YOUR TALENT DISCOVERY AND USAGE

What’s your talent? There’s nobody in life that God ever created without depositing one thing or the other in them that they’re naturally endowed with. There are no ’empty’ persons created but many are blessed but living empty. You have something I don’t have and no one has the same talent. By His grace, I can pen down words to make meaningful sentence or pass a message across. If you too have this gift, ability or talent, you can’t write like me neither can I write like you.

Quite a number of people usually confuse their talent with their vocation or something they learn somewhere.

Talent is a marked natural ability or skill that a person has. ‘Marked’ in the sense that it’s unique and significant. When you have it, you’ll know and it’s not a thing you’ll doubt. It is not learned but naturally endowed. Talent isn’t acquired through formal education but it can be sharpened through informal education.

There are several kinds of talents which God has endowed people with. I’ll only share the ones I can think of. There’s the ability to write, draw, sing, lead, make people laugh, dramatize, create designs, talk, play with sound or musical instruments amongst others.

Nobody is created empty, it’s the failure to discover one’s talent that makes people empty. All of the aforementioned or more are what God has deposited in people. You may have multiple talents but there’s one that’s marked (significant) in your life.

Every talent that God created in man is an unwrapped gift. If you don’t use it, you can’t get the best of it. How can a person become a great singer if he or she doesn’t sing or rehearse songs?

Take a close look at yourself, what can you do naturally which you do not acquire or learn in school? What do you like or enjoy doing? What’s that thing that you can spend the whole night doing? You have something in you, it’s different from your career or the skill you learned. If it’s so hidden that you can’t see it, pray that God should open your eyes to see the hidden treasure in you (Jer. 33:3).

Now that you have discovered it, there’s more to it because it’s in its raw form. Gold can’t be appreciated when it’s in its ore, unless it’s refined. The more you work on that gift, the more you become good at it.
It’s of no use if you can write, whether songs, poem, short plays, drama or articles and you hardly write on daily or weekly basis. There must be time in the midst of no time for what you enjoy doing. It is the more you work on your talent that it becomes refined and it’s only a refined talent that become gifted in.

And here’s what the scripture says about a gift. A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men (Proverbs 18:16). Your gift can’t make room for you if you haven’t sharpen it. It is when preparation meets performance in the face of opportunity that elevation comes.

How often do you write, sing or sharpen your natural skill? If there’s no opportunity for you, create or find one. Who knows the time when opportunity would come to showcase what you’re made?

Hence, to what purpose are you or will you be using your talent? God gave you the talent and He expects that you use it for His glory. Any talent that doesn’t advance God’s kingdom on earth will serve the devil’s purpose in hell.

David had the ability to lead his father’s sheep. It was in doing it that he had the opportunity of killing the predators and when opportunity came, coupled with the fact that he was anointed, he lead the whole tribes of Israel rather than sheep.

There’s also the place of God’s anointing on your natural endowments. Seek for it! Don’t be carried away by the fame, prestige, luxuries and wealth that comes with the use of your talent. Don’t allow people talk you into doing it the world’s way so as to serve the god of this earth.

Use your talent to populate the kingdom of God rather than send more souls to hell. You’ll account for the latter on the last day. If you use it for God, it’ll bring both earthly and eternal gain but if you use it for the god of this earth, you’ll have all the earthly gain your soul craves for and become cast away in eternity.

Have you discovered your talent? Get up and do something about your talent! Your talent is irrelevant in the grave, neither is it useful in heaven or in hell. Use it for God, although it might seem irrelevant doing so but it’s worth it!

