DEFENDING CHAMPIONS

John 16:33 these things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ex 34, John 13, Prov 10, Eph 3

 

A champion is the fellow that emerges a victor in a challenge, contest or competition. Long before you were born, Jesus has already overcome the world for you. You have already emerged a victor , long  before that challenge you are facing. Romans 8:37 says nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Whether you believe it or not, you are not a failure. Things don’t always go wrong for you; you are not a victim of circumstances ; something is not wrong with you ;the world is not always against you, do not accept this lie from the pit of hell. You have already secured victory over failure, Deuteronomy 28:13 says you shall be the head, not the tail. Your future is bright, Isaiah 3:10 says say to the righteous it shall be well with him. You healing is guaranteed, Isaiah 65:20 says there shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundreds years old.We are champions because  Jesus overcame the world for us. I read a Facebook status which says Christians are defending champions; we are not fighting for victory over the devil, we are fighting to retain in our victory .

 

The question is  how can I retain my victory in Christ? Firstly, live a life of holiness. Hebrews 12:14 says without holiness, no man shall see the Lord. Jeremiah 5:25 says your iniquities have turned these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you. Secondly, believe in the Lord. Romans 10:10 says for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness. Mark 9:23 says all things are possible to them that belief. According to Hebrews 3:19, unbelief can shut the door of breakthrough on a man. Thirdly, confess your victory. Romans 10:10 says with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 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. Joel 3:10 says let the weak say I am strong. Confess what you want not what you are going through. Begin to confess your victory over that challenges you are going through.

 

KEYWORD: Christians are defending champions; we are not fighting for victory over the devil, we are fighting to retain in our victory.

WHEN BREAKTHROUGH IS CLOSE

1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray without ceasing.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ex 33, John 12, Prov 9, Eph 2

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. One question we all ask is how can I tell when my blessing is at the door? I have prayed, fasted, sown seeds, made vows and fulfilled them e.t.c. how can I tell breakthrough is around the corner. I have been asking God for a fruit of the womb, or a life partner or a job or a promotion or a spiritual gift e.t.c, how do I know when I am about to get what I have been asking from God? 

Today we will be looking at two signs that tells you your breakthrough is around the corner. Firstly, an unusual burden to be generous to both God and men. In 2 Kings 4:8-17 is the story of the great Shunem woman and Elisha. This woman had been looking up to God for the fruit of womb for a long time. When her time came, she began to have an unusual desire to give or be generous. She invited the man of God to come in for a meal and that one refused; she did not take no for answer, the bible records that she constrained him to eat bread. This woman could not explain why but there was this deep desire to give, no wonder she took her giving to another level by building a house for the man of God; nine months later she gave birth to a bouncing baby boy. Abraham waited on God for twenty-five years for the promise of a son. When his waiting period was about to be over, he too began to experience an unusual urge to give. He saw three strangers passing by; he ran to them and begged them to come into house for a glass of water. He did not feel comfortable with giving his guests water alone so he prepared food. Something arose in this ninety-nine year old man, and all he wanted to do was just give. We know the end of the story, exactly nine months later Isaac was born. Secondly, an unusual burden to pray. Hannah had been attending Shiloh for years, 1 Samuel 1:4-19. She would go with her family,offer burnt offerings and go back home but this particular year she had an unusual burden to pray. Whilst everyone was eating and drinking, she went into the temple and began to pour her heart unto God. She prayed to the extent even passers-by took notice of her, the man of God first thought she was drunk before he found out that she was praying over a matter. God spoke through the man of God and nine months later her joy was full. When Jesus was about to complete his mission on earth i.e. be crucified, He too had an unusual burden to pray. He began to experience a deep desire to pray; the more He prayed, the more He wanted to pray. He prayed to a point where His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground, Luke 22:44. Three days later, Jesus successfully completed this task and humanity was saved from the wrath of God. Brethren please do not joke with the urge to pray or do anything for God.

KEYWORD: Once you feel the urge to pray, drop whatever you are doing and just begin to pray if possible in tongue. Many have missed major breakthroughs by ignoring this urge.

