THE REAL FIX YOU NEED! – Wednesday September 16th 2015

THE REAL FIX YOU NEED! 

Memorise: Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. Isaiah 45:22

Read: Isaiah 45:20-25, ²⁰ Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.

²¹ Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.

²² Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

²³ I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

²⁴ Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.

²⁵ In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.

Bible in one year: Exodus 35-36, Romans 16

MESSAGE

In an attempt to fill the void created by the absence of God in some people’s lives, they find themselves using mind-bending substances. This is very rampant in societies that have replaced God with government. In admission of their failure to achieve this folly in the lives of men, some of them now allow the free use of these substances. What they fail to realise is that without Jesus Christ, you can never be complete (Colossians 2:10). Nothing else can take His place. The effects of mind-bending drugs such as marijuana or cocaine can never fill His space in the heart. If you take any of these, it will only take you “high” into a world of hallucination: an unreal world that Satan creates for you while the effects of these drugs last, but afterwards, he drops you far below where he took you from, leaving you feeling deeply depressed, dissatisfied, empty and naked.

Any person who uses mind-bending substances will always want to experience the “high” feeling again and again in a vicious cycle. It is ironic that there is never a feeling of satisfaction derived from the use of these substances. Rather, one wrap becomes too small and the fellow moves on to two, three, four or even five in order to experience the effect that used to be derived from just a single wrap or shot. It gets to a stage where they now live for hard drugs. At this point, nothing else matters to them but another wrap or shot All along, each use of those substances lead the user into madness.

No hard drug satisfies, but Jesus Christ does. He is the “hard drug” that can fix your life once and for all. Take one shot of Jesus Christ and He will take you truly high and keep you there. One wrap of Jesus will give you a bit of the heavenly experience that will increase every passing day as you fellowship with Him. Have you received Jesus into your life? Are you a drug addict? Do you need a fix every now and then? All you need is Jesus! He satisfies. He will quench your thirst for inordinate things. Receive Him into your heart and it shall be well with you. Your life will receive the transformation you need. Are you addicted to drugs and other mind-bending substances? Have you made effort to stop their use but could not stop? In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, you are set free today! That habit holding you bound is broken now! I command every demon of addiction to release you now! You are liberated from their grip in Jesus’ Name. Submit yourself to the environment of accountability in a church to strengthen your resolve never to go back.

Action point

Reach out to drug addicts for Christ or lend a helping hand to ministers dedicated to their salvation and rehabilitation.

Continue

AFRAID OF YOUR MIRROW IMAGE? – Tuesday September 15th 2015

AFRAID OF YOUR MIRROW IMAGE? 

Memorise: For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a door, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: James 1:23

Read: James 1:22-25, ²² But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

²³ For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

²⁴ For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

²⁵ But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Bible in one year: Exodus 33:34, Romans 15:14-33

MESSAGE

The word of God is very central to our life as believers. In the very last admonition of Moses to the children of Israel, He said the word of God is their very life (Deuteronomy 32:46-47). For believers in Christ today, the word of God is also our life, because it is through it that we are born-again, as revealed in 1^st Peter 1:23:

“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.”

After we are born-again, the word of God performs several functions in our life. One aspect of these functions which is rather interesting is that it works as our mirror. A mirror shows the reflection of the one using it. A man may hold an opinion of himself for a long period, but when he has the opportunity to look in a mirror, he will see himself as he is. In this age of flattery and political correctness, you may be shocked by the time you compare what you see in a mirror before you, to people’s assessment for your person. Why is this so? We live in a time when it has become very difficult for people to call a shade a shade. They prefer to tell you what you want to hear. They are prepared to flatter you and say those things that can keep them in your good books, particularly if they hope to curry your favour. If the friends you surround yourself with cannot point out your faults when you go wrong, change them. If you don’t, they will lead you astray.

Unlike men who will flatter you, the word of God tells you who or what you are without fear or favour. When you stand before the perfect law of liberty, you will see yourself exactly how God sees you. The word of God will reveal the stains in your garment of salvation and show you the wrinkles on your robe of righteousness. One reason why people avoid hearing, reading or studying the Bible is because they are afraid of seeing their true picture. They want to continue to live under self-deception. Some other people look at the mirror of God’s word, see their stains, dents and imperfections, and yet they refuse to do anything about it. This is the height of foolishness! If God’s word cannot correct you, what else can? The Bible in James 1:21 says:

“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”

Receive God’s verdict about you in His word today, and stop trying to justify yourself.

