You Have Love In You!
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us (Romans 5:5).
Some people wallow in self-pity because they feel unloved. Out of dejection they make statements like “I feel so far away from God. Maybe He doesn’t love me; I don’t think anyone loves me.” This shouldn’t be your experience if you’re a Christian because God loves you and has filled you with His love. He brought all of His love into your heart when He took up His abode in you. So there’s no reason to feel unloved or dejected because as long as God loves you, it doesn’t matter who doesn’t.
Instead of looking for people to love you, you can actually be the one giving out love. The Bible says “…the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5:5). God’s nature of love is in your heart already and you can share it with others who feel unloved, letting them know that God so loved them that He sent His Son to reach out to them, even when they didn’t care about Him.
If you’re born again God has reconciled you to Himself by Jesus Christ and has committed unto you the ministry of reconciling others to Him. Now, you’re the one to show the loveless, that have no hope, the love of God, for you have it in your heart. Share that love today. Sow that gift of love into someone’s life today.
Most people feel empty because they don’t have love in them, but as one who is born again, you have love in you. So it’s your responsibility to go out and share it. And what a great opportunity the season offers us to share God’s love with others. Make it a merry Christmas indeed for that loveless one who feels abandoned and neglected. Let him know that he’s the reason Jesus was born; he’s the reason for the season.
Prayer
Dear Father, I thank you because I have your very nature of love in my spirit; therefore, I do not hesitate to demonstrate love to my neighbours today. I’m rooted and grounded in your love that’s shared abroad in my heart by your Spirit who dwells in me, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
Ephesians 3:17-19
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
1 John 4:7-8
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 16
Reading plan Haggai
2 Year Bible Revelation 18:13-24
Reading Plan Zechariah 3-4
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Showing posts with label EFFIONG EKPO. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EFFIONG EKPO. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Christ Is Born In Our Hearts!
Christ Is Born In Our Hearts!
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11).
Merry Christmas! How wonderful to know that Jesus was born, and that the reason He came to the world was to bring salvation to the whole world. This is what makes Christmas a joyful celebration indeed. The Bible says in Luke 1:68-69 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David.”
However, this salvation, as glorious as it was, was only a means to an end. God’s plan wasn’t just to bring us out of sin and bondage and leave us to suffer and rot away in life. His plan was to make us new creations and fill us with His Spirit so we could worship Him in spirit and in truth: “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him” (John 4:23).
For the Holy Spirit to come to the earth, Jesus had to first leave, which was why He told His disciples in John 16:7 “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” Now, the Holy Spirit has come, not just to be with us, but to live in us. This is the greatest thing mankind could ever know; to become the very tabernacle of the living God. The very idea or suggestion of it alone is overwhelming. Jesus was born, and He lived to die that we might live. Today, we live because He lived, died, and came back to life to be born in us.
This is the excitement we share today; that the same Christ who was born nearly two thousand years ago, lived, died, and came back to life to be born in our hearts. Thus, Christmas will not only be remembered for the baby-Jesus that was born in Bethlehem, but for the Christ that is born in our hearts; who lives and reigns forever in us and through us. Aren’t you glad about Christmas? It made it possible for Christ to be born in our hearts, and to live and express Himself through us.
Prayer
Dear Father, thank you for sending your beloved Son, Jesus, not only to save us, but to make us new creations. Now I can celebrate the joy of Christmas today and every other day, rejoicing over the Christ that has been born in my heart! Thank you, dear Father, for Christmas, in Jesus’ Name. Amen,
Further Study
Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
John 14:16-17
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 17
Reading plan Zechariah 1-3
2 Year Bible Revelation 19:1-10
Reading Plan Zechariah 5-6
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11).
Merry Christmas! How wonderful to know that Jesus was born, and that the reason He came to the world was to bring salvation to the whole world. This is what makes Christmas a joyful celebration indeed. The Bible says in Luke 1:68-69 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David.”
However, this salvation, as glorious as it was, was only a means to an end. God’s plan wasn’t just to bring us out of sin and bondage and leave us to suffer and rot away in life. His plan was to make us new creations and fill us with His Spirit so we could worship Him in spirit and in truth: “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him” (John 4:23).
For the Holy Spirit to come to the earth, Jesus had to first leave, which was why He told His disciples in John 16:7 “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” Now, the Holy Spirit has come, not just to be with us, but to live in us. This is the greatest thing mankind could ever know; to become the very tabernacle of the living God. The very idea or suggestion of it alone is overwhelming. Jesus was born, and He lived to die that we might live. Today, we live because He lived, died, and came back to life to be born in us.
This is the excitement we share today; that the same Christ who was born nearly two thousand years ago, lived, died, and came back to life to be born in our hearts. Thus, Christmas will not only be remembered for the baby-Jesus that was born in Bethlehem, but for the Christ that is born in our hearts; who lives and reigns forever in us and through us. Aren’t you glad about Christmas? It made it possible for Christ to be born in our hearts, and to live and express Himself through us.
Prayer
Dear Father, thank you for sending your beloved Son, Jesus, not only to save us, but to make us new creations. Now I can celebrate the joy of Christmas today and every other day, rejoicing over the Christ that has been born in my heart! Thank you, dear Father, for Christmas, in Jesus’ Name. Amen,
Further Study
Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
John 14:16-17
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 17
Reading plan Zechariah 1-3
2 Year Bible Revelation 19:1-10
Reading Plan Zechariah 5-6
Commissioned To Reach The Whole World!
Commissioned To Reach The Whole World!
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come (Matthew 24:14).
The Bible tells us in Luke chapter one of how the man of God, Zechariah, in excitement at the birth of John, his newborn son, prophetically addressed the little boy: “And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:76-79).
I remember praying with these words many years ago as the anointing of God was stirred within me. I realized it was my commission to preach the Gospel to the whole world. John was sent at the first advent of Christ, to preach a message which wasn’t to the whole world, but to Israel. We have been sent ahead of the second coming of Christ to give the knowledge of salvation unto ALL people.
This was what Jesus came to do; He came with a message to the world, and after preaching it to a certain point, He went to heaven and commissioned us to carry on from where He left off: “…he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand” (Isaiah 53:10). We’re that seed, in whose hands the pleasure of the Lord is prospering as we preach His message to the ends of the earth! We bring glory to Him today as we go as lights to those in darkness and the shadow of death.
You're the light of the world, but you’ll never know how brightly your light could shine until you reach out to those living in darkness. You’ll never know how powerful the gifts of God in your life are until you come to those in the shadow of death. Get committed to preaching the Gospel today; we’ve been commissioned to preach it to the whole world! What a glorious Christmas it would be for you, and for that one to whom you take the light of the Gospel and lead to Christ this yuletide season.
Confession
I’ve been called to go forth and give the knowledge of salvation unto all people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God. I am the light of the world, and I give light to those in my world today and guide their feet into the way of peace. Amen.
Further Study
Acts 1:8
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Psalms 22:27-28
All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the LORD's: and he is the governor among the nations.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 18
Reading plan Zechariah 4-6
2 Year Bible Revelation 19:11-21
Reading Plan Zechariah 7-8
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come (Matthew 24:14).
The Bible tells us in Luke chapter one of how the man of God, Zechariah, in excitement at the birth of John, his newborn son, prophetically addressed the little boy: “And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:76-79).
I remember praying with these words many years ago as the anointing of God was stirred within me. I realized it was my commission to preach the Gospel to the whole world. John was sent at the first advent of Christ, to preach a message which wasn’t to the whole world, but to Israel. We have been sent ahead of the second coming of Christ to give the knowledge of salvation unto ALL people.
This was what Jesus came to do; He came with a message to the world, and after preaching it to a certain point, He went to heaven and commissioned us to carry on from where He left off: “…he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand” (Isaiah 53:10). We’re that seed, in whose hands the pleasure of the Lord is prospering as we preach His message to the ends of the earth! We bring glory to Him today as we go as lights to those in darkness and the shadow of death.
You're the light of the world, but you’ll never know how brightly your light could shine until you reach out to those living in darkness. You’ll never know how powerful the gifts of God in your life are until you come to those in the shadow of death. Get committed to preaching the Gospel today; we’ve been commissioned to preach it to the whole world! What a glorious Christmas it would be for you, and for that one to whom you take the light of the Gospel and lead to Christ this yuletide season.
Confession
I’ve been called to go forth and give the knowledge of salvation unto all people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God. I am the light of the world, and I give light to those in my world today and guide their feet into the way of peace. Amen.
Further Study
Acts 1:8
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Psalms 22:27-28
All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the LORD's: and he is the governor among the nations.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 18
Reading plan Zechariah 4-6
2 Year Bible Revelation 19:11-21
Reading Plan Zechariah 7-8
He Planned For You Before You Came!
He Planned For You Before You Came!
For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which he prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live] (Ephesians 2:10 AMP).
As God’s children, we were chosen in Christ before the world began to live a successful and glorious life. We were predestined for greatness and the good life. You’re not an accident to God; you didn’t take Him by surprise. God didn’t just start fixing things on your behalf when you appeared on the scene so you can have a great life, no. He planned for you before you came.
Our opening verse says you were recreated in Christ Jesus, thoroughly fashioned for good works, which God planned beforehand for you, taking paths that He preordained ahead of time. He created you to do good works, and these good works, He says, were preordained ahead of time. Not only that, the path; the road you’re to journey through in life, in order to fulfill your destiny in God has also been prearranged.