Topic: Permanent Connection [Sunday 29 November, 2015]

Memorise: And of the angels he saith,Who maketh his angels spirits,and his ministers a flame of fire.  - Hebrews 1:7

Read: Philippians 1:20-21 (KJV)

20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Bible in One Year: Psalm 45-50; Hebrews 4:8-5:10

MESSAGE:

For God to us you as a minister for manifesting His signs and wonders to the world, you must be totally consecrated and committed. In addition, you must be permanently connected to Jesus. In Philippians 1:21, Paul declared that if he would be alive at all, the essence of his living must be Christ. Many of us are still living for ourselves, our families and for others. Until you get to that point of deciding to live for Christ like Paul did, you may not be chosen by God for the manifestation for His signs and wonders. If you take a piece of hot iron and you drop it into a bucket of cold water, what will happen to the water?

It will heat up immediately, but as the water gets warm, the iron loses it heat. If you are connected to the Holy Spirit and you become red hot, but then you later jump into the cold water of the world, you will still be healing, delivering people and casting out demons initially, but at some point, because you are no longer connected with the fire of the Holy Spirit, you will begin to lose heat until you becomes as cold as the world.

Have you observed the life of Jesus Christ? Every time Jesus performed a major miracle, He would immediately set Himself apart from men unto God on a mountain, in order to recharge His battery. You need to be permanently connected to the Holy Spirit. When a water heater containing cold water is connected to a power source, the water will start boiling after some time. If the water heater is not disconnected, at some point, evaporation of the water will follow. If after evaporation has commenced, the water heater continues to receive power, a fire outbreak will likely happen. The illustrates that as long as you remain connected to the Holy Spirit and His fire continues to flow through you, at some point, you will manifest His very nature, especially in the dimension of being a consuming fire. No wonder Hebrew 1:7 says:

“And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.”

God want you to manifest His very nature. This is only possible when the link between you and the Holy Spirit is unbroken. How is that connection today? Do you once in a while dabble into sin? If you do, you break the connection and move away from manifesting as a flame of fire.

Action Point: You cannot afford to lose your link with God. Consciously ensure you are permanently connected to Him.

Topic: Seek Revelation [Saturday 28 November, 2015]

Memorise: That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. - Ephesians 1:17

Read: Acts 16:25-34 (KJV)

25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.

27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,

30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

Bible in One Year: Psalm 40-44; Hebrews 3:7-4:7

MESSAGE:

There is a relationship between information, knowledge and revelation. Information is a collection of known facts on a subject matter, particularly those garnered from cumulative experiential knowledge. There are pieces of information to help you in various areas of life. For instance, in marriage, there is a lot of information that can help a couple with martial problems to improve their situation, which can be found in books, tapes, CDs, DVDs, seminars and so on. As long as a couple does not access such information, it remains simple information, but the moment they take it, it becomes knowledge. The knowledge you receive but fail to act upon cannot profit you. If anything, it will lead to condemnation when the negative event that could have been averted through the use of that knowledge finally occurs. However, getting insight into how knowledge can be applied in solving a specific problem is dependent on inspiration, which is closely related to wisdom. Having knowledge is good, but having revelation in much better, because revelation tells you how to apply your knowledge to a specific situation you are confronted with in order to get the best results.

Take for instance the jailer in today’s Bible reading; by asking Paul and Silas what he must do to be saved, it shows he already had the knowledge that salvation was available, but he did not know how to get it. It also shows that information was available on salvation at that time. Although he had obtained the knowledge about salvation, he remained in the dark and joined the authorities to punish and oppress innocent citizens, because he had no revelation on salvation. When eventually he caught the revelation of salvation through Jesus Christ, He received Jesus into his heart and restituted his ways. He washed, fed and took care of the same prisoners whose beating and imprisonment he had supervised.
As long as you remain at the level of knowledge, you are bound to make series of mistakes or take regrettable steps concerning certain situations of life. Today, many people have information but lack revelation. They acquire knowledge but do not know how best to utilise it. Being religious is all about having knowledge. That is why you find out that the most religious people commit the greatest sins. Beloved, knowledge is not enough! You need revelation. This was the essence of Paul’s prayer in our memory verse. Call on God to give you revelation concerning the things you know. Revelation links you with the purpose of a thing, in order to optimise that purpose.

