hell awaiting judgment. Hebrew 9:27 says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” The person who seeks to get in touch with a dead friend or relative by spiritualism, if he or she contacts a genuine medium, will be put in touch, not with the human spirit of that relative or friend, but with a demonic spirit masquerading as the human person. I want you to know that all the details of dress, physical appearance, etc, are available to the enemy, as are secret thoughts and knowledge. A person will say: “but I know it must have been my aunt, for she spoke of things that only she and I knew about. She even called me by a pet name that only she and I used….” Friend, Satan and his helpers, demons, know about these things.

This is why you SHOULD not accept as true any story of a person who had died appearing spiritually on this earth, whether it be the blessed mother of Jesus, one of the great saints, or some person in your own family whom you love, and who is with the Lord. There are three seeming exceptions to this in scriptures. The first is the return of Samuel’s spirit (1 Samuel 28:12-19).This is, however, a special act of God, and Saul is specifically condemned for instigating it. The other two are the appearances of Elijah and Moses in the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9). Elijah never died, but was taken directly up to heaven (2 Kings 2:11). Although, it was said of Moses that he died ( Deuteronomy 34:5), there was something unusual about it, for we are told that the Lord Himself buried him, and that his sepulcher was unknown ( Deuteronomy 34:6). In Jude 9 we have a mysterious reference to some kind of altercation between Michael and the Devil over the body of Moses. It would seem that Moses’ body was in some way preserved, in order that he and Elijah might appear physically, not spiritually, with Jesus, in the Transfiguration. There is, of course, no prohibition against the appearance of a revived physical person, such as Lazarus, on the earth after his death, nor a resurrected person, such as Jesus after His death and rising again, or those saints that were raised with Him ( Matthew 27:52-53). The injunction is against the manifestations of spirits of the departed. Any kind of direct communication between those living on this earth and the faithful departed is strictly forbidden, and whenever it seems to occur, you may be sure that Satan is up to his tricks. No seeming visitation of a departed person to this earth should be accepted as valid, no matter in what guise it may be presented.

NOTE: We are speaking of real visitations, not dreams, or visions. God may permit one to dream about a departed person in order to bring something to your remembrance. He may give you a vision of that person in Heaven, in order to reassure you of his happiness.

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THEN SAID I, WOE IS ME! FOR I AM UNDONE

MEMORY VERSE: Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Isaiah 6:5

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: John 1-2

READ: Isaiah 6:1-6

After the death of king Uzziah, Isaiah had a vision that changed his life forever (Isaiah 6:1-6). He saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. He saw seraphims worshiping the Lord saying, “Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.” When the angels spoke, the post of the door shook violently. In the midst of all these, Isaiah saw himself for the first time. Isaiah 6:5 says, “Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” The word ‘undone’ means not done or finished. You will agree with me that under-cooked food tastes awful.  I heard that some prefer under-cooked meat or chicken, please desist from eating under-cooked food especially meat as it causes food poisoning.

When Isaiah heard those thundering voices in the vision... When he saw the angels worshiping Jesus....When he beheld the holiness and majesty of the Lord, he said “woe is me, for i am undone.” This great man of God saw himself as God saw him. Although he was respected and revered by all, he was not at the level the Lord expected him to be. Friend, men maybe  celebrating you but is heaven celebrating your life? Men may recommend you but will heaven recommend you? It does not matter what men says about you, wait until you hear what God has to say about you . This brings us to this soul searching question, are you ‘done’? Isaiah was undone because of his unclean lips? Why are you undone? Is it malice? Is it uncontrolled anger? Is it envy? Is it your eyes? The moment a woman walks past you, do you start to imagine terrible things?  Is it impatience? Is it unforgiveness? Is it pride? The fact that a man is displaying the gifts of the spirit does not mean he is done. Isaiah was a fiery preacher yet by God's standard he was not done!  You can even be a choir master and be undone. You can be the youth leader and be undone. Please don’t be fooled by the gifts of the spirit. Are you undone? Isaiah did not hide his unclean lips. He exposed it to the Lord and the Lord sent an angel to burn his lips with a live coal. Although the experience wasn’t a palatable one, it had to be done. The process of becoming done may not be a palatable one but it has to be done.