Thus everyone you’d meet, everything that’s consistent with your destiny in God has been laid on that path that you’re to journey in life. Therefore, your passion for excellence and the glory-life isn’t just a mere desire, but the result of predestination. Little wonder the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 2:13: “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Your role is to synchronize yourself through the Word of God and the Holy Ghost, in God’s place, in God’s time, for God’s purpose, in God’s way. Then your life will be on course. You’d find yourself functioning in the perfect will of God and walking in His time table. How exciting this is!
Prayer
Through the power of the Word and by the working of God’s Spirit, I walk in God’s perfect will for my life today! There are no accidents or mishaps in my path, for I walk in preordained pathways of blessings! Goodness and mercy follow me everywhere I go, and I have the supernatural grace to excel in all my endeavours today, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
Romans 8:29-30
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Titus 2:14
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 21
Reading plan Malachi 1-2
2 Year Bible Revelation 22:1-10
Reading Plan Malachi 1-2
For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which he prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live] (Ephesians 2:10 AMP).
As God’s children, we were chosen in Christ before the world began to live a successful and glorious life. We were predestined for greatness and the good life. You’re not an accident to God; you didn’t take Him by surprise. God didn’t just start fixing things on your behalf when you appeared on the scene so you can have a great life, no. He planned for you before you came.
Our opening verse says you were recreated in Christ Jesus, thoroughly fashioned for good works, which God planned beforehand for you, taking paths that He preordained ahead of time. He created you to do good works, and these good works, He says, were preordained ahead of time. Not only that, the path; the road you’re to journey through in life, in order to fulfill your destiny in God has also been prearranged.
Thus everyone you’d meet, everything that’s consistent with your destiny in God has been laid on that path that you’re to journey in life. Therefore, your passion for excellence and the glory-life isn’t just a mere desire, but the result of predestination. Little wonder the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 2:13: “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Your role is to synchronize yourself through the Word of God and the Holy Ghost, in God’s place, in God’s time, for God’s purpose, in God’s way. Then your life will be on course. You’d find yourself functioning in the perfect will of God and walking in His time table. How exciting this is!
Prayer
Through the power of the Word and by the working of God’s Spirit, I walk in God’s perfect will for my life today! There are no accidents or mishaps in my path, for I walk in preordained pathways of blessings! Goodness and mercy follow me everywhere I go, and I have the supernatural grace to excel in all my endeavours today, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
Romans 8:29-30
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Titus 2:14
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 21
Reading plan Malachi 1-2
2 Year Bible Revelation 22:1-10
Reading Plan Malachi 1-2
Don’t Get Lost In “The World”
Don’t Get Lost In “The World”
And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares (Luke 21:34).
I’m often amazed at the kind of excuses some believers give for not attending Church services regularly. A young man once told me he couldn’t make out time to go to church on Sunday because he had to go play soccer. How sad.
The Lord Jesus Christ in the opening scripture warns us on the need to be careful, lest our hearts become overcharged with surfeiting. In other words, He’s telling us to avoid overindulgence in the things we’re interested in or like to do, so much so that we get lost in them. 1 John 2:15-17 says, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
Playing soccer or getting involved in any other kind of sport or recreational activity is good, but it’s only profitable to you in this life. Therefore, you shouldn’t let such engagements take pre-eminence over being in Church when you ought to. If you give your wholehearted attention to such transient endeavours you’ll miss out on the most significant things of life: “…bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come” (1 Timothy 4:8). So, to miss Church services for soccer or even a business meeting isn’t the best for you.
Even if you were ordered to go for such a business meeting or soccer practice on a Sunday morning, show yourself to be different and request a change in the schedule! Show yourself to be spiritual. Take it as an opportunity to prove your love for God by letting everyone else know you value the worship of God more than anything else in the world. Don’t let the things of the Spirit be relegated to second place in your life.
Prayer
Dear heavenly Father, I’m so thankful to you for your Word and the peace and comfort I derive therein. I affirm and confirm my love for you by declaring that nothing in this world is worth anything compared to the fullness of joy and the pleasures of your presence. You alone are my heart’s desire and I worship and adore you today and forever, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
Romans 8:5-8
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Hebrews 10:25
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 22
Reading plan Malachi 3-4
2 Year Bible Revelation 22:11-21
Reading Plan Malachi 3-4
And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares (Luke 21:34).
I’m often amazed at the kind of excuses some believers give for not attending Church services regularly. A young man once told me he couldn’t make out time to go to church on Sunday because he had to go play soccer. How sad.
The Lord Jesus Christ in the opening scripture warns us on the need to be careful, lest our hearts become overcharged with surfeiting. In other words, He’s telling us to avoid overindulgence in the things we’re interested in or like to do, so much so that we get lost in them. 1 John 2:15-17 says, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
Playing soccer or getting involved in any other kind of sport or recreational activity is good, but it’s only profitable to you in this life. Therefore, you shouldn’t let such engagements take pre-eminence over being in Church when you ought to. If you give your wholehearted attention to such transient endeavours you’ll miss out on the most significant things of life: “…bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come” (1 Timothy 4:8). So, to miss Church services for soccer or even a business meeting isn’t the best for you.
Even if you were ordered to go for such a business meeting or soccer practice on a Sunday morning, show yourself to be different and request a change in the schedule! Show yourself to be spiritual. Take it as an opportunity to prove your love for God by letting everyone else know you value the worship of God more than anything else in the world. Don’t let the things of the Spirit be relegated to second place in your life.
Prayer
Dear heavenly Father, I’m so thankful to you for your Word and the peace and comfort I derive therein. I affirm and confirm my love for you by declaring that nothing in this world is worth anything compared to the fullness of joy and the pleasures of your presence. You alone are my heart’s desire and I worship and adore you today and forever, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
Romans 8:5-8
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Hebrews 10:25
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 22
Reading plan Malachi 3-4
2 Year Bible Revelation 22:11-21
Reading Plan Malachi 3-4
The Father Of Eternity
The Father Of Eternity
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).
To many people in the world today, the future is bleak and uncertain because as far as they are concerned, no one knows tomorrow. So they live in blind hope, consoling themselves with the words, ‘Whatever will be will be!” But if you’re a child of God your heavenly Father knows tomorrow; therefore you can trust Him to lead and guide you into that great future He’s prepared and prearranged for you.
One of the names the Prophet Isaiah used in describing our heavenly Father in our opening verse is the phrase, “everlasting Father.” Now, this doesn’t just mean the Father that lives on and on and never dies. Of course it includes that; but the actual Hebrew rendering shows it means “Father of eternity.” So, He’s the Father that knows the future; the Father of an endless, joyful, successful, prosperous, healthy life!
God doesn’t have to wait for tomorrow to turn things around in your favour. You can trust Him today to handle your tomorrow, for He sees and knows all things. Your whole life is laid out before Him in pictures. He knows everywhere you’ll be at every point in your life, and knows every person you’ll ever meet. He knows every word you’ll ever speak.
In Isaiah 1:19, He says, “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.” The Living Bible translation puts it in the right context for us; it says, “If you will only let me help you, if you will only obey, then I will make you rich!” So, being the first day of the New Year, the everlasting Father is saying to you: “If you’ll let Me, I’ll cause the year to produce good for you! I’ll prosper you and cause you to excel beyond your dreams!”
God already knows what the year holds for you; therefore, you can trust Him to take care of you, help you and prosper you throughout this year. He knows whatever adversity satan may have placed in your path, which you may not be aware of. But as you diligently seek the Lord and serve Him, you can trust He’ll turn things around in your favour, and cause you to fulfil His destiny for you this year.
What you need is to keep receiving guidance and direction from Him through the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, on a daily basis! Take your personal times of prayer and meditation very seriously, and you’ll have a prosperous, joyous and successful year indeed.
Prayer
Blessed Father, I trust you to help, guide and lead me in the path of your destiny for me this year. I begin this year with the confidence and assurance that your wisdom is in my heart and in my mouth, causing me to do your will, every day of this year, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
Psalm 90:2
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Matthew 1
Reading plan Genesis 1-2
2 Year Bible Matthew 1:1-14
Reading Plan Genesis 1
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).
To many people in the world today, the future is bleak and uncertain because as far as they are concerned, no one knows tomorrow. So they live in blind hope, consoling themselves with the words, ‘Whatever will be will be!” But if you’re a child of God your heavenly Father knows tomorrow; therefore you can trust Him to lead and guide you into that great future He’s prepared and prearranged for you.
One of the names the Prophet Isaiah used in describing our heavenly Father in our opening verse is the phrase, “everlasting Father.” Now, this doesn’t just mean the Father that lives on and on and never dies. Of course it includes that; but the actual Hebrew rendering shows it means “Father of eternity.” So, He’s the Father that knows the future; the Father of an endless, joyful, successful, prosperous, healthy life!
God doesn’t have to wait for tomorrow to turn things around in your favour. You can trust Him today to handle your tomorrow, for He sees and knows all things. Your whole life is laid out before Him in pictures. He knows everywhere you’ll be at every point in your life, and knows every person you’ll ever meet. He knows every word you’ll ever speak.
In Isaiah 1:19, He says, “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.” The Living Bible translation puts it in the right context for us; it says, “If you will only let me help you, if you will only obey, then I will make you rich!” So, being the first day of the New Year, the everlasting Father is saying to you: “If you’ll let Me, I’ll cause the year to produce good for you! I’ll prosper you and cause you to excel beyond your dreams!”
God already knows what the year holds for you; therefore, you can trust Him to take care of you, help you and prosper you throughout this year. He knows whatever adversity satan may have placed in your path, which you may not be aware of. But as you diligently seek the Lord and serve Him, you can trust He’ll turn things around in your favour, and cause you to fulfil His destiny for you this year.