Action Point: Religious fanatics like Saul of old persecute other religious people,because they have knowledge but lack revelation. Pray that God will reveal Himself to them.

Topic: Rejecting Evil Writings [Wednesday 25 November, 2015]

Memorise: Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; - Colossians 2:14.

Read: Colossians 2:14-15 (KJV)

14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Bible in One Year: Psalm 27-31; Philemon 1 MESSAGE:

The prophecy that worked against Esau as firstborn was already in place before his birth (Genesis 25:23). If you ever find yourself in a situation where there has been a negative declaration concerning you, rise up and fight! Do not leave your destiny to fate like some people would do. God can change any negative decree pronounced on your life and destiny. This is why Isaiah 54:17 says:

"No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD."

You can condemn every tongue that rises against you in judgment. Has anyone used his or her tongue to place a curse or limitation on you, or has anyone pass some negative judgment on you? Don't just stand there! Condemn it, cancel it, reverse it and return it back to its sender! From today, no spoken judgment against your life and destiny shall stand! Every evil word spoken into your life or destiny shall be disappointed!

Your stance against contrary prophecies should not be limited to spoken words alone. Jesus has fully paid for the reversal, nullification or cancellation of every negative written judgment or pronouncement concerning you. Hence, Colossians 2:14 says,

"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross."

Any writing done by man that is contrary to your destiny shall be cancelled in Jesus' Name! Don't just accept written verdicts that contradict God's will and word! When you go for a medical test, and the written result says you have a particular ailment, thank the hospital for their assistance, but take that result before God. Protest that result, cancel it and plead the Blood of Jesus against it. Stand on the healing that the Lord has already provided for you. What you accept shall become yours. What you steadfastly reject will move away from you. That sack letter shall become your confirmation letter; that letter of demotion shall become your letter of promotion, if only you can steadfastly hold on to God to effect the change. Have you been failing your examinations? Work harder on your studies, and reject the negative results in prayer. The Lord will turn your failure into success. Claim the good success that God promised you in His word, and it will be yours. From today, every evil writing against you shall work in your favour!

Prayer Point: Father, reverse every evil spoken or written declaration working against my life right now, in Jesus' Name.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FIND YOURSELF?

Moment of Reflection
To be truthfully honest I have never really understood that term. For a long time I have pretended to know what it means but giving it a second thought made me realize that I had no understanding after all. This began to raise some questions in me:

1) What does it mean to find yourself?
2) Finding yourself implies losing yourself, so how would that have happened?
3) Is it not possible that you were cool, calm and collected (for a given period in time) at some point in your life?

The other thing that puzzles me is how this has become such a big deal. Not that I am belittling it, the main concern is why a lot of people (if not most) are so caught up in “a search for who they are” only to come up empty-handed time and again.

Thinking about the phrase, “find yourself” there seems to be a core similarity, or at least connection with that and “discovering your purpose.” Are the two not one and the same? From what I can tell they seem to be quite vast in their difference. Your purpose has to do with:

a) Your reason for existing
b) Separating you from existing to living
c) Answering the “fulfilment” (why) question
d) What your dream is

Finding yourself has to do with:
a) Answering the “inner conflict” (who) question
b) Establishing an identity
c) What makes one different and unique
d) Making a name for oneself

Solving the matter
As I said before finding yourself implies losing yourself. The question, therefore, is when, where and how would you have lost yourself? The only thing that comes to mind is belief.

What do you believe?
Some suggestions I have for finding yourself are:

i) Write down all your core beliefs
ii) Ask yourself why you believe those things
ii) Ask yourself how you came to believe those things
iv) Write down as many possibilities as you can e.g. friends, teachers, coworkers, parents, siblings, TV shows & movies (be specific), strangers, acquaintances, extended family members (be specific).