PRAYER: Father, please touch me.

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WORSHIPING THE HOST OF HEAVEN

MEMORY VERSE: And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven. Deuteronomy 4:19

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 22-24

There are certain things that Christians must not indulge in and one of them is astrology, horoscope reading, etc. Contrary to what many Christians think and believe, horoscope reading is dangerous. Firstly, what is astrology? It is the belief that stars, planets, sun, and moon have a mysterious influence over human beings, establishing their personalities and characteristics, and affecting the event of their lives. Astrology is different from astronomy. Astronomy is the scientific study of the heavens, naming and identifying objects in outer space, and trying to understand their nature.

Astrology is a very big business in the world. In fact, a lot of people pay to have their stars read, some even subscribe to daily horoscope. In some instances, young people have been encouraged to select their wives or husbands by their astrological sign, and there are actual cases of marriages breaking up and the parties marrying other people whose horoscopes are more favorable. One of the excuses people put up for believing in astrology is that God put the stars and the other celestial body in the sky for ‘signs’. Genesis 1:14 says, “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.” Although, God may use an unusual activity or manifestations in the heavens to convey a message to man like we find in the case of the Wise Men who came to visit the child Jesus because they saw His star. Firstly, the Wise Men were ‘Magi’, the nearest thing to scientist in that day not astrologers. They detected from their study of the heavens that God was about to perform some great action upon earth. This is not astrology. The Star of Bethlehem did not cause the birth of the Savior nor have any influence on His life. It was a sign only. God may, for His purposes, cause there to be a correlation between events in the heavens and events upon the earth. Astrology is erroneously saying that the activity in the heavens influences and causes the events upon the earth. Astrology is erroneously saying for example because i was born between September 23 and October 22, known as a Libra, i will be an argumentative person. How can my date of birth determine my character or nature? Astrology is a concealed form of idol worship – what the Bible calls the ‘worship of the hosts of heaven’. Deuteronomy 4:19 says, “And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.” Astrology ascribes personality and power to the heavenly bodies, often under the very names of the ancient gods and goddess who were and are themselves fallen angels who have been working for the destruction of mankind for millennia. Astrology claims that these things have power to influence human lives.

NOTE: You can read your horoscope day after day and treat it as a joke, but a day will come when it will get your attention by coming true, or working out, causing you to take it a little more seriously. It will not be long before - if one is as unfortunate as many have been – one is reduced to total dependence on horoscope reading. As such leave Horoscope!

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YOU NEED A KING

MEMORY VERSE: And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them. Exodus 18:8

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Thessalonians 1-3

READ: Judges 21:25 – Ruth 1:5

One of our biggest problems in this generation, especially amongst the teenagers, youths , young men and young women, is independence. Everyone wants to be independent. Everyone wants to live their life the way they want. They want to marry who they want, live where they want, go to church when they like, work when they like, do things when they like, dress how they like, eat how they like, drink what they want, talk how they like, watch movies they want, listen to songs they want, go to where they want, etc. They hate to take instruction. They hate to be accountable to anyone. They just love to be free and many quote 2 Corinthians 3:17 – “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty”. The liberty or freedom Paul was referring to here is not independence. It is not the freedom to do what you like. It is not the freedom to challenge authority, whether at home or in the church. Paul was not advocating for lawlessness or living an i-don’t-care life.

“And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” means where the Spirit of the Lord is, Spirit of illumination, there is freedom from former blindness and darkness. Where He (Holy Spirit) is a spirit of regeneration and sanctification, there is freedom from the bondage of sin, and captive of Satan. Where He (Holy Spirit) is as a comforter, there is freedom from the fear of hell, wrath, and damnation. Where He (Holy Spirit) is as a spirit of adoption, there is the freedom of children with a father. Where He (Holy Spirit) is as a spirit of prayer and supplication, there is liberty of access to God with boldness. Liberty does not mean one can eat any how or eat anything one wants. A man who does not watch his diet may end up with a health condition.

