LAZARUS SLEPT

MEMORY VERSE: These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. John 11:11

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 7- 8

Someone once said, “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change”. What a true statement. There is a need to change the way you look at things. Not until you change the way you look at that situation, it may not change for the better. Firstly, how you see that situation you are facing will determine your confession. Luke 6:45 says, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” Jesus saw Lazarus as one that slept not a dead man. No wonder He told His disciples that He was going to wake him out of sleep. Your confession matters. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” Your confession will determine how that challenge will end. Numbers 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 God hears you say is what you will have. Joel 3:10 says, “Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.” What you confess is what you will have. When David confessed that he was going to kill Goliath and cut off his head, he did not have a sword talk-less of a knife on him. Actually, all he had on him that day was a sling and some stones. But God heard that young boy on that day and granted his confession. David slung a stone and Goliath went down. He ran to him, grabbed Goliath's sword, the only available sword big enough to cut Goliath's head, and cut off his head with it. 

Secondly, how you see that situation you are facing will determine how you  will react to it or tackle it. When Jesus got to the tomb of Lazarus, He called him out like one who was calling a friend who was fast asleep. He didn’t ask them to bring the corpse of Lazarus and lay hands on it. The reason why a lot of us cry when we face challenges is because we think it is over or we think it is beyond God. When Herod threw Peter into prison, what did Peter do? He slept (Acts 12:1-12). He slept because of his confidence in God. He slept so deep that the angel of the Lord had to punch him at the side before he woke up. Even at that, he wasn't fully awake until the angel led him out. In Matthew 8:23-27, Jesus was fast asleep when the storm arose and beat against the boat He was in. Friend, it is not over. Why did Saul and his men run from Goliath? They saw him as an indomitable lion. David on other hand saw him as a dog. Hence, he charged at him with a sling and a stone. The reason why you are running from that project is because you think it will crush you. Others who did the same project and completed it are not in any way better than you. The difference between you and them is how you see the project.Some brothers are afraid of approaching some sisters to propose to them despite the fact that they have prayed and gotten a go ahead from heaven. Maybe because they think the sister is too good for them or they are not in her level. If God is leading you to her then you must be in her level. Brother, don't be afraid to approach that sister. You will be shocked that God has already spoke to her and she is only waiting for you to make the move. 

 

PRAYER POINT: Father, i receive boldness to take on my Goliaths.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

THE WORD OF WISDOM

MEMORY VERSE: For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:8

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Hebrew 8-10

What is wisdom? Wisdom is the application of knowledge. Just as there are four kinds of knowledge, also there are four kinds of wisdom. Firstly, there is the “natural human wisdom” which is simply naturally applied knowledge. This kind of wisdom is obviously on the increase, since knowledge is so much on the increase. Of course, compared to God’s wisdom, man’s wisdom is foolishness. The wisdom of the natural man will one day pass away. 1 Corinthians 1:19 says, “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” Secondly, there is the “fallen world’s supernatural wisdom.” The enemy in Genesis 3 used the fallen world’s supernatural wisdom and knowledge to tempt the first man and woman to disobey God's commandments. Genesis 3:6 says, “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and ‘a tree to be desired to make one wise’, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” This kind of wisdom was, and continues to be, forbidden by God. Man already had natural wisdom, which was good, but now he opened himself up to supernatural evil knowledge, and the application of it, evil wisdom, which until then existed only among the fallen angels. Astrology is an example of counterfeit wisdom today.

Thirdly, there is the true intellectual wisdom. The Book of Proverbs and King Solomon’s wisdom are good examples of this. We are told to get this kind of wisdom (Proverbs 4:7). This wisdom comes by respecting the Lord and the Word of God. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” This wisdom also comes by studying God’s word which can be understood only as it is revealed by the Holy Spirit. In other to do this, you must first receive Jesus Christ, who is the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). The fourth kind of wisdom is the supernatural gift of the “word of wisdom”. It is the sudden and miraculous giving of wisdom to meet a particular situation, or answer a particular question, or utilize a particular piece of knowledge, natural or supernatural. This kind of wisdom is not a human ability, but the sheer gift of God. An example of the “word of wisdom” is found in Genesis 41. Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream was not natural wisdom or wisdom through study and preparation;he was given an immediate supernatural answer. Joseph was on the spot. He had been let out of prison just long enough to be given a chance to interpret this dream. However, the wise counsel – the need of appointing a wise leader and officers, and how to store the needed food for the time of famine- was true intellectual wisdom that God had given Joseph, and which he used continually. Another example of the “word of wisdom” is found in Matthew 22:15-22 where the Pharisees tried to entangle Jesus in His words by asking if men should pay tributes to Caesar or not. Jesus answered with a word of wisdom: "Render therefore unto Caesar which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” There are other examples in the scriptures. For instance, Apostle Paul was certainly not trained in seamanship, yet when he was involved in a shipwreck, he so took command of the situation that even though he was a prisoner being taken to Rome, the Roman officer listen to him with respect ( Acts 27:21-35).