What you need is to keep receiving guidance and direction from Him through the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, on a daily basis! Take your personal times of prayer and meditation very seriously, and you’ll have a prosperous, joyous and successful year indeed.
Prayer
Blessed Father, I trust you to help, guide and lead me in the path of your destiny for me this year. I begin this year with the confidence and assurance that your wisdom is in my heart and in my mouth, causing me to do your will, every day of this year, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
Psalm 90:2
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Matthew 1
Reading plan Genesis 1-2
2 Year Bible Matthew 1:1-14
Reading Plan Genesis 1
God Answers Prayers
God Answers Prayers
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened (Luke 11:10).
God answers prayers. He wouldn’t ask us to pray if He wasn’t going to answer. As a child of God, you have every right to expect answers when you pray (John 15:16). But if you pray to God, doubting, wavering or staggering in faith, you’re not going to get anything: “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:6-8).
To be double-minded is to vacillate, waver or stagger at the promises of God through unbelief. Such a man, the Bible says, can’t receive anything from God, for it takes faith to receive from Him: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). So for those who say they prayed, but God didn’t answer, we’ve established that the problem is not with God. Rather, such folks prayed amiss, not asking in faith: “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (James 4:3).
You need to understand that as the righteousness of God in Christ, God cannot “not” answer you when you pray in faith, in line with His Word. The Bible says the Lord hears the prayer of the righteous (Proverbs 15:29). 1 Peter 3:12 says, “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers…” Then James 5:16 lets us know that “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”; in other words, it makes tremendous power available, dynamic in its working. Why? Because God hears and answers the prayer of the righteous!
So the question then is, are you “the righteous?” If you’re born again, you’re the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus: “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Consequently, it’s your God-ordained right to receive answers to prayers. It’s the delight of your heavenly Father to answer you when you present your requests to Him through prayer. Be bold to make your petitions known to Him today! Having done that, rejoice and thank Him, knowing that He’s heard and granted you that which you asked of Him.
Prayer
Dear Father, I thank you for your love, kindness and tender mercies. I’m delighted to know that your ears are always attentive to my prayers. Therefore, I approach your throneroom boldly today, making my petitions known unto you, with the confident assurance that you’ll grant all my requests, in Jesus’ Name. Amen
Further Study
1 John 5:14-15
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
Mark 11:24
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Matthew 2
Reading plan Genesis 3-5
2 Year Bible Matthew 1:15-25
Reading Plan Genesis 2
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened (Luke 11:10).
God answers prayers. He wouldn’t ask us to pray if He wasn’t going to answer. As a child of God, you have every right to expect answers when you pray (John 15:16). But if you pray to God, doubting, wavering or staggering in faith, you’re not going to get anything: “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:6-8).
To be double-minded is to vacillate, waver or stagger at the promises of God through unbelief. Such a man, the Bible says, can’t receive anything from God, for it takes faith to receive from Him: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). So for those who say they prayed, but God didn’t answer, we’ve established that the problem is not with God. Rather, such folks prayed amiss, not asking in faith: “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (James 4:3).
You need to understand that as the righteousness of God in Christ, God cannot “not” answer you when you pray in faith, in line with His Word. The Bible says the Lord hears the prayer of the righteous (Proverbs 15:29). 1 Peter 3:12 says, “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers…” Then James 5:16 lets us know that “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”; in other words, it makes tremendous power available, dynamic in its working. Why? Because God hears and answers the prayer of the righteous!
So the question then is, are you “the righteous?” If you’re born again, you’re the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus: “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Consequently, it’s your God-ordained right to receive answers to prayers. It’s the delight of your heavenly Father to answer you when you present your requests to Him through prayer. Be bold to make your petitions known to Him today! Having done that, rejoice and thank Him, knowing that He’s heard and granted you that which you asked of Him.
Prayer
Dear Father, I thank you for your love, kindness and tender mercies. I’m delighted to know that your ears are always attentive to my prayers. Therefore, I approach your throneroom boldly today, making my petitions known unto you, with the confident assurance that you’ll grant all my requests, in Jesus’ Name. Amen
Further Study
1 John 5:14-15
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
Mark 11:24
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Matthew 2
Reading plan Genesis 3-5
2 Year Bible Matthew 1:15-25
Reading Plan Genesis 2
Gracious, Merciful And Kind!
Gracious, Merciful And Kind!
The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy (Psalm 145:8).
Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved).” Even when you were deep in sin, God loved you. Psalm 103:8 also says “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.” We serve a gracious and merciful heavenly Father, who is slow to wrath and quick to save and forgive.
There’s no sin so great that the blood of Jesus can’t cleanse. God’s forgiveness has nothing to do with the magnitude or gravity of your offence. Ephesians 1:7 says, “In whom (Jesus Christ) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” This lets you know that in Christ Jesus, you have redemption through His blood, and the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace, not according to how minor or severe your sins are.
When you understand the love of God and how gracious He is, rather than run from Him when you do something wrong or make a mistake, you’ll run to Him. No wonder He says in Hebrews 4:16: “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” You may be reading this today, but for some time now, you’ve carried this weight of guilt because of something you did wrong. Talk to the Lord about it and ask Him to forgive you.
Never allow the feeling of guilt or self condemnation fritter away your faith and dampen your zeal for spiritual things! The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy. He’s ever willing to take you from where you are to your glorious place in Christ. His forgiveness is available even now: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
God never encourages us to sin (1 John 2:1-2), but He lets us know that if you do sin, you have an advocate in the Person of Jesus, thus you have a right of appeal. He has graciously made forgiveness for sin one of your divine rights and privileges as a new creation in Christ.
Prayer
Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for your great love, mercy and compassion towards me! I rejoice to know that, in Christ, I’ve been redeemed through His blood, and have forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of your grace! Thank you for the glorious liberty to come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
Psalm 86:15
But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
Jonah 4:2
And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.
Nehemiah 9:31
Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Matthew 3
Reading plan Genesis 6-8
2 Year Bible Matthew 2:2-3
Reading Plan Genesis 3
The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy (Psalm 145:8).
Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved).” Even when you were deep in sin, God loved you. Psalm 103:8 also says “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.” We serve a gracious and merciful heavenly Father, who is slow to wrath and quick to save and forgive.
There’s no sin so great that the blood of Jesus can’t cleanse. God’s forgiveness has nothing to do with the magnitude or gravity of your offence. Ephesians 1:7 says, “In whom (Jesus Christ) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” This lets you know that in Christ Jesus, you have redemption through His blood, and the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace, not according to how minor or severe your sins are.
When you understand the love of God and how gracious He is, rather than run from Him when you do something wrong or make a mistake, you’ll run to Him. No wonder He says in Hebrews 4:16: “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” You may be reading this today, but for some time now, you’ve carried this weight of guilt because of something you did wrong. Talk to the Lord about it and ask Him to forgive you.
Never allow the feeling of guilt or self condemnation fritter away your faith and dampen your zeal for spiritual things! The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy. He’s ever willing to take you from where you are to your glorious place in Christ. His forgiveness is available even now: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
God never encourages us to sin (1 John 2:1-2), but He lets us know that if you do sin, you have an advocate in the Person of Jesus, thus you have a right of appeal. He has graciously made forgiveness for sin one of your divine rights and privileges as a new creation in Christ.
Prayer
Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for your great love, mercy and compassion towards me! I rejoice to know that, in Christ, I’ve been redeemed through His blood, and have forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of your grace! Thank you for the glorious liberty to come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
Psalm 86:15
But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
Jonah 4:2
And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.
Nehemiah 9:31
Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Matthew 3
Reading plan Genesis 6-8
2 Year Bible Matthew 2:2-3
Reading Plan Genesis 3
God Delights In Your Prosperity
God Delights In Your Prosperity
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant (Psalm 35:27).
There’re many who say it’s wrong for us Christians to be rich, but the Bible lets us know that riches and wealth come from God: “Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all” (1 Chronicles 29:12). Also, in 2 Chronicles 1:12, we read that God gave Solomon riches, wealth and honour, far beyond what any man on earth has ever had: “…I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.”
Further more, the Bible shows us three bigwigs that God identified Himself with in the Bible: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Read about them, they were super rich on earth; yet, in heaven, God still identifies with them. This seems to bust the religious myth that when you’re rich on earth you’ll be small in heaven. It’s therefore wrong for anyone to say that God prefers to identify Himself with the poor and lowly. If that were the case, then many of us wouldn’t stand a chance with Him, including Abraham, whom the Bible says was very rich in cattle, silver, and in gold (Genesis 13:2).
When the king of Sodom wanted to reward Abraham for helping him out in battle, Abraham declined, saying “keep your reward to yourself, else you’ll say you made Abraham rich.” Abraham knew it was God that made him rich. What about his son Isaac? The Bible says “…the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him” (Genesis 26:13-14). He prospered so much until he became the envy of the Philistines.
So, prosperity is not of the devil; it’s the will of God for you. 3 John 1:2 says, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” God is the one that gives the power to get wealth, so He couldn’t possibly be against being rich and prosperous: “But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day” (Deuteronomy 8:18). He delights in your prosperity.
Prayer
Dear Father, thank you for making me your heir and putting everything in place for me to walk in super-abundance and experience prosperity in the earth. Your Word shows me today that you delight in my prosperity; for which I rejoice and thank you, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
2 Corinthians 8:9
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
3 John 1:2
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Matthew 4
Reading plan Genesis 9-11
2 Year Bible Matthew 2:13-23
Reading Plan Genesis 4
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant (Psalm 35:27).