Action Point:

Every time you look into the Bible and you see something amiss in your robe of righteousness, immediately correct it.

Continue

AFRAID OF YOUR MIRROW IMAGE? – Tuesday September 15th 2015

AFRAID OF YOUR MIRROW IMAGE? 

Memorise: For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a door, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: James 1:23

Read: James 1:22-25, ²² But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

²³ For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

²⁴ For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

²⁵ But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Bible in one year: Exodus 33:34, Romans 15:14-33

MESSAGE

The word of God is very central to our life as believers. In the very last admonition of Moses to the children of Israel, He said the word of God is their very life (Deuteronomy 32:46-47). For believers in Christ today, the word of God is also our life, because it is through it that we are born-again, as revealed in 1^st Peter 1:23:

“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.”

After we are born-again, the word of God performs several functions in our life. One aspect of these functions which is rather interesting is that it works as our mirror. A mirror shows the reflection of the one using it. A man may hold an opinion of himself for a long period, but when he has the opportunity to look in a mirror, he will see himself as he is. In this age of flattery and political correctness, you may be shocked by the time you compare what you see in a mirror before you, to people’s assessment for your person. Why is this so? We live in a time when it has become very difficult for people to call a shade a shade. They prefer to tell you what you want to hear. They are prepared to flatter you and say those things that can keep them in your good books, particularly if they hope to curry your favour. If the friends you surround yourself with cannot point out your faults when you go wrong, change them. If you don’t, they will lead you astray.

Unlike men who will flatter you, the word of God tells you who or what you are without fear or favour. When you stand before the perfect law of liberty, you will see yourself exactly how God sees you. The word of God will reveal the stains in your garment of salvation and show you the wrinkles on your robe of righteousness. One reason why people avoid hearing, reading or studying the Bible is because they are afraid of seeing their true picture. They want to continue to live under self-deception. Some other people look at the mirror of God’s word, see their stains, dents and imperfections, and yet they refuse to do anything about it. This is the height of foolishness! If God’s word cannot correct you, what else can? The Bible in James 1:21 says:

“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”

Receive God’s verdict about you in His word today, and stop trying to justify yourself.

Action Point:

Every time you look into the Bible and you see something amiss in your robe of righteousness, immediately correct it.

Continue

THE RIGHT ROOT – Monday September 14th 2015

 THE RIGHT ROOT 

Memorise: And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended. Mark 4:17

Read: Mark 4:16-17, ¹⁶ And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

¹⁷ And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.

Bible in one year: Exodus 30:22-32:35, Romans 14:13-15:13

MESSAGE

In a marathon, not everyone who starts the race reaches the finish line. Several people drop out of the race due to one reason or the other. In the same way, several people are dropping out of the race to meet Christ the Redeemer on the last day. The parable of the sower reveals some of the reasons why people will not get to the finish line of the Christian race. One of such reasons is not being rooted and grounded in the word of God. Jesus gives further insight into this in Mark 4:17

“And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.”

The root of a tree is very important to its survival. If you cut down every part of most trees and leave the roots, the tree will spring up again. All the nourishment that sustains the fruits, leaves and branches of a tree are received through its roots. Also, it is the roots that hold the tree when the wind comes against it. If the roots are few or tiny, the tree will also be limited in its ability to feed and stay fixed; but if the roots are many, big and strong, the tree will feed well and endue. Note that every tree has roots whose size is directly proportional to the size of the tree. It is therefore the size of your root in Christ that will determine how big you will grow in His kingdom. A heavy wind blew one rainy day and it caused a big tree located by the roadside to fall. People marvelled that such a huge tree could be brought down by the wind, but after they looked closely, they discovered that the roots of this tree did not go deep enough into the ground, and so the bottom of the tree appeared flat. No wonder it fell!

In the Christian faith, the root refers to the foundation on which one’s faith in Jesus is established. If the foundation is bad, it will definitely affect the growth and stability of the tree. Any fruit produced will have problems if the root is not the right size or does not go deep enough. Many believers who bungled their trip to Heaven had a bad foundation in Christ. Either their roots were developed wrongly, or their roots did not go deep enough. This is why care should be taken to groom young converts very well through the teaching of the word. They should be exposed to the sincere, undiluted milk of the word (1^st Peter 2:2). What is the state of your foundation in Christ? Do you have big, Strong roots that can give you stability until the race ends?    

Prayer Point

Father, give me the right roots that will make me grow into a gigantic tree in your kingdom.