PRAYER POINT: Father, please fill me with Your wisdom

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

DON’T BE UNEQUALLY YOKED WITH UNBELIEVERS.

MEMORY VERSE: Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Micah

We make important decisions every day. Majority of them affect others and the impact can last for a lifetime and on through eternity. The most important decision you will ever make is salvation. Why is it the most important decision? That decision will determine your future. The word of the Lord clearly says: “Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him” (Isaiah 3:10-11). Not only that, it will determine what your expectation will be. According to Colossians 1:27, Christ in you, the hope of glory. The Most High God will see to it that none of His children is put to shame. Most importantly, that decision to give your life to Christ will determine where you will spend your eternity. John 3:3 says, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” The second most important decision is who you marry (if you are yet to marry). Asides the obvious fact that marrying the wrong person can make one’s life hell on earth, marrying the wrong person drastically reduces one’s chances of making it to heaven. According to Mark 10:8, you are one flesh with whoever you are married to. It will be difficult for one to make heaven without the other.

2 Corinthians 6:14 says, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” To those who have been asking how to know God’s will in marriage, your answer is right there in 2 Corinthians 6:14. There is the general will and specific will in marriage. The general will is highlighted in our memory verse – "be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers". As a single Christian brother or sister, you must not marry an unbeliever. God will never lead any of His children into courtship with an unbeliever. No! Some have deluded themselves into thinking that they can marry the fellow and change him or her later. You are making a big mistake. Don’t do it. The first question i will expect any child of God to ask a brother who proposes is are you born again. If a sister is not born again, she is not God’s will for you. No matter how well mannered and how well behaved she maybe. It does not matter how caring a brother is, if he is not saved he is not God’s will for you. There is no need asking God if you can marry an unbeliever because the answer is already no even before you pray. Someone asked how about the so-called brothers and sisters who claim they are born again but indeed they are not. The bible says “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles” (Matthew 7:16). The bible did not say you will know them by their Facebook posts or bible quotation. The devil knows the bible and he quotes them regularly. It is not even by parent’s position in the church. Hophni and Phinehas were sons of the prophet, yet they were sleeping with women in the church. One important thing, make sure you carry your pastors along in the process as they will be praying for you. Also, let your pastors know what is happening especially when you enter into any relationship.

NOTE: Anyone who marries an unbeliever will have the devil as an in-law.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

THE WORD OF KNOWLEDGE

MEMORY VERSE: For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:8

 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 29-30

It is important that you know about spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:1 says, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.” Today, we will look at the “word of knowledge”. There are four basic types of knowledge in the world today. Firstly, there is the "natural human knowledge". This type of knowledge is on the increase today. Daniel 12:4 says, “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” There is so much knowledge out there that supercomputers are being  employed to store and process the tremendous stock-pile of facts, since it has gone beyond the human mind to do so in any reasonable length of time. As important as the natural human knowledge is, it often creates so much pride – it has even led many scientists and think tanks to believe there is no God. According to 1 Corinthians 8:1, knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. Not only that, it has kept a lot of people from entering into the knowledge of our God.  1 Corinthians 2:14 says, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Secondly, there is the “fallen world’s supernatural knowledge”. This is the natural mind’s attempt to gain information by supernatural means either through the occult, psychic or metaphysical investigations which Satan is using to ensnare an increasing number of people today. Please note, the fact that something is supernatural does not mean it is from God. Fortunetelling, clairvoyance, mind reading, astrology, witchcraft, spiritism, etc, all come under the fallen world’s supernatural knowledge. 