Judges 21:25 says, “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” Because there was no king i.e. someone in the position of authority, someone in charge, a leader or a discipler, every man did what he liked. Every man was independent. They went to church when they wanted. They married who they wanted. They did what they liked. A man who lives this way will not prosper. Even Jesus whilst He was on the earth only did what He saw the Father doing not what He wanted. Any man who will prosper must have a king over him. He must have someone who he reports to. He must be accountable to someone. As mighty as Moses was, he had someone he reported to which was his father –in- law Jethro. He would report to this man, this man would give him instruction and he would follow it. Exodus 18:7 says, “And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them.” Had it been that bro Elimelech had someone he reports to like a king, he would not have left the presence of God for a pagan nation where he lost his life and his two sons.

NOTE: The independent spirit does not recognize any authority over one’s life and it leads men to take steps to their own hurt. At times, they even jeopardize the lives of people under them.

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THE POWER OF SPOKEN WORDS

MEMORY VERSE: And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses. Deuteronomy 34:9

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 37-42

There are four categories of people whose spoken words can shapen your life. The first is yourself. What God hears you say is what He is going to do for you. Number 14:28 says, “Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you.” What you say is what you are going to get. David told Goliath “This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel” ( 1 Samuel 17:46). When David said this to Goliath, all he had on him was a sling and stone but one way or the other, he got what he confessed. By the time we get to 1 Samuel 17:51, David had already severed Goliath’s head from his body.

The second is your earthly parents. The words of one’s parents, especially one’s father can go a long way in shaping one’s future. The bible is filled with several examples of men who succeeded because their father blessed them for example, Joseph, Isaac, Jacob, etc. The bible also has examples of men who struggled in life because of the words their parents spoke into their lives. A typical example is Jabez. When his mother gave birth to him, she said “you are child of pain so i will name you Jabez” meaning pain (1 Chronicles 4:9-10). From that day, his life became synonymous with pain. If your parents have said something negative into your life, you better go and apologize. If you are not in talking terms with them, you better go and make up with them. The third is your spiritual parents, your father in the Lord and mother in the Lord. Joshua became who he was because of God and his spiritual father, Moses. Joshua was known as a wise man and he became a leader in Israel because his father in the Lord laid hands on him and said some powerful things into his life. Deuteronomy 34:9 says, “And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.” Elisha also became who he was because his father in the Lord, Elijah, spoke some powerful words into his life. Both of them, Joshua and Elisha, were not lucky. They served their masters and were rewarded. They didn’t make the life of their father in the Lord hell. The fourth is the Most High God. If God says you are blessed, there is no man who can change it. If God decrees a thing concerning your life, even your unbelief cannot change it. God cancel any curse that has been placed on a man. He is God and He can do that although it will take some fasting and praying. If God curses a man, who will he run to? No one. As such, run away from anything that can cause Him to curse you like defiling His temple which is your body.

NOTE: Watch your words because they create your world.

ACTION: Start confessing what you want to happen to you.

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SEEING MEN AS TREES WALKING?

MEMORY VERSE: And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. Mark 8:24

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 13

STUDY: Mark 8:22-26

Jesus arrived at Bethsaida and they brought a blind man to Him and begged Him to touch this man (Mark 8:22-26). I hope you will beg Jesus to touch you this hour. I hope you will beg Him to touch that son that is always telling lies. I hope you will beg Him to touch that wife of yours who is not interested in the things of God. I hope you will beg Him to touch that husband of yours that is always coming home late and drunk. I hope you will beg Him to touch those that will be interviewing you for that job or visa. The bible records that “they besought Him to touch him”. Jesus took this man by the hand, led him out of the city, spat on his eyes, touched his eyes, and asked him, “do you see anything?” Mark 8:24 says, “And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.”