There’re many who say it’s wrong for us Christians to be rich, but the Bible lets us know that riches and wealth come from God: “Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all” (1 Chronicles 29:12). Also, in 2 Chronicles 1:12, we read that God gave Solomon riches, wealth and honour, far beyond what any man on earth has ever had: “…I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.”
Further more, the Bible shows us three bigwigs that God identified Himself with in the Bible: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Read about them, they were super rich on earth; yet, in heaven, God still identifies with them. This seems to bust the religious myth that when you’re rich on earth you’ll be small in heaven. It’s therefore wrong for anyone to say that God prefers to identify Himself with the poor and lowly. If that were the case, then many of us wouldn’t stand a chance with Him, including Abraham, whom the Bible says was very rich in cattle, silver, and in gold (Genesis 13:2).
When the king of Sodom wanted to reward Abraham for helping him out in battle, Abraham declined, saying “keep your reward to yourself, else you’ll say you made Abraham rich.” Abraham knew it was God that made him rich. What about his son Isaac? The Bible says “…the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him” (Genesis 26:13-14). He prospered so much until he became the envy of the Philistines.
So, prosperity is not of the devil; it’s the will of God for you. 3 John 1:2 says, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” God is the one that gives the power to get wealth, so He couldn’t possibly be against being rich and prosperous: “But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day” (Deuteronomy 8:18). He delights in your prosperity.
Prayer
Dear Father, thank you for making me your heir and putting everything in place for me to walk in super-abundance and experience prosperity in the earth. Your Word shows me today that you delight in my prosperity; for which I rejoice and thank you, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
2 Corinthians 8:9
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
3 John 1:2
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Matthew 4
Reading plan Genesis 9-11
2 Year Bible Matthew 2:13-23
Reading Plan Genesis 4
Thursday, December 23, 2010
The God Of All Comfort!
The God Of All Comfort!
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort… (2 Corinthians 1:3).
What a beautiful description of our heavenly Father; He’s the Father of mercies. And the God of all comfort. It reminds of the beautiful description of the Holy Spirit as our Comforter (John 14:16-17). Thus, it doesn’t matter what situation you’re in right now, our God is the Father of mercies, and God of all comfort; He’ll comfort you.
God comforts you with the Word, by reminding you of who you are, your inheritance in Christ, the special place you occupy in Him, your abilities in Christ and the glorious victories you’ve won in the past. He never likes it when you’re forlorn or downcast. He wants you happy all the time. That’s why He never condemns you, even when you’ve blown it, or done something wrong. He corrects you in love, and urges you on. Always, He assures you of His love for you and His indwelling and abiding presence.
Some years back, somewhere around 1981, I left unhappy and didn’t quite know why. I prayed about it, but the more I prayed the more I felt like I needed the Lord to comfort me. I was just unhappy, and if you had asked me what was wrong, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you. I took my Bible, hoping that God would say something to me, and when I opened it, I came across this scripture, “Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon? Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?” (Isaiah 51:9-10).
I jumped out of bed after reading it. As far as I was concerned the Lord was talking to me; He was talking about the last few months prior to that time. I had done a lot of beautiful things and had preached in many crusades, healing the sick, casting out devils, with many souls giving their hearts to Christ. Now, the Lord was encouraging me and telling me, “Son,” you did that before. Come on, rise up; you can do more. That brought me comfort, and I was strengthened and encouraged.
So, if lately, you’ve felt unhappy or even depressed about certain things that are going on around you, the Lord is saying to you today, don’t be depressed; put on strength! Think about all the glorious things you did in the Name of the Lord throughout the year, and then wake up, for there’s more! There’re more victories for you in the coming year; so be encouraged, for the Lord is with you! He’ll yet do great and mighty things with your life. So awake, be comforted and put on strength!
Prayer
Dear Father, I thank you because you’re my comforter and helper. Indeed, you’re the God of all comfort, and I rejoice exceedingly because you have brought me into your rest, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
Isaiah 51:11
Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 11
Reading plan Daniel 3-4
2 Year Bible Revelation 16:1-10
Reading Plan Zephaniah 1-2
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort… (2 Corinthians 1:3).
What a beautiful description of our heavenly Father; He’s the Father of mercies. And the God of all comfort. It reminds of the beautiful description of the Holy Spirit as our Comforter (John 14:16-17). Thus, it doesn’t matter what situation you’re in right now, our God is the Father of mercies, and God of all comfort; He’ll comfort you.
God comforts you with the Word, by reminding you of who you are, your inheritance in Christ, the special place you occupy in Him, your abilities in Christ and the glorious victories you’ve won in the past. He never likes it when you’re forlorn or downcast. He wants you happy all the time. That’s why He never condemns you, even when you’ve blown it, or done something wrong. He corrects you in love, and urges you on. Always, He assures you of His love for you and His indwelling and abiding presence.
Some years back, somewhere around 1981, I left unhappy and didn’t quite know why. I prayed about it, but the more I prayed the more I felt like I needed the Lord to comfort me. I was just unhappy, and if you had asked me what was wrong, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you. I took my Bible, hoping that God would say something to me, and when I opened it, I came across this scripture, “Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon? Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?” (Isaiah 51:9-10).
I jumped out of bed after reading it. As far as I was concerned the Lord was talking to me; He was talking about the last few months prior to that time. I had done a lot of beautiful things and had preached in many crusades, healing the sick, casting out devils, with many souls giving their hearts to Christ. Now, the Lord was encouraging me and telling me, “Son,” you did that before. Come on, rise up; you can do more. That brought me comfort, and I was strengthened and encouraged.
So, if lately, you’ve felt unhappy or even depressed about certain things that are going on around you, the Lord is saying to you today, don’t be depressed; put on strength! Think about all the glorious things you did in the Name of the Lord throughout the year, and then wake up, for there’s more! There’re more victories for you in the coming year; so be encouraged, for the Lord is with you! He’ll yet do great and mighty things with your life. So awake, be comforted and put on strength!
Prayer
Dear Father, I thank you because you’re my comforter and helper. Indeed, you’re the God of all comfort, and I rejoice exceedingly because you have brought me into your rest, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
Isaiah 51:11
Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 11
Reading plan Daniel 3-4
2 Year Bible Revelation 16:1-10
Reading Plan Zephaniah 1-2
Trust Is A Gift
TRUST IS A GIFT
Love isn’t selfish or quick tempered. It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs that others do. Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil. Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting (1 Corinthians 13:5-7 CEV).
Just right after I said to someone once “Trust is not just given to you; you earn it,” the Spirit of God interrupted me and said, “No, son, you’re wrong. You don’t earn trust; trust is a gift.” I was surprised because, prior to that time, I thought trust was earned. But here was God saying no man could earn trust. The Lord then guided me through the Scriptures and I saw things I didn’t realize and came to the conclusion that trust was indeed a gift as He had taught me.
No man in himself deserves to be trusted no matter how trustworthy he seems. If you’re honest to yourself, you’ll discover that even you are not totally trustworthy. For example there may have been times when you said you were going to pray for someone, and you didn’t. What if that one’s life for whom you were to pray depended solely on your prayers at that time? But God, nevertheless, has chosen to trust you with the Gospel (2 Corinthians 5:18).
The Bible says the glorious Gospel of the blessed God has been committed unto our trust (1 Timothy 1:11), not because we earned it but because God chose to trust us to take His message of salvation to the ends of the earth. When I think about this, I’m touched by the love of God. He paid such a price for our salvation by sending His Son to die, and after wards committed the Gospel into the hands of men and women who didn’t deserve to be trusted. Nevertheless He counted us faithful, and entrusted us with the Gospel, why? It’s because trust is a gift!
This is something that friends, co-workers, and spouses need to learn. People don’t qualify for your trust. You trust them because you love them and you expect the best of them. The man who can trust another is greater than the one he trusts, because trust helps him gain a level of faith to make provisions for the errors of others.
Those who can’t trust others are men of small minds. When you begin to see the way God sees, you’ll start learning to trust people and not rate them according to who they are and what they do (2 Corinthians 5:16), but according to your expectation of them.
Prayer
Dear Father, thank you for giving me your trust as a gift. I operate in this high level of life today by choosing to trust others, whether or not they deserve it. I make provisions for their errors and see them with the eyes of love, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
Luke 22:31-34
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
32But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
33And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.
34And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.
Matthew 16:17-19
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 12
Reading plan Daniel 5-6
2 Year Bible Revelation 16:11-21
Reading Plan Zephaniah 3
Love isn’t selfish or quick tempered. It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs that others do. Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil. Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting (1 Corinthians 13:5-7 CEV).
Just right after I said to someone once “Trust is not just given to you; you earn it,” the Spirit of God interrupted me and said, “No, son, you’re wrong. You don’t earn trust; trust is a gift.” I was surprised because, prior to that time, I thought trust was earned. But here was God saying no man could earn trust. The Lord then guided me through the Scriptures and I saw things I didn’t realize and came to the conclusion that trust was indeed a gift as He had taught me.
No man in himself deserves to be trusted no matter how trustworthy he seems. If you’re honest to yourself, you’ll discover that even you are not totally trustworthy. For example there may have been times when you said you were going to pray for someone, and you didn’t. What if that one’s life for whom you were to pray depended solely on your prayers at that time? But God, nevertheless, has chosen to trust you with the Gospel (2 Corinthians 5:18).