I have learned that you portray who you are by what you do so that means the key ingredient to helping one come back together may be found in their gifts and talents. In addition to that the crucial and vital need to stay in focus.

Don’t lose focus
That’s something I very often told my little brothers and my friends whenever they competed against me either in video games or social activities and had a hard time defeating me. This instruction holds true for the one who is soul-searching. I believe the reason for a loss for a deeper meaning (which is what I consider the definition to be) is found in a lack of focus. There is no focus on the dream. No focus on the goal. If there is some focus, there clearly isn’t enough.
Steering clear from all kinds of distractions (which may be the temptation to alter one’s belief; spending too much time with the wrong people; being lectured far too many times and given numerous philosophies in the process, leading to confusion; placing their identity in a person, people or thing, an unnecessary vulnerability because of the pain that accompanies the loss), staying focused becomes easier.

I have come to realize now that with all the above taken into consideration, there is not that much of a difference between purpose and identity. If you know what you were born for that makes it easy to understand more of who you are. On the other hand if you know who you are (beyond heritage and more into self-worth and confidence) but are not sure what your reason for existing is (until you do you won’t be living), you are still open to exploring various possibilities and with, at the very least, a positive attitude, you are able to come close to finding the answer. > What suggestions do you have for finding yourself?

What do you think about the link between purpose and identity?

DEVELOPING GOD HABIT
by Joyce Meyer

So much of what we do every single day is the result of habits that we have formed over time. And when it comes to establishing healthy, new patterns in our lives, I’ve found that spending time with God and acknowledging Him in all of our ways is one of the most important and rewarding habits we can ever develop (see Proverbs 3:6).

I can tell you from experience that God’s help and presence in our lives is vital. He is the Author of all true success and everything that is good—without Him, we can do nothing of true value. Spending time with God through prayer and His Word is a prerequisite for having a great life and fulfilling your purpose.

Now, it’s true that we can improve ourselves through discipline and even have some success, but will power will only bring us so far. The truth is that nothing can really take the place of having a healthy relationship with God.

I absolutely love Hebrews 11:6. It says that God …is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (NKJV). When we draw near to Him, He fills our lives with His strength, peace, joy, provision, and favor…and blesses us in ways we can’t even imagine.

Prayer doesn’t just change things—it changes us. If we are diligent in seeking God, slowly and surely we become better people.

Putting First Things First

When it comes to our everyday habits, it’s important to ask: Am I putting God first?

It can be easy to put ourselves and our reputations first…or our friends…or our possessions. But when we continue to put everything else ahead of the Lord, we cheat ourselves out of something good that God wants us to have.

I tried for many years to work God into my schedule, but it seemed like I never found time. I had good intentions, but procrastination got the best of me. I was always going to spend time with God later on…or after the “one more thing” I was going to do.

The result? Not much was working right in my life or in my ministry. I was frustrated most of the time and felt like I was barely making progress. I am grateful to say that God finally got through to me! I have learned how to work my schedule around God, who is first, rather than trying to work Him into my schedule.

Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]

The answer to my problem (and yours) is simple: Come to Jesus!

It’s not about having a program to follow—it’s simply about forming a habit of putting God first in everything we do. If we will seek first His Kingdom, He has promised to add everything else that we need. (See Matthew 6:33.) Where to Begin

My ten-year-old granddaughter recently came to me and said, “Grandma, I want you to tell me how to spend more time with God because I’m so busy.” I thought that was cute. I thought, Honey, if you think you’re busy now, you just wait!

I told her what I’m about to tell you: Just start somewhere. So many people never start at all because they think they need a huge chunk of time to begin. Or they end up doing nothing if they feel like they can’t do everything.

Here’s what I recommend: Start by taking some time in the morning to talk with God in prayer and read His Word—even if it’s just five or ten minutes.

If you plan on spending your time with Him later in the day, then I encourage you to take at least a few moments in the morning to get started with God on your mind. Acknowledge Him and ask for His help. It can be as simple as saying, “God, I love You, and I appreciate everything You do for me. I really need Your help with my day.”