How you see a thing will determine how you will relate to that thing. How you see a man will determine how you will relate to the man. Also, how you see a woman will determine how you will relate to the woman. How you see your wife will determine how you will relate to her, so also how you see your husband will determine how you will relate to him. How you see your pastor will determine how you will relate to him or her, so also how you see your pastor’s wife or husband will determine how you will relate to him or her. In addition, how you see people will determine how you will treat them. There are people you will never believe what they say; i mean there are people when they say good morning to you, you check your watch to make sure it is morning indeed because they are not honest. When they tell you something costs 30 dollars, you know the price of that thing will be at most 15 dollars because of your past dealings with them. The blind man saw men as trees, in other words he saw men as something to use and dump. This brings us to the question how do you see your wife ? As trees walking? A brother who sees his wife as a help meet for him, helper sent from God, will not treat his wife as a punching bag. Someone once said, “A woman’s heaven is under the foot of her husband”. This is not biblical at all. A sister who sees her husband as her head will not treat the brother as her opponent – always competing with him. A brother who sees his wife and himself as one will not put his junior brother or parents as his next kin. If you and your wife are one then your next of kin should be your wife not your junior brother. So also a sister who sees her husband and herself as one will not build a house secretly without telling her husband. When couples begin to see their marriage as God sees it, the word ‘my’ will be substituted with ‘our’. My money becomes our money. My house becomes our house. A brother who sees his wife and himself as one will do everything possible to escort his wife to the hospital for medical check up. If you and your wife are one, how come she is always going for medical check up alone? A sister who sees her house help as someone’s child will treat her as such. She won’t treat her like an animal. Jesus knew the danger of that man seeing men as trees so He touched his eye again and everything became normal.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please touch my eyes.

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GOOD PEOPLE OBTAINS FAVOR FROM THE LORD

MEMORY VERSE: A good man obtains favor of the LORD: but a man of wicked intentions will he condemn. Proverbs 12:2

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 87-89

The word ‘good’ is relative. For example, to the French ‘white’ means purity, cleanliness and honesty. The bride, on her wedding day, puts on a white gown which symbolizes innocence and purity of the bride. In china, ‘white’ stands for mourning. During any festival or celebration, ‘white’ is avoided. If you want to give money to a newlywed couples or children, you are expected to use red envelopes. As you can see, ‘white’ is perceived in different ways. In the west it is good but bad in China.

Man’s definition of the word ‘good’ is relative. Man’s definition of the word ‘good’ changes with region (as you saw in our example of ‘white’ in the west and in china), time, instances, etc. According to man’s law, killing is a crime but in some instances it is not a crime e.g. mercy killing or Euthanasia. (Euthanasia is the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering). Although man’s definition of things keep changing and it will continue to change, God’s definition of things never changes. We live at a time where being good according to God’s own standard is gradually becoming a taboo. We live at a time where honesty is no longer rewarded. We live at a time where everyone is looking for short cuts and all that. We live at a time where the end justifies the means. How you get the result does not matter, just get the result. As a marketer, it does not matter how one gets customers, all that matters (to the people above) is just get customers. As a manager, it does not matter how one drives up the sales, all that matters is sales going up. As a student, it does not matter how one gets good grades, all that matters is get good grades. As a daughter or a son, it does not matter how one succeeds. All that matters is succeed and look after your family. Friend, it matters. How you get the result matters. As far as God is concerned, the end does not justify the means. As a marketer, how you get customers matters. As a manager, how you drive up sales matter. Proverbs 12:2 says, “A good man obtains favor of the LORD: but a man of wicked intentions will he condemn.” God will not favour the wicked. There are a lot of single men going to church because they are looking for a good wife. The honest truth is this; they are only wasting their time because the Lord will not give any of His daughters to men who are not ready to serve Him in spirit and truth. Many a time, such single men end up marrying someone just like them in church – a lady who is also in church to pick up a man too. God loves good boys and girls. He loves good men and women and He favors them. Wherever they turn to, they will find favor with God and with men.