The Bible says the glorious Gospel of the blessed God has been committed unto our trust (1 Timothy 1:11), not because we earned it but because God chose to trust us to take His message of salvation to the ends of the earth. When I think about this, I’m touched by the love of God. He paid such a price for our salvation by sending His Son to die, and after wards committed the Gospel into the hands of men and women who didn’t deserve to be trusted. Nevertheless He counted us faithful, and entrusted us with the Gospel, why? It’s because trust is a gift!
This is something that friends, co-workers, and spouses need to learn. People don’t qualify for your trust. You trust them because you love them and you expect the best of them. The man who can trust another is greater than the one he trusts, because trust helps him gain a level of faith to make provisions for the errors of others.
Those who can’t trust others are men of small minds. When you begin to see the way God sees, you’ll start learning to trust people and not rate them according to who they are and what they do (2 Corinthians 5:16), but according to your expectation of them.
Prayer
Dear Father, thank you for giving me your trust as a gift. I operate in this high level of life today by choosing to trust others, whether or not they deserve it. I make provisions for their errors and see them with the eyes of love, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
Luke 22:31-34
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
32But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
33And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.
34And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.
Matthew 16:17-19
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 12
Reading plan Daniel 5-6
2 Year Bible Revelation 16:11-21
Reading Plan Zephaniah 3
There’s A Greater Glory
There’s A Greater Glory
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before (Philippians 3:13).
It’s been a great year. We’ve achieved so much in our ministry and in our evangelical work around the world by the power of God’s Spirit. We’re so grateful to the Lord for the outpouring of His supernatural grace upon us – to enable us to achieve so much – far beyond our goals and dreams. Now, we look forward to the coming year with faith, confidence and assurance, knowing that the glory ahead shall by far outweigh the victories of yesterday and triumphs of today: “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:9).
So I urge you, look to the coming year with hope, faith and confident assurance that you’d win on every count! There’s a greater glory ahead. Forget the failures, weaknesses, and disappointments you may have experienced in the outgoing year, and set your focus on the present and future glories, successes, victories and triumphs the Lord has set before you.
Maybe at the beginning of the year, you outlined so many things you wanted to achieve by the end of the year. But now, taking stock, not much of those things pulled through for you; don’t be discouraged. Find out where you missed it! Find out what you ought to have done to help you achieve those goals you didn’t attain, and then make up your mind not to repeat the same mistake in the coming year.
Maybe part of your goal at the beginning of the year was to spend more time studying and learning the Word of God more than you had ever done, but you didn’t quite achieve your desired objective. You can choose today to do it right in the coming year by applying some more discipline to it. Its ten days to the end of the year, and if in these last ten days, you consciously discipline yourself to spend at least an hour to study God’s Word everyday, you’re going to begin the coming year in glory! It won’t be difficult for you to carry on that culture, and by the help of God’s Spirit sustain it throughout the New Year.
Take this seriously; be determined for growth! Be determined for progress; be determined for the greater glory that lies ahead! Your path is like the shining light that shines brighter and brighter unto the perfect day (Proverbs 4:1). You’re born to reign, rule and win in the coming year!
Prayer
Dear Father, I thank you for my path is as the shining light that shines brighter and brighter into the perfect day; thank you for elevating my understanding to grasp and pursue the greater glory that lies ahead, in Jesus Name. Amen.
Further Study
Proverbs 4:18
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
Isaiah 43:18
Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 13:1-10
Reading plan Daniel 7-8
2 Year Bible Revelation 17:1-10
Reading Plan Haggai 1
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before (Philippians 3:13).
It’s been a great year. We’ve achieved so much in our ministry and in our evangelical work around the world by the power of God’s Spirit. We’re so grateful to the Lord for the outpouring of His supernatural grace upon us – to enable us to achieve so much – far beyond our goals and dreams. Now, we look forward to the coming year with faith, confidence and assurance, knowing that the glory ahead shall by far outweigh the victories of yesterday and triumphs of today: “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:9).
So I urge you, look to the coming year with hope, faith and confident assurance that you’d win on every count! There’s a greater glory ahead. Forget the failures, weaknesses, and disappointments you may have experienced in the outgoing year, and set your focus on the present and future glories, successes, victories and triumphs the Lord has set before you.
Maybe at the beginning of the year, you outlined so many things you wanted to achieve by the end of the year. But now, taking stock, not much of those things pulled through for you; don’t be discouraged. Find out where you missed it! Find out what you ought to have done to help you achieve those goals you didn’t attain, and then make up your mind not to repeat the same mistake in the coming year.
Maybe part of your goal at the beginning of the year was to spend more time studying and learning the Word of God more than you had ever done, but you didn’t quite achieve your desired objective. You can choose today to do it right in the coming year by applying some more discipline to it. Its ten days to the end of the year, and if in these last ten days, you consciously discipline yourself to spend at least an hour to study God’s Word everyday, you’re going to begin the coming year in glory! It won’t be difficult for you to carry on that culture, and by the help of God’s Spirit sustain it throughout the New Year.
Take this seriously; be determined for growth! Be determined for progress; be determined for the greater glory that lies ahead! Your path is like the shining light that shines brighter and brighter unto the perfect day (Proverbs 4:1). You’re born to reign, rule and win in the coming year!
Prayer
Dear Father, I thank you for my path is as the shining light that shines brighter and brighter into the perfect day; thank you for elevating my understanding to grasp and pursue the greater glory that lies ahead, in Jesus Name. Amen.
Further Study
Proverbs 4:18
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
Isaiah 43:18
Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 13:1-10
Reading plan Daniel 7-8
2 Year Bible Revelation 17:1-10
Reading Plan Haggai 1
Don’t Faint In The Day Of Adversity!
Don’t Faint In The Day Of Adversity!
If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small (Proverbs 24:10).
Christianity is a bed of roses, with tests, trials and challenging times in our journey of faith. Such challenging times are what the Bible refers to as “the evil day” (Ephesians 6:13), or “the day of adversity” as read in our opening verse. Some believers dread such periods and specifically pray to God never to allow them go through trials and challenges. To avoid situations that challenge your faith is to checkmate your chances of promotion.
James 1:2 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.” Why would God admonish you to rejoice when tests and challenges come at you on all sides? It’s because He knows that victory is in your spirit. Having been born again, you’ve become an overcomer and more than a conqueror. Consequently, no situation that you face should overwhelm you.
God knows what stuff your made of, that’s why He said “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). You have what it takes to overcome any trial, temptation or adversity. So you must not cower, give in or faint under any pressure whatsoever. Be tough. Jesus was tough. He withstood and triumphed over all the contrary winds that came His way (Hebrews 12:2).
There’re things that make you tough as a Christian, and if you don’t welcome them, you’d remain at the same level of faith and maturity. Therefore, your adversaries are important in the toughening process, so never pray against them, no matter what troubles, problems and difficulties they bring your way. Welcome the as necessary challenges to strengthen your faith-muscles and you’ll discover they’re the agents for your promotion.
Do you remember Joseph, and how he managed the adversities that came his way? He overcame all the troubles he faced after his brothers sold him into slavery, and rose to become the Prime minister of Egypt. He would later tell his brothers in Genesis 45:5: “…be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.”
I have known only one journey in life: upward and forward. I don’t have ups and downs. That doesn’t mean challenges don’t come, but I always win. So welcome challenges; welcome troubles, because they’re the contrary winds that help to drive your roots deeper. And the more the wind blows against you the higher you’ll fly. Hallelujah!
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for helping me see through your Word how the challenges that come my way strengthens my faith and results in my promotion, as I handle them with the right attitude. I’m fully convinced of my eternal victory over satan, the world and every adversity: therefore, I rejoice, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Ephesians 6:10-13
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12For 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.
13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 13:11-14:20
Reading plan Daniel 9-10
2 Year Bible Revelation 17:11-18
Reading Plan Haggai 2
If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small (Proverbs 24:10).
Christianity is a bed of roses, with tests, trials and challenging times in our journey of faith. Such challenging times are what the Bible refers to as “the evil day” (Ephesians 6:13), or “the day of adversity” as read in our opening verse. Some believers dread such periods and specifically pray to God never to allow them go through trials and challenges. To avoid situations that challenge your faith is to checkmate your chances of promotion.
James 1:2 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.” Why would God admonish you to rejoice when tests and challenges come at you on all sides? It’s because He knows that victory is in your spirit. Having been born again, you’ve become an overcomer and more than a conqueror. Consequently, no situation that you face should overwhelm you.
God knows what stuff your made of, that’s why He said “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). You have what it takes to overcome any trial, temptation or adversity. So you must not cower, give in or faint under any pressure whatsoever. Be tough. Jesus was tough. He withstood and triumphed over all the contrary winds that came His way (Hebrews 12:2).
There’re things that make you tough as a Christian, and if you don’t welcome them, you’d remain at the same level of faith and maturity. Therefore, your adversaries are important in the toughening process, so never pray against them, no matter what troubles, problems and difficulties they bring your way. Welcome the as necessary challenges to strengthen your faith-muscles and you’ll discover they’re the agents for your promotion.
Do you remember Joseph, and how he managed the adversities that came his way? He overcame all the troubles he faced after his brothers sold him into slavery, and rose to become the Prime minister of Egypt. He would later tell his brothers in Genesis 45:5: “…be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.”
I have known only one journey in life: upward and forward. I don’t have ups and downs. That doesn’t mean challenges don’t come, but I always win. So welcome challenges; welcome troubles, because they’re the contrary winds that help to drive your roots deeper. And the more the wind blows against you the higher you’ll fly. Hallelujah!