OUR SPIRITUAL HEALTH

1 Timothy 4:7 but refuse profane and old wives fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ex 32, John 11, Prov 8, Eph 1

To fulfill God’s plan for our life, we need good health. Deuteronomy 28:13 says the Lord shall make you the head and not the tail. To be the head, good health is required. Leviticus 26:8 says five of you shall chase a hundred, and an hundred shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.  According to Deuteronomy 32:30, it is possible for a man to chase a thousand and two to put ten thousand to flight. Only a healthy man can challenge the enemy talk less of chasing a thousand of them. To pass that exams and graduate with good grades, you need good health. To start that project you have been talking about, you need good health. To complete it, you need good health. To be a Christian husband i.e. a man that provides for his family (1 Timothy 5:8), you need good health because only a healthy man can work very hard to cater for the needs of his family. To be a virtuous woman i.e. a woman that rises at least an hour before her household to prepare breakfast (Proverbs 31:15), you need good health. To achieve anything in life, good health is required. This is why the elders will always say ‘health is wealth’. Only the healthy can eat the fruit of their labour. This is why we all need to take the issue of our health very serious. Let’s cut down on sugar, drink more water. Do you know that 85 percent of headaches we suffer is as a result of lack of water in the body? No wonder they say ‘water is life’. Eat more vegetables, cut down on greasy foods and fizzy drinks / soft drinks. I read an article which said it is a fact that soft drink causes 180,000 deaths per year – 133,000 diabetes deaths and 44,000 deaths due to cardiovascular disease and 6,000 cancer deaths. We will not lose you to untimely death but please take good care of yourself and exercise.

Our physical health is important but our spiritual health is more important. John 6:63 says it is the spirit that quickeneth i.e. it is the spirit that gives life to our physical body. Just as we grow lean when we do not eat due to fasting, we grow lean spiritually when we do not eat our spiritual food. Just as our physical strength diminishes when do not eat for a long period of time, our spiritual strength diminishes too when do not feed spiritually for a long period of time. Just as our physical brain will shut down if we do not eat for a very long period of time, our spiritual brain shuts down when we do not feed spiritually for a very long period of time. There are many brethren who look physically ok but are spiritually gaunt i.e. they are thin and bony spiritually. What is this spiritual food? The word of God. Jesus Christ says in Matthew 4:4 ,’but It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’ The word of God is not only a spiritual food but medicine to your physical flesh. According to Proverbs 4:20 &22, the word of God is health to the flesh. Not only that, it is a medicine for the soul. Psalm 107:20 says He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.

ACTION POINT: Begin to feed on the word of God.Read your bible more so that you will not be spiritually guant

DON’T STOP BECAUSE THERE IS A REWARD

Exodus 2:17 and the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ex 31, John 10, Prov 7, Gal 6

 

BIBLE STUDIES: Exodus 2:11-21

 

There is nothing as discouraging as an individual who does not appreciate a helping hand especially when you go out of your way to render the help. If the individual now repays your good deed with bad deed, you will be disgusted. This was the case of Moses. He was walking around minding his own business when he noticed an Egyptian mercilessly beating up a Hebrew boy. Out of pity he rushed to help this Hebrew boy. One thing led to another before you know it, the Egyptian fell and died. He buried the Egyptian and went on his way. The next day while passing by, he saw two Hebrew boys fighting. He approached the fellow at fault and appealed to him to stop hitting his brother and that one started to insult him. He even reminded him of the Egyptian he killed the day before and began to sarcastically beg him not to kill him like he killed the Egyptian. When Moses heard this he was very sad. He thought it was going to end there but it did not; these men informed Pharaoh and that one began to look for Moses to kill him. Moses had no choice than to run away. Moses got himself into trouble because he helped a Hebrew boy (his brother) who was about to be beaten to death by an Egyptian. This boy instead of thanking Moses for saving his life started spreading a rumor that Moses was a killer. The men of Israel instead of commending Moses for saving a Hebrew boy from death, went straight to report him to Pharaoh. Moses lost all he had as a result of this. He was a prince in Egypt, actually the theologians said he was next in line to the throne of Pharaoh but he lost all of this because he  rendered  help to a fellow Hebrew. He lost contact to his beloved mother and family, not only that he became a vagabond and a wanderer in the deserts. While he was wandering in the deserts, he saw some shepherds acting wickedly to some ladies. He defended these ladies and helped them get water from the well. Before the end of that day, God provided a house and a wife for Moses.