QUESTION: This brings us to the question, are you a good man? Are you a good woman? Are you a good child? Are you a good student? David was a good man. Despite all Saul did to him, he never rebelled against him. Are you a good person? Do you hear both sides of the story before passing comments? Are you fair? Do you divulge confidential information people share with you when you have a misunderstanding with them?

PRAYER POINT: Father, please give me good heart

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THE GOD OF LAST MINUTE

MEMORY VERSE: Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon. Daniel 3:30

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Kings 16-20

God answers prayers. Matthew 7:7-8 says, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” He has answered prayers in the past, and He is still answering prayers. There are times you will receive answers to your prayers whilst praying - before you finish praying. A typical example can be found in 1 Samuel 7:7-10. The Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together and they came up against them. When Samuel heard this, he ran to God. Whilst he was praying, reporting the matter to God, the Lord responded. Verse 10 says, “And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel.” Another example can be found in 1 Kings 18. Elijah had not finishing praying before He received an answer to his prayer; fire came down from heaven and consumed his sacrifice.

There are times you will receive answers to your prayer after praying - maybe an hour later or a day later or month later. For example, after Solomon had finished praying during the dedication of the temple, fire came from heaven and consumed the sacrifice (2 Chronicles 7:1). The early church was under threat and the disciples gathered one day to pray for boldness. After praying, they received an answer from God. Acts 4:31 says, “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.”

However, there are times the answer will not come until the very last minute. This was what at happened in the case of the three Hebrew boys. Nebuchadnezzar threatened that if they don't bow to his image of gold, they will be thrown into the fiery furnace. Because they refused, they were thrown into the fiery furnace. I believe whilst they were heating up the furnace, these boys must have been crying to God for deliverance but nothing happened. When they were being tied up about to be thrown into the fire, i believe, they must have intensified their prayers at this point and still nothing happened. The Lord waited until they were thrown into the burning furnace, before sending deliverance to them. At times, God will deliberately allow situations to get worse before intervening. He does this so that man will not be able to take glory over what He will do. Whenever God uses a life to demonstrate His awesomeness and power, He compensates the fellow. After God used the three Hebrew boys to demonstrate that He has control over fire, He compensated them by promoting them. I want to encourage you not to give up because you don't know what God is up to. Don’t backslide or lose hope because God has not forgotten you.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please use my life to demonstrate your awesomeness.

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UNDERSTANDING AUTHORITY 7: AUTHORITY CAN BE WITHDRAWN

MEMORY VERSE: Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.1 Samuel 2:30

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 19-21

As we conclude these series, “Understanding Authority”, I will like to remind you that authority is not force. It is not shouting at people or intimidating people. It is not harassing people or bullying people. It is not issuing threats. Authority is not tangible i.e. it is not something you can hold, touch or feel. There is a difference between authority and power. Authority has tenure. Whatever you do during your tenure is what you will be remembered for. You will not be the vice chancellor of that university forever. You will not be the chief executive of that organization forever. You will not be a manager in that office forever. You will not be the area pastor forever. Even as a parent, one day you are going to return to God. Authority must be exercised. The One who delegated authority to you expects you to exercise it on His behalf.