Thirdly, there is the true intellectual knowledge. This comes from knowing God personally through Jesus Christ ( John 17:3, Philippians 3:10), being filled with the Holy Spirit, and through studying the Word of God, which brings the knowledge of God’s will and His ways, for which there is no substitute ( Psalms 103:17; Exodus 33:13). Just as the natural human knowledge is growing, the true intellectual knowledge is also growing. Isaiah 11:9 says, “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” Whilst man’s knowledge will one day pass away, the knowledge of God is permanent and will last through eternity. The fourth is the “word of knowledge”. It is the supernatural revelation of facts past, present, or future which are not learned through the efforts of the natural mind. It maybe described as the Mind of Christ being manifested to the mind of the believer, and is given when needed in a flash of time (1 Corinthians 2:16).  This gift is used to protect the Christian, to show him how to pray more effectively, or to show him how to help others. This spiritual gift is not a human “ability” at all, but sheer gift of God. It is manifested as a result of staying close to the Lord. If a believer suddenly became aware, without receiving the knowledge through any natural channels that a friend was in trouble, and needed his prayers and help, that would not be “extrasensory perception, but rather God manifesting the gift of the “word of knowledge” The gifts of the Holy Spirit come from and through the Holy Spirit to our spirit, and not from or through the soul or physical senses. 1 Corinthians 12:8 says,” For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit.” The “word of knowledge” was used to expose Gehazi (2 Kings 5:20-27).  It was used to recover lost persons or property, as in the case of Saul and the lost donkeys (1 Samuel 9:15-20; 10:21-23).  The “word of knowledge” can give information in seemingly very prosaic matters. God is concerned about every human need.

NOTE: These gifts are given to profit and benefit one another. They must not be misused. When God chooses to share His knowledge with us, it is for a purpose. It is not given just to make us feel “spiritual” or clever!

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

“TO ANOTHER DISCERNING OF SPIRITS”

MEMORY VERSE: To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues. 1 Corinthians 12:10

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 119

There are several types of discernment. There is what we may call “natural discernment”. This is the judgment that we pass on people, circumstances, and on our own behavior. It is derived from the teaching we received in our homes, and the effect of our environment and culture. Our natural “consciences” are composed of this kind of material, and therefore they are unreliable. Christian and non-Christian alike have this. There is the true intellectual discernment which comes from the mind that is being renewed in Christ. This discernment grows as we meet and receive Christ and get to know Him better, through fellowship and through the study of the Word of God. As we grow in the Christian life, the Holy Spirit sorts through our minds and consciences, discarding the wrong, and adding what is right. If God has been permitted to work in this way, as times goes on, our minds and consciences will become more and more in agreement with the scriptures and with the Holy Spirit living in us. It is important for believers to develop in this kind of discernment as it is a strong defense against false doctrine. The moment we hear a strange new teaching that is not keeping with the truth, we should be able to say that God doesn’t act that way! There is the “false supernatural discernment” possessed by people who have been serving Satan, or people who are oppressed or possessed by enemy power and influence. They are repelled by the presence of anyone who is walking in the Spirit.

The “discerning of spirits” is quite different from all we have talked about. Firstly, it is a spiritual gift. 1 Corinthians 12:10 says, "To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues." Like all the gifts of the spirit, it does not come through training but is given in a moment when and as it is needed. Any Christian may manifest this gift, but like others, and it is intensified after the baptism of the Holy Spirit. By the gift of discerning of spirits, the believer is enabled to know immediately what is motivating a person or situation. Also, the gift of discerning of spirits enables the believer to discern the kind of spirit that is operating in an environment. Whilst the sense of presence of the Holy Spirit brings joy and love and peace; the discerning of wrong spirits brings a sense of heaviness and unrest. The discerning of spirits is a kind of “police” gift, to keep the enemy’s influence from causing serious problems in the fellowship. In Acts 16:16-18, a girl with a wrong spirit, spirit of divination, met Paul and the brethren and followed them wherever they went announcing to everyone that they were men of God. This she did for many days. Thank God for the discerning of spirits; Paul cast the spirit out of her. When Peter made this great confession about Jesus: “thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God!” Jesus commended him. When Jesus began to tell his followers, however, that He was to die, Peter would not accept His words. He began to rebuke Jesus, saying, “be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee!” Jesus discerned that Peter was speaking in a wrong spirit, and said: “Get thee behind me, Satan: you are an offence to me: for you savour not the things that be of God, but those that be of men” (Matthew 16:15-23). When Jesus was not received in the village of the Samaritans, James and John were so angry that they asked Jesus whether should command fire from heaven to consume the people. But Jesus said: “You know not what manner of spirit you are of” (Luke 9:54-55).