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for helping me see through your Word how the challenges that come my way strengthens my faith and results in my promotion, as I handle them with the right attitude. I’m fully convinced of my eternal victory over satan, the world and every adversity: therefore, I rejoice, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Ephesians 6:10-13
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12For 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.
13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 13:11-14:20
Reading plan Daniel 9-10
2 Year Bible Revelation 17:11-18
Reading Plan Haggai 2
The Divinity Of Jesus
The Divinity Of Jesus
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him (John 14:6-7).
“Is Jesus really God?” This is one question many still ask today. They believe He was a great prophet and teacher, but find it difficult to accept that He is Himself God, but He is. The Bible says “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). That “Word” that the Bible says “was God” became flesh – Jesus – and dwelt among us: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
Now, the prophecy that came forth before the birth of Jesus also foretold His divinity: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” It was Jesus who walked the streets of Galilee, as “Emmanuel – God with us.” When people saw Him, the mighty miracles and great signs and wonders that He did, notice what they said: “God has visited His people” (Luke 7:16). The Bible tells us that the fullness of the Godhead bodily dwells in Jesus. So, when you see Jesus, you wouldn’t need to look out for the Holy Spirit or the Father; He is the complete embodiment of Deity.
When Philip, one of the disciples asked Jesus to show them the Father, Jesus said to him, “…Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father…” (John 14:9). No wonder Colossians 1:19 says “…For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell.” Jesus is the outward expression of the Godhead. When we get to heaven, we won’t find the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost sitting on different thrones; we’ll only find one seated in the fullness of God on the throne, and His name is Jesus (Revelation 7:17).
So in celebrating Christmas, we’re celebrating the divinity of Jesus; His Lordship and rulership over our lives. He’s the joy of heaven and hope of the earth. He’s the Most High, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, who alone is worthy of all praise, worship and adoration. If you’re born again, happy are you, for “…ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power” (Colossians 2:10). You’re identified with the most awesome and sublime personality that there is.
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, I thank you for the awesome privilege of being identified with you. It’s a great honour to know you, serve you, worship you and live for you. I boldly confess today that you’re my Lord and Master, the Monarch of the entire universe. You’re my everything, and the reason for my existence. I thank you for revealing yourself to me through me today. Amen.
If you have never made Jesus the Lord of your life, I would like to extend this invitation to you today to pray the following prayer from your heart and Jesus will come and make His home in your heart:
"O Lord God, I come to You in the Name of Jesus Christ. Your Word says, "...whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Acts 2.21)
I ask Jesus to come into my heart to be the Lord of my life. I receive eternal life into my spirit and according to Romans 10:9 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved,"
I declare that I am saved; I am born-again; I am a child of God! I now have Christ dwelling in me, and greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world! (1 John 4:4)
I now walk in the consciousness of my new life in Christ Jesus. Hallelujah!"
CONGRATULATIONS!!
You are now a child of God, if you would like any materials to help you to grow as a Christian, you can log onto www.christembassy.org
Further Study
Revelation 1:12-18
Hebrews 1:3
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 15
Reading plan Daniel 11-12
2 Year Bible Revelation 18:1-12
Reading Plan Zechariah 1-2
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him (John 14:6-7).
“Is Jesus really God?” This is one question many still ask today. They believe He was a great prophet and teacher, but find it difficult to accept that He is Himself God, but He is. The Bible says “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). That “Word” that the Bible says “was God” became flesh – Jesus – and dwelt among us: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
Now, the prophecy that came forth before the birth of Jesus also foretold His divinity: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” It was Jesus who walked the streets of Galilee, as “Emmanuel – God with us.” When people saw Him, the mighty miracles and great signs and wonders that He did, notice what they said: “God has visited His people” (Luke 7:16). The Bible tells us that the fullness of the Godhead bodily dwells in Jesus. So, when you see Jesus, you wouldn’t need to look out for the Holy Spirit or the Father; He is the complete embodiment of Deity.
When Philip, one of the disciples asked Jesus to show them the Father, Jesus said to him, “…Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father…” (John 14:9). No wonder Colossians 1:19 says “…For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell.” Jesus is the outward expression of the Godhead. When we get to heaven, we won’t find the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost sitting on different thrones; we’ll only find one seated in the fullness of God on the throne, and His name is Jesus (Revelation 7:17).
So in celebrating Christmas, we’re celebrating the divinity of Jesus; His Lordship and rulership over our lives. He’s the joy of heaven and hope of the earth. He’s the Most High, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, who alone is worthy of all praise, worship and adoration. If you’re born again, happy are you, for “…ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power” (Colossians 2:10). You’re identified with the most awesome and sublime personality that there is.
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, I thank you for the awesome privilege of being identified with you. It’s a great honour to know you, serve you, worship you and live for you. I boldly confess today that you’re my Lord and Master, the Monarch of the entire universe. You’re my everything, and the reason for my existence. I thank you for revealing yourself to me through me today. Amen.
If you have never made Jesus the Lord of your life, I would like to extend this invitation to you today to pray the following prayer from your heart and Jesus will come and make His home in your heart:
"O Lord God, I come to You in the Name of Jesus Christ. Your Word says, "...whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Acts 2.21)
I ask Jesus to come into my heart to be the Lord of my life. I receive eternal life into my spirit and according to Romans 10:9 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved,"
I declare that I am saved; I am born-again; I am a child of God! I now have Christ dwelling in me, and greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world! (1 John 4:4)
I now walk in the consciousness of my new life in Christ Jesus. Hallelujah!"
CONGRATULATIONS!!
You are now a child of God, if you would like any materials to help you to grow as a Christian, you can log onto www.christembassy.org
Further Study
Revelation 1:12-18
Hebrews 1:3
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 15
Reading plan Daniel 11-12
2 Year Bible Revelation 18:1-12
Reading Plan Zechariah 1-2
Manifest God’s Love
Manifest God’s Love
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him (1 John 4:16).
God is love, and as His children, we’re to love as Christ loves us: “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” Hatred for anyone, irrespective of what they may have done against you is unacceptable to God. Jesus showed us a good example by loving everyone He met. He loved even His accusers—those who put Him on the cross. We ought to emulate the Master by loving everyone, no matter the circumstances.
Hatred is of the devil, and the Bible describes it as one of the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-20). But love is a fruit of the recreated human spirit (Galatians 5:22). Also, Romans 5:5 says “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost.” The Christian life is a life of love, freely given us of God. Manifest that same love to your world. It’s Christmas time, and what an excellent opportunity to manifest the love of Christ to everyone around you!
Love makes you give of yourself to others without thinking of what you’ll get in return. It makes you think of others and accept them just as they are. They don’t have to act to deserve your love, for love is unselfish and doesn’t seek its own. It breaks the barriers of race, ethnicity and social status. It makes it possible for you to see the beauty in others and appreciate them for who they are.
Take some time to appreciate those around you and do something definite to show someone the love of Jesus this Christmas season. Let someone experience the love, care and touch of Jesus through you today! Let God’s love in you come alive; it will lift you to a new level of life and you’d be glad this happened.
Prayer
Dear Father, I thank you for putting your love in my heart. Hatred and malice have no place in me, for the love of God fills my life to overflowing, having been shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Spirit. That love radiates through me today, and I manifest it to everyone in my world in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
Galatians 5:19-21
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Ephesians 5:1-2
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 10
Reading plan Daniel 1-2
2 Year Bible Revelation 15:1-8
Reading Plan Habakkuk 3
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him (1 John 4:16).
God is love, and as His children, we’re to love as Christ loves us: “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” Hatred for anyone, irrespective of what they may have done against you is unacceptable to God. Jesus showed us a good example by loving everyone He met. He loved even His accusers—those who put Him on the cross. We ought to emulate the Master by loving everyone, no matter the circumstances.
Hatred is of the devil, and the Bible describes it as one of the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-20). But love is a fruit of the recreated human spirit (Galatians 5:22). Also, Romans 5:5 says “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost.” The Christian life is a life of love, freely given us of God. Manifest that same love to your world. It’s Christmas time, and what an excellent opportunity to manifest the love of Christ to everyone around you!
Love makes you give of yourself to others without thinking of what you’ll get in return. It makes you think of others and accept them just as they are. They don’t have to act to deserve your love, for love is unselfish and doesn’t seek its own. It breaks the barriers of race, ethnicity and social status. It makes it possible for you to see the beauty in others and appreciate them for who they are.
Take some time to appreciate those around you and do something definite to show someone the love of Jesus this Christmas season. Let someone experience the love, care and touch of Jesus through you today! Let God’s love in you come alive; it will lift you to a new level of life and you’d be glad this happened.
Prayer
Dear Father, I thank you for putting your love in my heart. Hatred and malice have no place in me, for the love of God fills my life to overflowing, having been shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Spirit. That love radiates through me today, and I manifest it to everyone in my world in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
Galatians 5:19-21
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Ephesians 5:1-2
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 10
Reading plan Daniel 1-2
2 Year Bible Revelation 15:1-8
Reading Plan Habakkuk 3
You Can Have Faith For Others To Be Healed
You Can Have Faith For Others To Be Healed
Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour (Matthew 8:13).
The Bible tells several inspiring stories of people who had faith for others to be healed. They couldn’t bring their loved ones to Jesus for one reason or the other, yet they got a miracle. This means therefore, that you can have faith for someone else to receive a miracle.