Authority can be withdrawn temporarily. King Nebuchadnezzar’s authority was temporarily withdrawn because instead of giving glory to God, he attributed all God had done for him to his might. By my might I have achieved this, by my power I have achieved that…. God didn’t argue with him, He just took the kingdom from him. Daniel 4:31 says, “While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.” Within minutes, King Nebuchadnezzar turned into an animal and was driven out of the palace with sticks to live in the forest. The same people who were bowing down to him, drove him out of the palace because his authority had been withdrawn. After several years, Nebuchadnezzar repented. Sir/ ma, when do you intend to repent? After he repented the Lord restored him and he returned to the palace as king again. If your authority has been withdrawn as a result of pride, repent and ask for mercy and the Lord will restore it. Authority can also be withdrawn permanently. For example Eli’s authority was withdrawn permanently. His sons were terrible. These boys slept with women inside the temple. They did not regard God at all. Despite the warnings from God, Eli left his children to carry on with their terrible works. After a while, the Lord withdrew Eli's priestly authority. 1 Samuel 2:30 says, “Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.” I pray that your authority will not be withdrawn in Jesus name, amen. If you don’t want God to withdraw your authority, honour Him and teach your children or people under you to honour Him.

PRAYER POINT: Father, as long as i live, help me to honour You daily.

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UNDERSTANDING AUTHORITY 6: ONE’S AUTHORITY CAN BECOME ERODED

MEMORY VERSE: Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. Luke 23:34

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 23-24

As I mentioned yesterday, real authority comes when one practices what one preaches. When Jesus taught (according to Matthew 7:9), He taught with authority. Why? He practiced what He preached. In Matthew 5:44, He taught people to love their neighbors, bless those who curse them and pray for those who despite-fully use them and persecute them. A year or two later when He hung on the cross of Calvary, what did He do? Luke 23:24 says, “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.” Jesus will never ask any man to do something He (Himself) doesn't do. Sir /Ma, if you are teaching people to forgive please make sure you forgive too. Just as authority comes when one practices what one preaches, authority becomes eroded when one does immoral things, disobeys human authority or God. A man whose authority became eroded was King David. The whole nation including his mighty men respected him until he committed adultery with Uriah’s wife. Shortly after that, one of his sons dethroned him. To cover his evil act, he ordered Joab (one of his top soldiers) to place Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle and withdraw so that he might be smitten (2 Samuel 11:14-15). Joab did not argue but from that day, David lost all the respect Joab had for him. From that day, Joab began to publicly disrespect the king and there was nothing the king could do.

The authority of some senior managers has now become eroded because they tried to sleep with one of their female staffs. Authority becomes eroded in different ways. If you borrow maybe from your young ones and you refuse to pay, your authority will become eroded. The next time you speak, they won’t pay attention to you. One’s authority also becomes eroded when one is dishonest. Another way one’s authority becomes eroded is by promising so much and delivering little.It is better to promise little and deliver much than promise much and deliver little. Authority becomes eroded when one does not uphold godly standard especially in the presence of one’s subordinates. As a mother, if you are taking your daughters for abortion or buying contraceptive pills for them, your authority over them will erode away. If you are encouraging them to dress hot and expose their bodies, your authority over them will become eroded. As a father, if you are paying people to sit for exams for your son, your authority over that boy will become eroded. Authority also becomes eroded when one lives a careless and carefree life. A Father's authority becomes eroded when he refuses to look after his children. One way to keep one’s authority as parents is to live a godly life. As a leader, if you accept bribe or you are corrupt, your authority will become eroded. Also, if you are a tribalist, your authority will become eroded.

NOTE: Regardless, one must respect people in authority .

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UNDERSTANDING AUTHORITY 4: YOU CAN GROW IN AUTHORITY

MEMORY VERSE: So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel. 2 Samuel 5:3

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 31-36

Although at the beginning of these series we defined authority, we would like to define it again. Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines authority as a “legal or rightful power; a right to command or to act; power exercised by a person in virtue of his office or trust; dominion; jurisdiction; authorization; as, the authority of a prince over subjects, and of parents over children; the authority of a court.” Authority is not shouting. Have you noticed that when Judges pass judgement they don’t shout or scream at the top of their voice? Authority is not bullying or making threats. A man or woman who has authority doesn’t need to do all that. There are several categories of authority. We have authority at home, church, place of work, school, state, nation, etc. In the class room, the teacher has a delegated authority from Christ over his or her students. Parents, Christians and non- Christians, have a delegated authority over their children. Even if your parents are unbelievers, they have a delegated authority from Christ over you. As a wife, whether your husband is a believer or not, he has a delegated authority from Christ over you. This is not negotiable ma. As the head, he can ask you to break your fast because he wants to make love to you and you cannot say no! This is why i encourage our single sisters to pray seriously before accepting any proposal from a man. Pray about the brother, and ask your leaders in church to pray along with you. Whoever you accept his marriage proposal will be the one who will receive the delegated authority from Christ over you. Also, this need to be mentioned: every man or woman with delegated authority from Christ will give account to Christ one day.