Continue

HE GRAFTS IN – Sunday September 13th 2015

HE GRAFTS IN

Memorise: Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. Romans 11:19

Romans 11:16-20, ¹⁶ For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

¹⁷ And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

¹⁸ Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

¹⁹ Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.

²⁰ Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

Bible in one year: Exodus 29:1-30:21, Romans 13:8-14:12

MESSAGE

Grafting is an agricultural technique used for propagating fruit trees. It involves cutting a section of the stem of one tree and inserting it into the stock of another tree. A part of the tree providing the stock must be cut off before grafting can take place. The technique is used in order to make fruit trees reproduce true to type. Today’s Bible reading describes our entry into the family of God as a form of this process. The Almighty God has the power to reverse the irreversible. In the process of doing this, He can disconnect a person in order to connect another. Romans 11:17 says that God can take a branch from a wild olive tree and graft it into a good olive tree, so that instead of the wild branch producing bitter fruit, it will deliver good fruit. Are you living recklessly and on your way to Hell? As you repent of your sins today and turn your life over to Jesus, God will graft you into the Body of Christ, so that your future that was suppose to end in bitterness will end in sweetness.

The children of Israel were beneficiaries of grafting as an act of God. Seven powerful nations had inhabited the Promised Land for several years before God chose that portion of the earth for His children (Deuteronomy 7:1). He decided to cut off those nations and bring in His Children. This season, the Lord will displace the current movers and shakers of the most productive sectors of the world, in order to make room for you in Jesus’ Name.

Another beneficiary of God’s grafting was Esther. She was an orphan who became a slave when soldiers raided her city and took her captive (Esther 2:5-7). She knew sorrow and was meant to die a slave, but God went into her future and said, “Yon shall not die a slave but a queen”. For this to take place, God used Queen Vashti’s mistake to cut her off, so that the slave girl could be grafted in as queen. Are you a slave or a house-help, wondering if you will die in that present condition? The Lord who did it for Esther will go into your future and effect the necessary changes to make you a noteworthy person. Are people expecting your life to end in misery? No, my God will not let it happen! Your tomorrow shall be alright. You shall have the type of experience Esther had, and your end shall be honourable like that of Jabez (1^st Chronicles 4:9-10). You shall end well. Are you empty now? You shall end full. God will disappoint all the expectations of your enemies in Jesus’ Name.       

Prayer Point

Father, as I submit myself to You, graft me into greatness today.

Continue

YOUR DESTINY IS UNSTOPPABLE – Saturday September 12th 2015

Memorise: Thou wilt say then unto me, why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Romans 9:19

Read: Jeremiah 1:4-7, ⁴ Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

⁵ Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

⁶ Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

⁷ But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

 Bible in one year: Exodus 27-28, Romans 12:9-13:7

MESSAGE

If God has a destination for you, your present situation cannot stop Him. The circumstances of life surrounding young Esther as a slave girl did not stop her from becoming queen of a very powerful kingdom. In the Name of Jesus Christ, your present circumstances shall not stop you from arriving at your God-appointed destiny! Similarly, concerning where God is taking you, your past does not matter. 2^nd Corinthians 5:17 says if you are in Christ, old things are passed away and everything has become new. For this reason, God commands you thus in Isaiah 43:18:

“Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.”

If you are sure of your salvation in Christ, whatever was in your past that the enemy wants to use in hindering your destiny will receive a divine touch. Everything in your past that can destroy your present and future, especially as relates to your destiny, shall be completely arrested by God today. From today, the mercy of God will go ahead of you, and your past shall no longer hinder you. Every accusing finger pointing at you shall stop in Jesus’ Name. The Lord says this to you in Romans 8:1:

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Moreover, another vital information you should have is that God is the One who decides destinies. He told Jeremiah: “I have determined what you would be, long before I formed you and put you in your mother’s womb. While you were still in your mother’s womb, I ordained you to be a prophet to nations.” Long before you were born, God had already decided what you will be. He did not consult with your parents before taking His decisions about your destiny. If He did, they could have disqualified you. “Witches and wizards from your village” did not know what was going on at that time. They were not there when God was planning your life, hence they can’t stop you. In His mind, God has decided the following concerning you: it shall be well with you, you shall live to glorify His Name, you shall not die prematurely, you shall fulfil your destiny, and many more. Every good thing that the Lord has decided concerning you shall be established! Every destiny destroyer sent to hinder you shall fail and fall. Your tomorrow shall be far greater than your today. Every force that tries to hinder you shall be destroyed by the fire of the Holy Ghost in Jesus’ Name.     