 

Today I want to admonish you that whatever good thing you are doing, please do not stop because there is a reward for it. People might not appreciate you. They may even repay evil for the good you have done to them like Moses but don’t stop doing good. Moses like anyone of us could have sworn never to render any help again in his life but he did not. Despite all he suffered, when another opportunity to render help came, instead of refusing to help he rendered help and the Lord rewarded him right on the spot. Don’t let the enemy convince you stop doing good. Thank God Moses did not get tired of doing good and quit been a good person. In your last relationship, people might have taken advantage of your kind heart, please do not grow a tough skin and become mean to people. Continue with your kind heart, the Lord that rewards people with a kind heart will reward you in Jesus name.

 

PRAYER POINT: Father, give me the grace to continue to do good even people repay it with evil.

HALF EVANGELISM

 

MEMORY VERSE: 1 Corinthians 9:22 to the weak I as weak that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ex 30, John 9, Prov 6, Gal 5

 

Asides praise and worship, one activity God loves so much and takes interest in is evangelism. No wonder He said in Luke 11:23, ‘he that is not with Me is against Me: and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth i.e. whoever is not bringing people to Christ is sending people away from Christ. There is a great reward for those who witness about Christ in heaven. Here on earth, the Lord has promised that those who witnesses i.e. turn many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever, Daniel 12:3.

 

There is more to evangelism than approaching people and telling them Jesus loves them and wants to save them. Evangelism is not about just telling people that Jesus came to die for them and all. It is far more than that. Most of the time what we do is half evangelism. We tell people Christ loves them but we are not ready to demonstrate the love of Christ to them. We tell people Jesus saves but we are not ready to be the savior we talked about to them. I remember a particular experience while i was witnessing to a particular sister. I was praying and literally begging her to accept Jesus but I noticed I was not making any progress at all so I sought the advice of a brother. At that time the sister had just lost her job, she could barely feed herself talk less of buy a bus fare to look for jobs. Anyway the brother advised me to be the Jesus I was preaching to her. Immediately I made some arrangements to get her some food stuff and I began to assist her in her job search. Guess what, the next time I invited her to church she turned up and I think that was her first time of setting foot in a church. Evangelism is not only about saving the soul but saving the body i.e. taking interest in what the fellow is going through and offering support. Another part of evangelism God is keen on is follow-up. One of the reasons why people are not encouraged to come to church anymore is because the church does not show genuine interest or care for them. Many have been attending service for weeks, months or even years and no one from church has bothered to contact them to check on them talk less of the pastor setting time out to visit them at home and pray with them. Jesus conducted follow up with his disciples. It was during one of the follow-up visits he healed the mother-in-law of Peter, Matthew 8:14-15. Several years ago a young lady gathered a group of street kids to teach them God’s word. Among these kids was Robert Morrison. He would attend church today and not show up for a while, only to show up out of the blue again. What always brought young Robert back to the class room was the follow-up this young lady was doing. Today Robert Morrison is known as the great missionary to China who translated the bible into the Chinese language and opened the Kingdom of Heaven to countless millions who live there. The follow-up conducted on the unpromising, unstable Robert gave birth to a great missionary.

 

ACTION POINT: Contact brothers and sisters you did not see in church last Sunday and check if all is well.