Sometimes we are defeated because we try to begin where we should be finishing, or we try to do what someone else is doing. The truth is that God will meet you where you are right now. As you take a step of faith, He will give you the grace and strength you need!

Remember, don’t allow yourself to do nothing simply because you can’t do a lot. If you want to form a habit of spending time with God, then start small and go from there.

Today, I can truly say that I am addicted to spending time with God—He has become a necessity that I require every day! Perhaps you are at a point in your life where you are ready to form the God habit. If so, I want to encourage you to take a moment right now and ask Him to help you get started.

As you do, you’ll find that His guidance and presence are things you just can’t live without.

Topic: Fraud in Business Dealings [Tuesday 24 November, 2015]

Memorise: Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another. - Leviticus 19:11

Read: Nehemiah 5:1-13 (KJV)

1 And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.

2 For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live.

3 Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.

4 There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.

5 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards.

6 And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.

7 Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.

8 And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer.

9 Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?

10 I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury.

11 Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them.

12 Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise.

13 Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the LORD. And the people did according to this promise.

Bible in One Year: Psalm 21-26; Titus 2:1-3:15

MESSAGE:

God hates extortion; hence He prohibits it. In our Bible reading, after the children of Israel returned to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, the rich ones among them began to extort the poor until they cried out to Nehemiah. Nehemiah rebuked the rich who did this, and he asked them to make restitution. When this was done, there was great joy in the land.
We see a similar situation in the case of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10). Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector who amassed wealth by defrauding the poor. The day he received Jesus Christ, he immediately decided to share his wealth into two and give one part of it to the poor. Thereafter, he offered to apply the Mosaic Law on restitution, by restoring fourfold of whatever he fraudulently received from people (Exodus 22:1). Jesus did not tell him that his step on restitution was unnecessary, rather He reinforced it. Luke 19:9 says:

"And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham."

Moreover, restitution equally affects employer-employee relationships. In Leviticus 19:13, God warns against extorting your workers:

"Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbor, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning."

Do you know it is wrong to withhold your worker's salary or wages a day beyond the agreed date of payment? There are employers who sit on their staff salaries for weeks and months and expose them to untold hardship, and yet they expect their staff to be faithful in their work. That is wickedness! Such employers must make restitution by releasing the salaries and paying an inconvenience allowance.
However, if the employer genuinely does not have the funds to pay the staff and he explains the situation to them before hand, he is exonerated. Some people trade with the salaries and benefits of their staff for months before releasing their pay. They do this to derive gain for themselves.
This also is wickedness. Why is it that retired people who contributed all their working years to a fund cannot access their money or receive their pension after retirement? God hates fraud, whether it is perpetrated by an individual, organisation or government.

Key Point: When you occupy a public office, you are accountable to God and to the people you are serving in that office.

A SEASON OF PREPARATION

Winter is a dormant season. It’s a time when trees become bare and most of the grass, plants and flowers die off. But winter is also a time of preparation—as roots and tree saps respond to soil and temperature changes to prepare for growth that comes in the spring.

In much the same way, you and I go through spiritually dormant seasons. These are the seasons when God seems silent…when our dreams and visions for the future seem lifeless. But although we may not see or feel anything exciting, it doesn’t mean nothing is happening. A lot has to happen on the inside of us before we are ready to handle the future God has for us.

Just as winter prepares plants and trees for warmer weather, a spiritually dormant season is a time of preparation—when our inner character is developed and strengthened. Strong character is essential for withstanding storms that will come during seasons of growth and harvest. I find there are a lot of people who have the gifts and talents to take them somewhere exciting, but if they don’t have strong, Christlike character, all the talent in the world won’t keep them there.