Prayer Point:

Father, paralyse every gang up of the enemy that wants to stop the good things You have started in my life.

Continue

SCHEMING: NOT ALLOWED – Friday September 11th 2015

SCHEMING: NOT ALLOWED

Memorise: But all these woreth that one and the selfsame spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. 1^st Corinthians 12:11

Read: Numbers 16:8-14, ⁸ And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi:

⁹ Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?

¹⁰ And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also?

¹¹ For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the Lord: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?

¹² And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: which said, We will not come up:

¹³ Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?

¹⁴ Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.

 Bible in one year: Exodus 25-26, Romans 11:25-12:8

MESSAGE

In Numbers 16, we read of a highly explosive rebellion that rocked God’s people in the wilderness. Some leaders were not satisfied with the level of assignment God had apportioned to them. Instead of going through Moses to God to ask if there could be an expansion of their job description, they began to eye the priesthood. They wondered how God could give them so little an assignment considering their zeal to serve Him. How could some other people be chosen as the priests when they were there? At some point, they succeeded in convincing 250 popular leaders, who were princes, to favour their cause. What started like a joke had become a great revolt. In the end, the Lord Himself stepped in and delivered judgement to all concerned.

From this story, we should learn to be content with whatever God gives to us. God gives talents to every person according to their abilities. The Holy Spirit is in charge of assigning jobs descriptions to the children of God. 1^st Corinthians 12:11 says:

“But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”

He is in charge of God’s vineyard, and so He is the One to give you the portion you should work on. Also, He will give you the required ability and the spiritual stamina to perform the assignment. Someone may say, “I am still an ordinary altar minister, whereas by now I should have become a zonal pastor.” The Holy Spirit knows why you are where you are. You can be sure that when you need to occupy a higher office than where you are now, He will take you there. However, to move up the ladder in God’s Kingdom is not by acts of the flesh but by the will of the Spirit. You are not permitted to seek higher office by scheming out your leader in order to take his place. Some people do this and succeed in replacing their leader, but they are completely outside of God’s plan and out of their divine assignment. They are no longer in God’s employment; they now serve their own bellies at best or the devil at worst. Any work done by such ecclesiastical rogues will never attract any reward from Heaven, because the foundation of that service is not the Holy Spirit. If they ever make it to Heaven, they will be told “You worked for yourself and not for God, so go and reward yourself.” 

Key Point

Many leaders are operating in God’s permissive will, outside of His perfect will. That God has not stopped you from following your inordinate ambitions does not mean He approves or supports your actions.

Continue

DEMONS HINDER DESTINIES – Tuesday September 8th 2015

DEMONS HINDER DESTINIES 

Memorise: But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Mathew 15:13 Read: Luke 8:1-3, Bible in one year: Exodus 18:1-20:21, Romans 9:19-10:4 

As a believer in Christ, one of the traits that should differentiate you from an ordinary fellow is the ability to cast out demons (Mark 16:17). However, if demons are tormenting you and you fail to do something about them, don’t expect God to do anything either. He has already done what He should do by giving you authority over them. He expects you to exercise this authority before He takes the next step of enforcement. The ball is now in your court; if you fail to pass it to Him, He will leave you with the ball. In 2nd Kings 4:1-7, we read of a window whose husband was a prophet. 

The man died and left her with two boys and a lot of debt. Initially, when the creator came calling, she was not the only one owing money, she might have said to herself like some people in Nigeria would say: “Even Nigeria as a nation is indebted, and so in America for that matter; so what is the big deal if I owe people money”? Although the Almighty God was there on His throne with all His power, might, zeal and resources, He could not do anything to help her for as long as she tolerated poverty, lack and debt. But one day, tired of repeated fruitless visits, her creator came and threatened to sell her sons into slavery if she was unable to pay the debt. Pushed to the wall, she cried out for help, and help came. She was delivered from the threat that would have hindered her boys from fulfilling their destinies. 

When will you be tired of managing or condoning your unpleasant situation? Let us note a few things about deliverance. It is a great thing to be delivered. Mary Magdalene was delivered of seven powerful demons and she eventually became a divine treasurer. Her destiny was to be a divine treasurer ministering to the needs of Jesus, but for as long as the demons were in her, she could not fulfil this. This simply tells us that one way the devil tries to hinder a person from fulfilling his or her destiny is by sending one or more demons to possess him or her. When such demons come into that individual, they will give the original purpose of God. 

