RECOGNIZING AND BREAKING EVIL PATTERNS

MEMORY VERSE: And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? Luke 9:54

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 39-41

What is a pattern? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as a reliable sample of traits, acts, tendencies, or other observable characteristics of a person, group, or institution. A teacher with thirty years of teaching experience, during an end-of-the-year programme of a school, encouraged parents to keep an eye on their children and stamp out any behavioral pattern that could be detrimental to their progress in the future. According to her, young children grow up to be bigger pictures of who they currently are and unless there was some kind of intervention – parental or divine. Just as a child’s life is predictable, the outcome of a person’s life, whether as a success or a failure, can also be determined beforehand (to a very great extent). Just by observing patterns in one’s biological or spiritual family, whether one will fail or succeed can be determined beforehand. Unless one is able to recognize any evil patterns present, pray and (in some cases) fast to break these patterns, one may end up facing the same challenges one’s parents or family faced in their marriage, finances, health, etc. Not until the Holy Spirit opens one’s eyes to see these evil patterns, untold sorrow, failure –at- the- edge- of- success, divorce, marital delay, etc, is inevitable.

Remember, “ we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12)”, and as such, the moment the Holy Spirit open’s your eyes to recognize any evil pattern(s) in your life or family, prayerfully break these patterns. (Note: These patterns are no one’s faults except the devil that steals, kills and destroys). Looking at the life of Abraham, Isaac (his son) and Jacob (his grandson), we find an evil pattern of 'delay in childbearing'. Abraham’s wife (Sarah) was barren and did not give birth until the age of 90 years. Isaac’s wife (Rebekah) was barren. Genesis 25:21 says, “and Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.” Jacob’s second wife (Rachel) also experienced bareness (Genesis29:31). Had each of them not cry to God, they may have ended up childless. In the family of Zebedee, it was fiery and destructive anger. Although the bible did not tell us about their parent’s temper, we don’t need to travel far to know the source of their anger. Where else would they have gotten that fiery and destructive anger from except home? Luke9:54 says, “And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?” For two brothers of the same parents, to exhibit that kind of anger, i doubt they didn't inherit it. Besides, research has proved that children do inherit their parent’s anger. Some of the reasons why many of us are unable to recognize these evil patterns, even when the Holy Spirit highlights them to us is because we see them as coincidences. I want you to know that evil patterns can be broken. It was broken in the life of Abraham and his children. It was also broken in the life of John and James. Do not give the enemy a foothold in your life.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: You can break that evil pattern of failure-at-the- edge-of-success with prayer. You can break that evil pattern of divorce with prayer. You can break that evil pattern of impecuniosity with prayer. You can break that evil pattern of marrying late with praying and fasting. You don’t have to face what others faced. You don't have to go through what others went through. Good things can begin with you. You can become the first to get it right in marriage.

PRAYER POINT: Father, i break every evil pattern in my life in Jesus name.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

FOR HE DOTH NOT PROPHESY GOOD CONCERNING ME, BUT EVIL.

Memory verse: And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. 1 kings 22:8

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 11-13

One of the mistakes some of us make is, when we are given counsel, we twist the counsel and claim that we are being insulted. A man, who had just acquired a property, was speaking to his friend who was looking to acquire a property. As they conversed, the one who had just acquired a property asked his friend (who was looking to acquire a property), how much deposit do you have for the mortgage? (The man bought the property on mortgage and the friend was seeking to do the same too). The friend mentioned the figure, (it was enough to get a mortgage), the fellow who had just acquired the property counseled his friend to shelve the idea for a short while and save more. The friend who was looking to acquire a property went ballistic, oh…. what are you trying to say…. Are you calling me a poor man…. Is it because I asked you a question, that’s why you are insulting me...Bla, Bla, Bla. At the end, he stormed out angrily. All the friend said was, you do not have enough funds to secure a mortgage, he took it personal and twisted it to mean that the friend was calling him a poor man. He stopped talking to the friend, later he did something he should not have done and that landed him in jail.

Ahab was guilty of this too. Any time the prophet gave him a counsel that was not what he wanted to hear, he would twist it to mean something else. Because Micaiah had not been saying things he wanted to hear, he told Jehoshaphat that Micaiah hated him. 1 Kings 22: 8 says And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. Before Micaiah arrived at the scene, Ahab had concluded in his heart that Micaiah would prophesy evil about him. Most of the counsel, Micaiah gave to Ahab was about his future. Micaiah told Ahab, go back, the Lord will not go with you. Ahab took it personal, and jailed Micaiah. At the end, he went and was defeated. Not only that, he perished. What advice, have you been given, that you have twisted and taken personal? Your pastor said, don’t marry that guy, you said your pastor hates you. You were counseled to study Economics instead of Medicine; you got angry and said, oh they are indirectly telling me that I do not have the brain to study Medicine. The pastor counseled you to submit to your husband, you said he is calling you a rebellious woman. The enemy uses this mindset to put a lot of people in bondage and get them in trouble. I remember a particular sister was denied visa, she got angry and said things are always working against her. Meanwhile, she was the one who did not fill the form correctly. Your boss advised you to smile more; you twisted it to mean that he is saying you are not friendly. Someone asked you for a receipt, you got angry and said the fellow is calling you a thief.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please help me to accept the truths that will transform my life.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