A certain Centurion whose dear servant was sick and ready to die is one of such. When he heard of Jesus, he sent the elders of the Jews to beseech Him that He would come and heal his servant. Jesus agreed and followed them. But just before they got to the Centurion’s house, the Centurion sent a message to Jesus and said, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself; for I’m not worthy that you should enter under my roof; neither do I consider myself worthy to come to you, but just give the word, and my servant shall be healed” (Luke 7:2-7).
When Jesus heard the words of the centurion He marvelled at his faith and turned to those that followed Him and said, “I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” By the time the messengers got back to the Centurion’s house, they found the hitherto sick servant perfectly healed and made whole (Luke 7:9-10). The faith of his master prevailed and he (the servant) got a miracle!
If the Centurion could demonstrate great faith on his servant’s behalf and get a miracle, you too can have faith to receive a miracle today for your loved ones – your spouse, siblings, parents, or children. You can intercede or meditate for a miracle for your office, school, or community. Like the Centurion, all you need is a word from the Master, and that word has already been given, He said ‘…in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full (John 16:23-24).
So the question is: What do you want? The centurion was very clear about what he wanted for his servant and he was convinced that the Master’s words were potent enough to give him a miracle. The same applies to you today! Stand in the gap for others who are weak and helpless by asking the Father, in the Name of Jesus, for a miracle on their behalf, and it will be done unto you!
Prayer
Dear Father I thank you for the ability you’ve given me to stand in the gap for others by demonstrating my faith in your Word on their behalf. I pray today for those who are sick and in hospitals, especially those amongst them who are preachers and ministers of the Gospel, that your healing power will mantle them, breaking the stronghold of sickness and disease off them, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
Mark 7:25-30
For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:
26The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
27But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.
28And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.
29And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
30And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.
Hebrews 11:35
Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 9
Reading plan Ezekiel 47-48
2 Year Bible Revelation 14:11-20
Reading Plan Habakkuk 1-2
Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour (Matthew 8:13).
The Bible tells several inspiring stories of people who had faith for others to be healed. They couldn’t bring their loved ones to Jesus for one reason or the other, yet they got a miracle. This means therefore, that you can have faith for someone else to receive a miracle.
A certain Centurion whose dear servant was sick and ready to die is one of such. When he heard of Jesus, he sent the elders of the Jews to beseech Him that He would come and heal his servant. Jesus agreed and followed them. But just before they got to the Centurion’s house, the Centurion sent a message to Jesus and said, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself; for I’m not worthy that you should enter under my roof; neither do I consider myself worthy to come to you, but just give the word, and my servant shall be healed” (Luke 7:2-7).
When Jesus heard the words of the centurion He marvelled at his faith and turned to those that followed Him and said, “I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” By the time the messengers got back to the Centurion’s house, they found the hitherto sick servant perfectly healed and made whole (Luke 7:9-10). The faith of his master prevailed and he (the servant) got a miracle!
If the Centurion could demonstrate great faith on his servant’s behalf and get a miracle, you too can have faith to receive a miracle today for your loved ones – your spouse, siblings, parents, or children. You can intercede or meditate for a miracle for your office, school, or community. Like the Centurion, all you need is a word from the Master, and that word has already been given, He said ‘…in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full (John 16:23-24).
So the question is: What do you want? The centurion was very clear about what he wanted for his servant and he was convinced that the Master’s words were potent enough to give him a miracle. The same applies to you today! Stand in the gap for others who are weak and helpless by asking the Father, in the Name of Jesus, for a miracle on their behalf, and it will be done unto you!
Prayer
Dear Father I thank you for the ability you’ve given me to stand in the gap for others by demonstrating my faith in your Word on their behalf. I pray today for those who are sick and in hospitals, especially those amongst them who are preachers and ministers of the Gospel, that your healing power will mantle them, breaking the stronghold of sickness and disease off them, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
Mark 7:25-30
For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:
26The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
27But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.
28And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.
29And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
30And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.
Hebrews 11:35
Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 9
Reading plan Ezekiel 47-48
2 Year Bible Revelation 14:11-20
Reading Plan Habakkuk 1-2
Salvation Is For The Living
Salvation Is For The Living
For the grave cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth (Isaiah 38:18-19).
Some people have asked if Christians could intercede on behalf of a person who died without receiving Christ, so such a person could go to heaven instead of hell. The answer is NO. Anyone who didn’t receive Christ while on earth stands condemned. In John 3:18, Jesus said, “…but he that believeth not is condemned already…” So, the one who dies without knowing Christ, died in condemnation, and it would be of no use praying for such a one to go to heaven because the choice of whether to make heaven or not is a personal one.
It’s important to realize that the salvation message is for the living and not the dead. You can only receive Christ as Lord and Saviour in response to the Gospel while you’re still in the earth. Jesus said, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15-16). Only the living can believe and be saved.
The Bible says whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13); only the living can make that call. But “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” This is the reason God has sent you to be the preacher to take the message of Christ’s salvation to those in your world – your friends, associates and loved ones, so they could hear the message, believe and be saved before its too late.
For anyone to neglect and not respond positively to the salvation message while still on earth amounts to willful rejection of the Lord’s free offer of salvation. The consequence for this rejection is condemnation: “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God” (John 3:19-21).
Thus, we ought to keep spreading the message of the Gospel around the world with great passion and urgency. We have to give men the opportunity to be saved and become citizens of heaven while they’re here on earth, for they’ll have no opportunity afterwards.
Prayer
Dear Father, I thank you for your Word and its power in my life. Thank you for bringing me into your kingdom of light and making me a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light. I pray that the light of your salvation may arise upon the unsaved and deliver them from the blindness of darkness to the effect that your salvation is made real in their lives, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
Hebrews 2:3
How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 8
Reading plan Ezekiel 45-46
2 Year Bible Revelation 14:1-10
Reading Plan Nahum 2-3
For the grave cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth (Isaiah 38:18-19).
Some people have asked if Christians could intercede on behalf of a person who died without receiving Christ, so such a person could go to heaven instead of hell. The answer is NO. Anyone who didn’t receive Christ while on earth stands condemned. In John 3:18, Jesus said, “…but he that believeth not is condemned already…” So, the one who dies without knowing Christ, died in condemnation, and it would be of no use praying for such a one to go to heaven because the choice of whether to make heaven or not is a personal one.
It’s important to realize that the salvation message is for the living and not the dead. You can only receive Christ as Lord and Saviour in response to the Gospel while you’re still in the earth. Jesus said, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15-16). Only the living can believe and be saved.
The Bible says whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13); only the living can make that call. But “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” This is the reason God has sent you to be the preacher to take the message of Christ’s salvation to those in your world – your friends, associates and loved ones, so they could hear the message, believe and be saved before its too late.
For anyone to neglect and not respond positively to the salvation message while still on earth amounts to willful rejection of the Lord’s free offer of salvation. The consequence for this rejection is condemnation: “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God” (John 3:19-21).
Thus, we ought to keep spreading the message of the Gospel around the world with great passion and urgency. We have to give men the opportunity to be saved and become citizens of heaven while they’re here on earth, for they’ll have no opportunity afterwards.
Prayer
Dear Father, I thank you for your Word and its power in my life. Thank you for bringing me into your kingdom of light and making me a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light. I pray that the light of your salvation may arise upon the unsaved and deliver them from the blindness of darkness to the effect that your salvation is made real in their lives, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
Hebrews 2:3
How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 8
Reading plan Ezekiel 45-46
2 Year Bible Revelation 14:1-10
Reading Plan Nahum 2-3
Confession Launches You Into Salvation
Confession Launches You Into Salvation
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned (Matthew 12:37).
Did you know that a man could believe that Jesus died and was raised from the dead for his justification, and still end up in hell? That’s because to merely believe that He died and was raised from the dead isn’t enough to guarantee salvation. The Bible says even the devils believe and tremble (James 2:19), but that doesn’t make them saved. There’s more required for salvation than just believing. We must confess the Lordship of Jesus over our lives to be saved!
The word “confess” is the Greek “Homologia” which means to declare openly by way of speaking out freely a deep conviction of facts. Thus when we make confessions, we’re proclaiming that which God has said concerning us in His Word. Romans 10:9-10 says: “…if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
In other words, when God’s Word comes to you, and you believe it, your heart is made right with God. But confessing the Lordship of Jesus over your life is actually what launches or catapults you into salvation. This is when you come to the realization that Jesus Christ is Lord of your life and that you belong to Him.
Confession however doesn’t end with receiving salvation from sin alone, for salvation is an all-inclusive word. It refers to your preservation, prosperity, peace, health, victory, success and all the wonderful benefits that ensue from the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In fact, Christianity itself is referred to as the “great confession.” It’s a life where you get what you say. So you have to be a talking-Christian. You have to confess God’s Word and see it come to pass in your life, health, job, family and finances.
The Lord Jesus emphasized this in Mark 11:23, when He said “…he shall have whatsoever he saith.” So declare God’s Word concerning everything that pertains to you today, and you’d definitely see the results in your life!
Prayer
Dear Father, I thank you for the wonderful benefits of salvation that I enjoy today and forever as I continually declare your Word concerning me. I’m making progress today in my family, health, job, and finances, in the mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.
Further Study
Romans 10:9
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Mark 11:23
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 7
Reading plan Ezekiel 43-44
2 Year Bible Revelation 13:11-18
Reading Plan Nahum 1
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned (Matthew 12:37).
Did you know that a man could believe that Jesus died and was raised from the dead for his justification, and still end up in hell? That’s because to merely believe that He died and was raised from the dead isn’t enough to guarantee salvation. The Bible says even the devils believe and tremble (James 2:19), but that doesn’t make them saved. There’s more required for salvation than just believing. We must confess the Lordship of Jesus over our lives to be saved!