When an evil spirit took over the position of the Holy Spirit in the heart of King Saul, he became tormented. Demons torment their victims tremendously. If you have been delivered from the hands of demons, you will appreciate your freedom. Are you still allowing demons to hinder your destiny? It’s time to confront them today! Jesus wants to set you free. You just need to cooperate with Him. Prayer Point Father, send Your fire to chase out the presence and manipulating effect of demons in my life, family and ministry.

Continue

THE LONG WAIT – Monday September 7th 2015

THE LONG WAIT

Memorise: And saying, where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 2nd Peter 3:4 Read: Matthew 25:1-13, Bible in one year: Exodus 15:22-17:16, Romans 9:1-18

Imagine that while running a marathon, with all your focus on the finish line, you suddenly run out of energy; would it be easy for you to complete the race? Definitely not! Most likely, you would have to pull out of the race. We see this scenario repeatedly playing out itself in the Christian race. Many people who started the Christian race, who were expected to run the race to the end, have suddenly run out of steam and are falling by the wayside. When the 10 virgins in our Bible reading started their race, they all hoped to finish it. 

One lesson this parable teaches us is that the race may be longer than expected. If anything, you must plan to run for as long as it takes until you reach the finish line. Only five of the virgins realised the need to sustain their resolve, and so they were careful to carry some extra oil. Beyond what every other person is doing, what additional preparations are you making and what extra precautions are you taking with respect to the race set before you? If you truly want to reach the end of this Heaven-bound journey, you will need more steam in your reserves. You will need more of the anointing, because it’s not by power nor by might that victory is secured. The anointing that works miracles, signs and wonders is different from the anointing that gives grace to hold the baton till the very end. Your zeal gives grace to hold the baton till the very end. 

Your zeal to continue needs to be renewed daily. May you never lack the will or the power to run the race! We are in a marathon: the course of which can sometimes be longer than expected. It can also be more stressful and more demanding that we ever thought. When I got saved, most of us who were saved at that time believed that Jesus would most likely come back within 10 years of our salvation. I was a lecturer then, and on several occasion, some students would come to me asking “Since the Lord is coming very soon, why are we studying?” I told them that since Jesus asked us to occupy until He comes, they needed to continue their studies and do other legitimate things, especially since we were not told the exact time or day of His coming. 

A colleague of mine who was supposed to pursue a PhD programme even cancelled it. He believed that Jesus would come really soon, and so acquiring a PhD would be useless. Over 30 years down the line, we are still waiting for the Lord. Don’t be tired of waiting for the Lord’s return. Occupy yourself with the things He gave you to do, and keep being focused. You shall surely reach the end of the race, and you will finish strong in Jesus’ Name. Action Point In expectation of the Lord Jesus, live each day as if it were your last, but do not neglect to do all that is expected of you.

Continue

THE MAJESTY OF HIS PERSON – Wednesday September 2nd 2015

Memorise: And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angles of God worship him. Hebrew 1:6 Read: Hebrew 1:1-9, Bible in one year: Exodus 6:1-8:15, 

Romans 5 The majesty of a king is seen in the power and influences his name commands. In the whole universe, there is no king greater than the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One who can open both willing and unwilling doors (Revelation 3:7). By His Name, you have access to all doors in Heaven, on earth and in any part of the spirit realm. 

I pray that His Name will work for you whenever you call on Him from today in Jesus’ Name. Apart from opening doors, His Name can secure and sustain your deliverance from forces of darkness, because it is the only name that has the authority to chase out demons (Mark 16:17). His Name secures and sustains your healing, because it is the only name sickness and diseases will hear and have no choice but to obey (Mark 16:18). 

Do you want joy to replace the sorrow you have been going through? The Name of Jesus can also deliver that to you (John 16:24). The majesty of the person of our Lord Jesus Christ is revealed in today’s Bible reading. Furthermore, Isaiah 9:6 says this about Him. “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.” If you desire to have all-round peace, all you need to do is to make peace with the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ, and He will give you peace in any area of life where you are currently facing a storm. No wonder a songwriter wrote these lyrics: “Take the name of Jesus with you, child of sorrow and of woe, it will joy and comfort give you, take it wherever you go.” Furthermore, do you know that Jesus elevates anyone who bears His Name? 

He lifts them up from the dunghill or miry clay and sets their feet on solid rock to keep them stable and secure. Do you need to move up to your next level? John 12:32 says if you give Jesus His rightful place in your life by lifting Him up, He will surely lift you and those around you higher. Jesus can give you victory in any battle you are facing; He can also give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30). Have you been struggling for so long to enter your rest in a particular area without success? Jesus will give you rest today. Your fruitless struggle ceases from today! Put your trust in His person, and it shall be well with you. 