RUN FROM FIRE

Abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:22

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 31-33

For any man or woman to think that the devil is a fool is a big mistake. He is very cunning. He has been around for over 6000 years and has acquired a lot of worldly wisdom. To think that you and i can take him on with our ‘own’ strength is also a big mistake. Even the angels had to use the blood of Jesus to overcome him. Revelations 12:11 says and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. In Acts 19:13 – 17, seven sons Sceva tried taking on a demon with their physical strength, the man in whom the demon resided grabbed them, beat them up, and seized their clothes. At last, they managed to escape naked with wounds. Anyone who will be victorious over the devil must first accept that he or she is weak and solely depend on the name of Jesus. The bible says, at the mention of the name of Jesus, all knees should bow including the devil and his hosts (Philippians 2:9-10). The fellow must also avail himself of the provision provided, which is the armour of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). Lastly the fellow should abstain from all appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

That 'thing’ does not have to be evil before you run from it, even if you are not sure whether it is evil or not, if i were you i will run because it is better to be safe than sorry. Putting on the armour of God and not abstaining from all appearance of evil is being foolhardy. (Foolhardy means to be recklessly or unwisely bold). As believer, one must not lie to anyone, but someone we all lie to is ourselves. To think that you are strong and cannot fall into temptation is a big lie. To think that the opposite sex cannot lure you into fornication or adultery is a lie from pit of the hell. Brethren, let us be very careful especially when dealing with the opposite sex. If you have the grace of God upon on your life like Paul, then be like Paul and do not frustrate the grace of God upon your life (Galatians 2:21). By being careless around the opposite sex, you are frustrating the grace of God on your life. Sisters, the moment you begin to feel somehow around a man you are not married to, please keep distance from that man. Brothers, the moment you notice that you always get excited when you are around a particular sister, please for Christ sake keep a distance. Even if the fellow is your fiancé or fiancée, avoid two of you standing or sitting alone in a secluded area especially at night. You maybe 100 per cent sure of yourself (which is being foolhardy), are you 100 percent sure of the other person? If you are in a secluded area with the opposite sex for a long time, the conversation will start drifting into wrong territories, you will begin to discuss what you should not discuss and hear what your ears should not hear. In addition, we must flee from nudity of any form. You may look at those nude pictures and feel nothing, after a while when you must have forgotten that you saw a picture, your brain will bring back the pictures to your mind ,before you know it you are imagining things. At times, while you are praying, the enemy will bring back the pictures, to continue praying or concentrate becomes difficult. Avoid nude pictures or sexual joke.

NOTE: It is better to be safe than sorry.

Bro Samuel- Reaching the world for Jesus.

OVERCOMING EVIL WITH GOOD

MEMORY VERSE: be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good, Romans 12:21.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 13-14, Ps 99-101, Isa 41, Rev 11

James 2:26 says for as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Our works, actions, conducts etc must reflect Christ. Acts 10:38 says Jesus Christ went around doing good. A fellow who is not doing good works is not Christ like i.e. Christians. We are not worthy of been called a Christian if we only show kindness to those who show kindness to us. According to Matthew 5:43-48, if we only love those who love us then we are like the wicked too because wicked people only love those who love them. If we only greet those who greet us then we are no different from pagans because pagans too greet only those who greet them. As believers, Christ expects us to love everyone even our enemies; He expects us to be good to everyone even our enemies; He expects us to greet everyone even our enemies. He expects us to greet people who don’t even greet us.

The only way to overcome evil is by doing good. Don’t repay evil with evil because the Lord says vengeance is mine; I will repay, Romans 12:19. Don’t say heaven helps those who help themselves and go and take revenge. First of all ‘heaven helps those who themselves’ is not biblical. You will never find this quotation in the bible; it is from the pit of hell. Secondly when you repay evil with evil, you are evil.1 John 3:7 says little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. Another reason why you must not return evil for evil is that evil begets evil. This leads to circle of violence, you hurt me and Il hurt you and before you know it escalates into something else.

When you repay good with evil, the Lord disarms your enemy. When you repay good with evil, the Lord turns evil into good. A brother was sharing his testimony of how the Lord used him to bring an evil uncle to Christ. This evil uncle belonged to a satanic secret society. This evil man was responsible for the death of his senior brother (brother’s dad). He did that with the intention of possessing all the properties – houses, lands e.t.c that belongs to his senior brother. The whole family hated this uncle but this brother drew close to him and began to witness to him. Later the uncle gave his life to Christ, confessed and forsook his evil ways. He apologized and returned all he had taken. This ex-evil uncle could have killed more people but the love this brother shew to him changed him.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please give me the grace to repay good for evil.