WHO IS A BORN AGAIN SERIES Pt1

MEMORY VERSE: Ezekiel 11:19 – then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ex 20, John 9, Prov 6, Gal 5

The fact that a fellow does not commit fornication or adultery does not make him a born again. The fact that an individual is the first to get to church and the last to leave does not make him a born again. The fact that a brother can quote the bible does not make him a born again, after all Satan knows the bible off heart and he quotes them too. In Matthew 4:1-11, we see him quote Psalms 91:11-12 – he shall give His angles charge over you and in their hands they shall bear you up lest you dash your feet against a stone. Miracles are not a proof that a man is a man of God. Simon the sorcerer performed great miracles that astonished the people of Samaria in Acts 8:9. The fact that a sister speaks in tongue does not mean she is born again. Demons speak in tongues and as a matter of fact, the donkey of Balaam spoke too, Numbers 22:28-30

After a man is born again, He becomes a new creature. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says old things will pass away i.e. old ways of life and all things become new. Before this happens a process needs to take place. Ezekiel 11:19 say then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh. A born again has one heart i.e. a heart that is one with Christ ;a heart that reasons the way Christ reasons; a heart that loves what Christ loves and hates what Christ hates. That is why it is impossible to be a born again Christian and still abhor hatred towards people. Once Christ enters a life there is no more room for hatred because Christ is love (1 John 4:8), and love always cancels out hatred. A born again brother or sister who is full of love will love evangelism. How can you and i claim that we sincerely love a brother or sister, we see them going to hell and we pretend as if all is well? Or we have friends , family or children who are yet to give their life to Christ and we are comfortable with that.If we sincerely love them, we will witness to them and do follow-up. One heart also means a sincere and upright heart not a divided heart. It is this heart that makes one a child of God. When you see an individual with one heart, his faith in God is genuine, his hope is devoid of hypocrisy and his love is without deception. He loves God not because of what He will receive from God but because He is God. A fellow with one heart has his affections and desires towards God. Not only that, He is subject to the will of God. The fellow with one heart is sincere to both God and man. That is why you will never see a born again flattering people or telling a lie. Do you know that people with one heart with God forgives and show mercy? They do because our God is God of mercy. 

PRAYER POINT: Father, please give me a heart that is one with Jesus.

LET THE DEAD BURY THEIR DEAD

MEMORY VERSE: Matthew 8:22 but Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ex 28, John 7, Prov 4, Gal 3

BIBLE STUDIES: Matthew 8:21-22

There are three seasons in the life of every man – past, present and future. Out of these seasons, two of them are out of our control – the past and future. The present is all we have so let us make very good use of it. In our bible studies, we read the story of a man who wanted to first go and bury his dead before following Jesus. The dead referred to in this passage is his past. The father of this disciple did not just die, he had died sometimes back. A very rare opportunity came to this man to enjoy an usual relationship with our Lord Jesus i.e. to move forward in life, but his past (events that have already taken place in his life) wanted to rob him of it.

Just like this disciple, the past of many are robbing them of an opportunity to move forward in life or have a breakthrough. The past of many are robbing them of liberty and happiness .Do not let the enemy rob you of your joy by condemning you about what you did before you met the Lord. Whatever you did before you met Christ, is forgiven! Many are living in bitterness as result of unforgiveness. People have wronged them in the past; people have offended them through what was said against them and instead of forgiving they are holding unto it. There are many who still beat themselves down because of a wrong decision they made in the past. The truth is you cannot change the past so why not let go of it and move on. There are many who believe that because they made a mistake in the past, their future is ruined. It is a big lie, your past does not decide your future, and it is your present that decides your future. Some years back, I and a junior member of staff had an argument over an instruction I gave out. I overheard her threatening to slap me. Later she apologized, I forgave her and we moved on. Some two years after I was suspended over a matter I knew nothing about. Three days to the final hearing, my phone rang and when I checked it was this sister that threatened to slap me. I picked up the phone and she gave me an inside information that turned the case in my favor. If I had decided to stop greeting her because of what happened two years prior, will the Lord have used her to provide me with that information? The past achievements of many are robbing them of an opportunity to move forward. Instead of working harder, they sit and begin to remember how the Lord used them to do A and B. Before you know it, they get carried away and pride sets in. Whatever the Lord has done through you in the past is the past. The most important thing is what the Lord is doing through you in the present. What you did for the Lord in the past is the past, what are you doing for the Lord today! To move ahead in life, one needs to forget about the failures of yesterday; the disappointments and shame of yester-year. One also needs to ignore the achievements of the past to be able to achieve more. Failure to let go of the past would render you stagnant and keep you in the past.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please severe me from every past that is preventing me from going forward.