                                                          Prayer Point 

Father, let the majesty of Jesus be manifested in every area of my life from today onwards.

Continue

TOLERATING DEMONS? – Tuesday September 1st 2015

 TOLERATING DEMONS? Memorise: Neither give place to the devil. Ephesians 4:27 Read: Acts 16:16-18,16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: 

17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. 

18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. 

MESSAGE! One of the signs affirming that you have received Jesus as your Lord and Saviour is the ability to cast out demons. 

This grace is not the exclusive preserve of a few Christians who are branded “deliverance ministers”; rather, it should be commonplace among all Christians (Mark 16:17-18). However, you need to know that you cannot cast out demons while living in sin; they will expose your secret deeds. There is the story of a minister who attempted to cast out a demon from a fellow, and the demon spoke out saying: “Are you the one commanding me to go? You who committed fornication with so and so yesterday?” That was the end of that deliverance session. In practice, we don’t see a lot of believers in Christ casting out demons today. Why is this so? Are you afraid, or living in secret sin? 

This should no be so. You should cast out demons whenever you perceive any operating around you. From today, you shall be a demon-chaser in Jesus’ Name. Wherever you go and find demons in operation, you should stamp your feet down in the Name of Jesus Christ and command them to take their leave. They will have no choice but to obey. If you need to support your faith, you can team up with one or two more believers and go out to preach the gospel, casting out the demons you find along the way, and they will obey you. In our Bible reading, there was this young lady with the spirit of divination who appointed herself as the Public Relations Officer of Paul and his team, while at the same time working for her evil masters. She did this for a while, until Paul was grieved in the spirit and commanded the evil spirit to come out of her, and it did. From this account, you should learn that as long as you are ready to tolerate demons, they will continue to harass you. 

The trouble you allow to stay with you may take you along with it. In some churches, spirits of divination are in operation and they are tolerated. In fact, some pastors don’t know the difference between a spirit of divination and the spirit of prophecy that comes from God. In such churches, the devil reigns, and he manipulates people freely. Many believers today are far from the place where God wants them to be, because the forces of darkness are fighting to hinder their joy, they throw up their hands in resignation to fate, expecting God to do something about it, but God expects them to command those forces working against them to loose their grip and take their leave in the Name of Jesus. Are you doing this today? 

Action Point: If you notice demonic manipulation in any area of your life, command the spirits responsible to loose their grip and take their leave in Jesus

Are you doing this today?

Continue

Chaplains provide spiritual care online for Christians with serious health problems

 Are you suffering from a serious health problem? Are you wondering why you are experiencing this? Do you need spiritual care? Don't worry, help is just a click away.

Christians diagnosed with serious illnesses or those dealing with challenges of ageing can now find spiritual support online through specialised websites such as chaplaincareforveterans.org, chaplainsonhand.org and cantbelieveihavecancer.org.

Experienced chaplains of diverse affiliations work for these sites round the clock, offering free counselling through Skype or by phone. They can address various problems such as spiritual distress, confusion about personal spirituality and end of life decisions.

Rev. Eric Hall, president of the HealthCare Chaplaincy Network (HCCN), is the person behind this effort. His New York-based nonprofit organisation launched these websites last year, knowing that a lot of individuals are in need of spiritual support when dealing with health and life issues.

"When people are faced with a crisis, somewhere in their minds and in their hearts, they ask questions about why this is happening to them. We face our own frailty, and people want an answer and to be able to talk it out," Hall explained.

He added that chaplains like him must respond to the changing times and must adapt with technology to be able to provide spiritual care to as many people as possible during the modern age.

Hall said he is thankful for the warm response to the spiritual care his group offers online. For instance, cantbelieveihavecancer.org attracted 200,000 unique visitors during its first four months.

The increasing popularity of these initiatives also highlight the growing prevalence in tele-health, increased outpatient care delivery and shorter hospital stays, according to the chaplain.

Lisa Anderson-Shaw, the University of Illinois Hospital and Health System's Director of Clinical Ethics, meanwhile recognised the importance of the spiritual care being extended by Hill's group online.

"After patients are no longer in the hospital, many find themselves without the spiritual support they had while hospitalised," Shaw explained.

"Many rural areas may not have a church. Or, the closest church may be many miles away, making homebound persons unable to find the spiritual care they wish to have. Privacy may also be a concern for patients and families who live in small, rural communities and wish to keep health information more private," she added.

Continue