God has something planned for you, and if you’re not living in the fulfillment of His plan for you, then now is the season of preparation. Rest assured, you’re not alone. We all go through times like this. The Bible tells us that even Jesus needed time to grow and increase in wisdom, stature and in years before He was ready to make a global impact through His three-year ministry (Luke 2:52).

Here are three insights I’ve learned that can help you make progress toward your goals, plans and visions during dormant seasons.

Examine your motives.
When God first called me to teach His Word, I wasn’t doing it just because I had a deep desire to help people. I wanted to be somebody. I had problems from my past and was unaware of how insecure I was. I didn’t realize how much I got my sense of worth and value out of what I did. And because of it, my motives were way out of line with how God wanted me to be.

It seems that many people don’t really know themselves and understand why they do what they do. Self-deception is easy to fall into, and one of the hardest things to face. But when we are willing to face the truth about ourselves and examine our motives, God will help us change for the better and get on track with His will for our lives.

Get out of your comfort zone.
Before we can move forward into a new thing, we usually have to let go of something we’ve been doing awhile. God nudges us outside of our comfort zones toward unfamiliar experiences to encourage us to rely on Him. And all too often, we try to hang on to what is familiar before we have confidence that the new thing is right for us. We wrestle with ourselves, wondering if we really heard from God or if we can really trust Him.

If you keep one foot where you are while the other foot stretches toward someplace new, you will eventually lose your footing and fall over. God wants us to trust Him by doing what He wants us to do and going where He wants us to go. We must learn to let go of what we have before we take hold of something new, and learn to rely on God to meet all our needs.

Embrace discipline.
The Bible tells us that “no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful; but afterwards it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11 AMP). Discipline isn’t fun, but it is essential for our character development.

Self-discipline is a fruit of the Spirit that requires time to develop properly. Self-discipline is developed when we do the right thing consistently, over and over again for a long time. It may include paying off debts, not over-spending, getting proper nutrition and exercise, changing the way you speak about yourself and others, and spending quality time with God and in His Word every day. As you become disciplined in every area of your life, you will be better equipped to handle bigger responsibilities in the future.

God has amazing plans for your life! He wants you to fulfill your dreams and live a life of blessing, hope and promise. I hope you’re encouraged today. You will get there—as long as you are willing to do your part and trust God to do His part. And the more you lean on and trust in Him through that process, the sooner you’ll be ready for whatever He has prepared for you.

Topic: What Life Is Not [Monday 23 November, 2015]

Memorise: And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. - Luke 12:15

Read: Luke 12:15-20 (KJV)

15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

Bible in One Year: Psalm 17-20; Titus 1

MESSAGE:

In the materialistic world we live in today, not many people have the right understanding of what life is. An example here is the farmer in today's Bible reading, who experienced a major breakthrough in his farming business, to the extent that he decided to go on a leisure spree for the rest of his life, because he could afford it. He thought he had finally made it; he therefore wanted to enjoy life and the fruit of his hard work, but little did he know that he was just being foolish. John 17:2 tells us about the life which Jesus gives:

"As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him."

The moment you receive the Lord Jesus Christ into your heart, you receive life. This life is not a temporary form of life that will pass away; rather, it is eternal life. The nature of this life is such that it is sustained by growing in the knowledge of God and in the knowledge of His Word (John 17:3). May you never lose the eternal life of God that is within you in Jesus' Name.

Today, so much time and focus is placed on the acquisition of wealth and material things, but in our memory verse, the Lord Jesus Christ said that the worth of a man's life does not consist in the abundance of the things that he has. Having 100 exotic cars, 100 houses spread across the world and billions in your bank account is not true life. Also, life is not to be defined by the level of physical charm or beauty that you exude, because Proverbs 31:30 says beauty is simply vanity. Beauty without the fear of God is vain, but adding the salvation of God in Christ Jesus and meekness to your physical appearance will make you truly beautiful.