The word “confess” is the Greek “Homologia” which means to declare openly by way of speaking out freely a deep conviction of facts. Thus when we make confessions, we’re proclaiming that which God has said concerning us in His Word. Romans 10:9-10 says: “…if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
In other words, when God’s Word comes to you, and you believe it, your heart is made right with God. But confessing the Lordship of Jesus over your life is actually what launches or catapults you into salvation. This is when you come to the realization that Jesus Christ is Lord of your life and that you belong to Him.
Confession however doesn’t end with receiving salvation from sin alone, for salvation is an all-inclusive word. It refers to your preservation, prosperity, peace, health, victory, success and all the wonderful benefits that ensue from the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In fact, Christianity itself is referred to as the “great confession.” It’s a life where you get what you say. So you have to be a talking-Christian. You have to confess God’s Word and see it come to pass in your life, health, job, family and finances.
The Lord Jesus emphasized this in Mark 11:23, when He said “…he shall have whatsoever he saith.” So declare God’s Word concerning everything that pertains to you today, and you’d definitely see the results in your life!
Prayer
Dear Father, I thank you for the wonderful benefits of salvation that I enjoy today and forever as I continually declare your Word concerning me. I’m making progress today in my family, health, job, and finances, in the mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.
Further Study
Romans 10:9
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Mark 11:23
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 7
Reading plan Ezekiel 43-44
2 Year Bible Revelation 13:11-18
Reading Plan Nahum 1
Get Your Spirit Charged At All Times
Get Your Spirit Charged At All Times
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly (Matthew 6:6).
Some people engage in prayers only when they’re in some form of trouble or predicament, but that’s not the way it ought to be. You ought to get your spirit charged at all times by spending time in fellowship with the Lord though prayer. God wants us to be bold and stirred ever before we come against adverse circumstances. He wants you fired up by the anointing ever before you hit the streets, so that when you come out, you’re already dressed with the power of the Holy Ghost; drenched in the unction.
If you make this a consistent practice, nothing and no one will ever be able to successfully withstand or defeat you, for the anointing makes you invincible. When the anointing in you is stirred, having spent quality time in your closet charging up your spirit, people might not immediately recognize it on you when you come out; because you’re calm, well dressed and got a smile on. But the opportunity to manifest the anointing presents itself when you find yourself in a tight situation. No matter what kind of situation it is, you’ll know it’s a done deal because you already settled it in your closet.
The Bible tells us how a deadly viper fastened itself on Paul’s hand one time when he was making a fire. All Paul did was to shake the venomous beast off into the fire and continued doing his thing. (Acts 28:4-5). How come he didn’t fall down and die from the viper’s venom as the onlookers expected? He was already full of the anointing before the incident! Paul shares the secret of how he was able to do this and many other supernatural feats when he said in 1 Corinthians 14:18 “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all.”
Speaking in tongues is one sure way to get your spirit charged at all times and stir up the anointing in you. Consciously practise this every day! Before you go out, get your spirit charged; stir up the anointing in you by speaking passionately and fervently in other tongues. Having stirred up the anointing in your closet, when you step out, the challenges you face will be bread for you.
Confession
The power of God is resident in my spirit, and as I stir it up today by speaking in other tongues, that unction wells up from within me and overwhelms me, thus making me impregnable to every negative force. Hallelujah!
Further Study
James 5:17-18
Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
Micah 3:8
But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 6
Reading plan Ezekiel 41-42
2 Year Bible Revelation 13:1-10
Reading Plan Micah 7
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly (Matthew 6:6).
Some people engage in prayers only when they’re in some form of trouble or predicament, but that’s not the way it ought to be. You ought to get your spirit charged at all times by spending time in fellowship with the Lord though prayer. God wants us to be bold and stirred ever before we come against adverse circumstances. He wants you fired up by the anointing ever before you hit the streets, so that when you come out, you’re already dressed with the power of the Holy Ghost; drenched in the unction.
If you make this a consistent practice, nothing and no one will ever be able to successfully withstand or defeat you, for the anointing makes you invincible. When the anointing in you is stirred, having spent quality time in your closet charging up your spirit, people might not immediately recognize it on you when you come out; because you’re calm, well dressed and got a smile on. But the opportunity to manifest the anointing presents itself when you find yourself in a tight situation. No matter what kind of situation it is, you’ll know it’s a done deal because you already settled it in your closet.
The Bible tells us how a deadly viper fastened itself on Paul’s hand one time when he was making a fire. All Paul did was to shake the venomous beast off into the fire and continued doing his thing. (Acts 28:4-5). How come he didn’t fall down and die from the viper’s venom as the onlookers expected? He was already full of the anointing before the incident! Paul shares the secret of how he was able to do this and many other supernatural feats when he said in 1 Corinthians 14:18 “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all.”
Speaking in tongues is one sure way to get your spirit charged at all times and stir up the anointing in you. Consciously practise this every day! Before you go out, get your spirit charged; stir up the anointing in you by speaking passionately and fervently in other tongues. Having stirred up the anointing in your closet, when you step out, the challenges you face will be bread for you.
Confession
The power of God is resident in my spirit, and as I stir it up today by speaking in other tongues, that unction wells up from within me and overwhelms me, thus making me impregnable to every negative force. Hallelujah!
Further Study
James 5:17-18
Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
Micah 3:8
But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible Revelation 6
Reading plan Ezekiel 41-42
2 Year Bible Revelation 13:1-10
Reading Plan Micah 7
Monday, December 13, 2010
The High Priest Of Our Confessions
The High Priest Of Our Confessions
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus (Hebrews 3:1).
Back in the Old Testament, the Lord said to Moses, “take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office…” (Exodus 28:1). By that directive, God instituted the priesthood, with Aaron as the first high priest. He and his sons were ordained to receive the animal sacrifices and gifts offered to God. However, God wasn’t satisfied with those sacrifices of animals, because true sacrifice is spiritual, as man is a spirit and God is a spirit.
From our opening Scripture, we see that under the New Testament, Jesus is our High Priest, meaning He is the one ordained by God to receive the sacrifices we have to offer: “By him (Jesus) therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Hebrews 13:15). Through Him, Jesus, we offer the calves of our lips, giving thanks to His Name. This is the sacrifice God expects us to offer today, the calves of our lips, not bulls and calves on a physical altar. Hosea 14:2 says “Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.”
The expression “giving thanks to His name” in Hebrews 13:15 quoted above is translated from the Greek word “homologeo,” which means “to make confessions to His Name.” It means “to say the same things in agreement with God, to the glory of His Name. For example, when you say, “I’m more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus,” or “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world”; you’re making confessions of the Word to His Name.
Take advantage of the Lord’s ministry as the High Priest of your confessions and offer good sacrifices unto God today by declaring what His Word says about you. Remember, your faith-filled confession is the victory that overcomes the world; they are the materials the Masterbuilder, our High Priest, presents before the Father, with which your life is built.
Prayer
Dear Father, I thank you for ordaining the Lord Jesus Christ to be the High Priest of my confessions. By Him I offer today, the calves of my lips, making confessions to His Name, declaring that I’m a new creation in Christ Jesus, holy and sanctified unto the Lord! I’m an associate of the God-kind, having been made a participator in the divine life. I reign and rule in life today as a king in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
Hebrews 4:14-15
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Hebrews 8:1-3
Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible 1 John 5
Reading plan Ezekiel 20-21
2 Year Bible Revelation 7:1-10
Reading Plan Amos 3-4
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus (Hebrews 3:1).
Back in the Old Testament, the Lord said to Moses, “take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office…” (Exodus 28:1). By that directive, God instituted the priesthood, with Aaron as the first high priest. He and his sons were ordained to receive the animal sacrifices and gifts offered to God. However, God wasn’t satisfied with those sacrifices of animals, because true sacrifice is spiritual, as man is a spirit and God is a spirit.
From our opening Scripture, we see that under the New Testament, Jesus is our High Priest, meaning He is the one ordained by God to receive the sacrifices we have to offer: “By him (Jesus) therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Hebrews 13:15). Through Him, Jesus, we offer the calves of our lips, giving thanks to His Name. This is the sacrifice God expects us to offer today, the calves of our lips, not bulls and calves on a physical altar. Hosea 14:2 says “Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.”
The expression “giving thanks to His name” in Hebrews 13:15 quoted above is translated from the Greek word “homologeo,” which means “to make confessions to His Name.” It means “to say the same things in agreement with God, to the glory of His Name. For example, when you say, “I’m more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus,” or “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world”; you’re making confessions of the Word to His Name.
Take advantage of the Lord’s ministry as the High Priest of your confessions and offer good sacrifices unto God today by declaring what His Word says about you. Remember, your faith-filled confession is the victory that overcomes the world; they are the materials the Masterbuilder, our High Priest, presents before the Father, with which your life is built.
Prayer
Dear Father, I thank you for ordaining the Lord Jesus Christ to be the High Priest of my confessions. By Him I offer today, the calves of my lips, making confessions to His Name, declaring that I’m a new creation in Christ Jesus, holy and sanctified unto the Lord! I’m an associate of the God-kind, having been made a participator in the divine life. I reign and rule in life today as a king in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
Hebrews 4:14-15
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Hebrews 8:1-3
Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.
Daily Scripture Reading
1 Year Bible 1 John 5
Reading plan Ezekiel 20-21
2 Year Bible Revelation 7:1-10
Reading Plan Amos 3-4
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