As you already know by now (from these series), authority belongs to Jesus. Matthew 28:18 says, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Christ has delegated some of His authority to us – fathers, mothers, leaders, teachers, etc. Proverbs 8:15 says, “By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.” Another point i will like to make concerning authority is that one can grow in authority. An example of a man who grew in authority is David. He started as a shepherd boy who had authority over sheep. Because He was a man after God’s own heart, God increased his authority and he became Saul’s armour bearer. 1 Samuel 16:21 says, “And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armour bearer.” The Lord increased his authority again and he became a captain over a thousand.1 Samuel 18:13 says, “Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.” The Lord continued to increase his authority until he became the king over Judah and then over Israel. 2 Samuel 5:3 says, “So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel.” As long as David obeyed the Lord and behaved wisely, the Lord kept on increasing his authority. The bible is filled with several examples of young men like Daniel and Joseph; young women like Esther and Ruth; ordinary men like Peter, Stephen, Philip, etc, who the Lord increased their authority. To increase in authority one must obey God and live holy. If you obey God's commandments , everything God created will obey you even demons.

NOTE: There are two basic conditions for growing in authority: obey God and obey people in authority. Anyone who is fond of disobeying people in authority will not grow in authority.

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UNDERSTANDING AUTHORITY 5: ONE CAN LOSE HIS AUTHORITY

MEMORY VERSE: The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws. Daniel 4:33

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Colossians 3-4

We have looked at few categories of authorities. We have talked about authority in a Christian home, church, school, etc. At times, authority comes with experience and knowledge. Lawyers, Dentists, Pharmacists, IT guys, and other professionals all have authority although it is only in their respective fields. Pending when your faith grows to the point of living above drugs and enjoying divine health, follow your doctor’s prescription. If you are asked to take two tablets daily, don’t take four. Don’t abuse drugs. Asides obeying God and obeying human authorities, one way to increase your authority is by getting a skill or a degree.

Just as one’s authority can grow, one’s authority can also erode away. Genuine authority comes when one practices what one preaches. Paul, in his epistle to the church in Rome, asked some interesting questions. Romans 2:20 -23 says, “An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?” It does not matter what position one is holding, if one is not practising what he or she is preaching, one’s authority would become eroded. As a youth leader, if you are telling the youths not to fornicate and you are fornicating, your authority will become eroded. If you are telling people to give 100 percent and you are giving only 50 percent, your authority will become eroded. No one will listen to you. Matthew 7:9 says, “For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” Jesus taught with authority because He practiced what He preached. He taught about fasting with authority because He fasted almost every day. He taught about praying with authority because prayer was His hobby. At a point He prayed until His sweat were like drops of blood. He could teach on giving with authority because He gave His life. He could teach on mercy because He showed mercy. He could teach on forgiveness because He forgave. As a result, whenever He opened His mouth, people held unto every word He uttered. It was not so with the teachers of law because their authority had become eroded. Matthew 23:4 says, “For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their hands.” A Pharisee will teach other women to submit to their husband, but she won’t submit to hers . If her husband says one word, she will respond with two. A Pharisee will declare 7 days fasting and will not fast.

NOTE: The fact that a person in authority is not doing what he or she preaches is not a reason to disobey him or her. They will answer to God but one must still obey them and respect them. See what Christ had to say to the people about the Pharisees: "all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not." ( Matthew 23:3).

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world