In addition, power is not life. In 2 Kings 5:1, we read of Naaman who was great and powerful but a leper nonetheless. Power belongs to God and is transient. If you have power or you have attained greatness in this world, but you do not know Jesus personally, it is all vanity. That is not life! Life is also not in achievements. In Daniel 4:29-33, after a world ruler, King Nebuchadnezzar, finished boasting about his achievements, God asked him to go and eat grass in the bush for seven years. Life is not about how many academic qualifications you have acquired, nor is it about worldly wisdom; if it was, the wisest man to ever live on earth would not have called life vanity (Ecclesiastes 2:17, Ecclesiastes 9:9). What do you think is life? Have you encountered the true life?

Key Point: A wrong perspective of life has misdirected so much of people's time, efforts and money towards things that are eternally irrelevant.

Why You Must Fight Tooth And Nail To Overcome The Battle Against Premarital Sex

during sexI have seen, heard and read about trends, patterns and in the worst cases, curses that manifest in some people’s lives and family.

There are some people who are repeating the trends of their parents when it comes to the issue of sex. Mother once had an abortion while young or had a child out of wedlock and you’ll see the same manifest in the life of her daughter.

Men too are not exempted. While he was a young man, at the prime of his youthfulness, he impregnated ladies for the fun of it and when he eventually settled down, his son took after him. Is that a curse? In most time, no except an evil verdict or pronouncement was made in the worst case scenario. For instance, when a man refuse to claim responsibility over the woman he made pregnant and she uttered a word bitterly or in pain, he’s attracted a curse upon his life.

Ladies, I know the urge to have sex is usually high during post-puberty years up to the point of when you’re of age and you’re still single. The fire of attraction and pressure from the opposite sex can light a candle. But before you’d subscribe to that demand, why not think twice before it becomes a norm or a repetitive pattern in your family? If your mother never had such experience, it’ll be better for you not to start what you won’t be able to finish or would transfer to your unborn child. It’s not a curse, some call it the law of karma but there’s the law of sowing and reaping that can never be broken in life – what you sow, you reap!

And to the young men out there, I know you want to prove a point to show your friends that you’re a man or that you’re exposed and not an impotent. Think twice before you allow your erection reorder the destiny of your unborn children. One thing about ‘like father, like son or like mother, like daughter’ syndrome is that the children are more proficient than their parents. Take a survey to find out also.

Another reason why you must shun premarital sex is that when you become a parent and you have indulged in the act, your conscience wouldn’t allow you scold any of your children that are at the verge of doing such. It’s either you skip such discussion, take it lightly or ‘forcefully’ say it while your conscience pricks you. And in most cases, it’s very rare that a child who was born out of wedlock won’t repeat the same. It’s either the child had PRAYERFULLY dealt with the issue or God ‘allowed’ his discipline to curb such from repeating itself. Many don’t have the grace for the latter.

If you noticed it’s becoming a norm or a trend in your family, ‘Our Lord’s prayer’ wouldn’t break such circle of negative pattern except your prayerfully break it and deliver yourself neither will mere ‘discipline’ without the fear of God help you. Shun premarital sex, it pays off in the long run because it will save you from starting a negative chapter for your life and unborn children.

Honestly, I know it’s very difficult when the hormones secretes the desire, ‘free’ invites and lots of temptation are lurking around, but come to God that can help you rather than stay in the world that wouldn’t help you. If lots of parents who had such experiences while growing up knew God when they were young, their life would have been much better than that.

No matter how ‘good’ the society would define it or the point he or she would try to prove to you that makes it ‘right’, premarital sex is an outright evil which when you indulge in it, quitting takes the grace of God, it’ll commence an evil trend and your life would be exposed to the consequences that comes with it. The fact that it appears that everyone is doing it doesn’t make it right and true. There are waiters who are waiting for the right time, the right environment (marriage) and the right person. Join the club! Embrace self-control and the fear of God, these would greatly help.