NOTE: An important use of the gift of discerning of spirits is in bringing deliverance. One is able to know what spirit is in operation and cast it out

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

“THY FATHER WHICH SEETH IN SECRET”

MEMORY VERSE: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. Matthew 6:4

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 5-6

Every word that comes out of the mouth of the Lord must be taken seriously. There are several reasons why you must not take His words for granted.For instance, He is the Truth. John 14:6 says, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” And when the Truth speaks, He speaks the truth. Another reason why His words must be taken seriously is because they are spirit and life. John 6:63 says, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” Jesus only spoke to the corpse of the widow’s son and the boy came back to life (Luke 7:11-17). All He said was: “Young man i say unto thee, Arise.” Another reason why His words must be taken seriously is because His words carry power. According to Ecclesiastes 8:4, where the word of a king is, there is power. Because He is the King of kings, His words carry power. No wonder the bible says:”He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions” (Psalm 107:20).

One important reason why you must take His words seriously is because His words will never pass away. Mark 13:31 says, “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.” Take His words seriously. If for any reason He repeats Himself, it means there are some eternal truths in what He is saying. For instance, in Matthew 6, Jesus kept on saying “and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly”. He must have repeated that statement at least three times. What can we learn from this statement? Firstly, God is a father. Matthew 6:4 says, “That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.” The moment we hear the word “Father” several things come to mind for example family, children, etc. God is a father and He has children. His children are believers. John 1:12 says, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” This brings us to the next point, God is your Father. Jesus told His disciples “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name” (Matthew 6:9). Because God is your father, you must treat Him as a father. Many of us respect our earthly fathers but we don’t respect our heavenly father. Many of us dare not disobey our father’s instruction but we flout God’s instruction at will. We give our earthly fathers our full attention when they are addressing us, but when our heavenly father is addressing us through a man of God we are busy playing with our phones. We are either on Facebook, BBM or sending messages on WhatsApp. God is your Father not your headmaster or principal. He is not always looking for opportunities to punish you or scream at you. He is not a task master. He is a loving Father. He is a caring Father. He is a merciful Father. He is a Father not a boss. He is patient. He gives second chances. He understands that you are weak. He wants you to prosper. He wants you to have the good things of life. He wants you to be happy. The idea that God does not like it when we are happy is from the pit of hell. Just as a father loves to hear the voice of his children, Jesus loves to hear your voice.

PRAYER: Father, thanks for being a father to me.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

“HIS FATHER SAW HIM, AND HAD COMPASSION, AND RAN, AND FELL ON HIS NECK”

MEMORY VERSE: And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. Luke 15:20

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:  Hebrew 5-7

BIBLE READING: Luke 15:11-32

In Luke 15:11-32, Jesus spoke about the parable of the prodigal son. One morning, he walked up to his wealthy father and asked for his inheritance – his share of the old man’s estate. Disappointed, deflated, dejected, the old man called for his estate agent. When he arrived, the old man divided his property into two – since he had only two sons – and gave the younger his share. Few days later, the boy travelled to a far country and began to live big. He began to pop champagne and follow after strange women. Within a short while his wealth was spent, and he began to starve. In order to survive, he got a job on a pig farm as an attendant and fed on the pigs' leftover. His situation got worse and worse, so he decided to return home and work for his father as a servant since he was not qualified to be called his son anymore. Luke 15:20 says: “And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”

 Jesus often taught truths in the form of stories or parables. The way that old man behaved toward his prodigal son is literally the same way our Father in heaven behaves towards backsliders when they return home. He welcomes them back with open arms. Have you backslidded back into the world? The Lord is waiting to receive you back with open arms – not as a slave but as a son. Although, He is not happy that you backslidded, He is not crossed with you. Just as the prodigal son was restored, restoration awaits any backslidden Christian. The fact that you committed abortion when you backslidded does not mean the Lord will not receive you back. There are many who think the Lord will not receive them back because of the terrible things they did when they backslidded; friend it is not so. There is restoration for anyone who returns to the Lord regardless of how terrible they have been.  

Yesterday we spoke about the correct response to sin. After you must have confessed your sins to God, there is also a need to confess your sins to man. You see, even after God forgives our sins and forgets them forever, our past isn’t magically erased. Hurt and angry people still lie along the way behind us. With God’s help we must go back to each one we can find and ask for his or her forgiveness. It’s not an easy thing to do but it must be done. After i gave my life to Christ i had to call a lady i offended back in my high school days and apologised to her. She didn’t even remember the incident again but she was amazed that i would do such a thing. 

ACTION: Can i suggest a project that will help you settle the things of the past? Make a list of people you have hurt and things you need to set right.  After you have made your list, lay it down before the Lord. (No one else needs to see it, so destroy it as soon as you can). Confess your sins to Him. Then determine how you will contact each person on your list to ask for his or her forgiveness and make restitution, if necessary. The bible says, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other that you may be healed” (James 5:16).  

NOTE: Confession is the healing balm of our soul. 

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world