Topic: How Prophetic Are Your Names? [Friday 20 November, 2015]

Memorise: And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. - Matthew 1:21

Read: Exodus 2:5-10 (KJV)

5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.

6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.

7 Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?

8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother.

9 And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.

10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.

Bible in One Year: Job 40:3-42:17; 2 Timothy 1:1-2:13

MESSAGE:

The name you bear is very important because it serves as your identity, and your future may be connected to it. The name a person bears is sometimes indicative of the experiences he or she will encounter in life. Take for instance Moses: this name means “drawn out of water” (Exodus 2:10).
No wonder water was a recurring decimal in his life. He turned water into blood (Exodus 7:19-20); he parted the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-22); he turned bitter water into sweet water (Exodus 15:24-25); he brought water out of the rock (Exodus 17:5-6); and the issue that denied him entrance into the Promised Land was about water (Numbers 20:8-20). Knowing how significant the name of an individual is to his destiny, God had to change the names of several people in the Bible (Genesis 17:5, Genesis 32:28, Mark 3:16, Acts 4:36).
My mother told me that after my birth, she intended to name me Elisha, but on her way to see the priest of my baptismal name, she forgot, so she named me Enoch. I told her I like the two names: Elisha, the man with the double portion anointing, and Enoch, the man who walked with God, so I took the two names is being fulfilled in my life today. Examine your names: if there is any evil name among them, reject it, and if there is a good names you desire, add it to what you have, and the Lord will back it up.

A good name should glorify God; for this reason, any name attached to an idol, local deity or unclean spirit must be discarded. A good name should also be prophetic. A name such as Christopher means “the bearer of Christ”. It is a prophecy that the child so named will bear the person of Jesus Christ any where he goes.
A name such as Gabriel means “ablel-bodied one of God” or “strong man of God”. That is very prophetic! A good name should give the bearer something positive to work towards: it should be a challenge, a promise or a goal he or she should strive to realise. How prophetic is your name? On the other hand, many people are yet to see the fulfilment of the promise in their names. For instance, someone who is named after wealth may still be living in squalor, and someone named after glory may still be living in shame. If you find yourself in this type of situation, pray hard that God will cause the good promise and prophecy in your name to be fulfilled, and also work towards its realisation.

Prayer Point: Father, speedily bring into manifestation, every prophecy or promise inherent in my name, in Jesus’ Name.

Topic: Look Upwards! [Thursday 19 November, 2015]

Memorise: I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. - Psalm 121:1

Read: Psalm 121:1-2 (KJV)

1 A Song of degrees. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

Bible in One Year: Job 36:1-40:2; 1 Timothy 6:3-21

MESSAGE:

In the course of our walk with God, we encounter challenges of life that test the level and quality of our faith; but praise God that we have the assurance of the Lord that there is no mountain our faith cannot surmount (Matthew 17:20). For those who are in Christ, problems arise in order to generate testimonies. The size of the problem you encounter will determine the size of your testimony. If you ask God for a big testimony, then you must be ready to face a big challenge. What made the testimony of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego most outstanding was not just the fact that they went through the fiery furnace, but the fact that the furnace, heated to its most intense level, could not harm them (Daniel 3:19-24). Are you going through fire at the moment? Fear not! Look up to God and He will see through.

Are you confronted with any issue of life? In what direction are you looking for solution? If looking forward, backward and sideways has not helped you, then it is time to look up. Looking ahead, behind or sideways simply suggest dependence on self or on people. Depending on a fellow man operating at the same level as you is a foolish thing to do; you cannot access true help that way. Jeremiah 17:5 says:

“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.”

Furthermore, looking down implies looking at the devil and his forces of darkness, because they are under your feet. Of course you can’t go to the architect of a problem for its solution. You need to know that until you look upwards for God’s intervention, you may never get your blessing.

There was a particular nice woman who had an epileptic son. Whenever he had a seizure, it was so bad. Whatever she rented an apartment, people loved her for her good nature, but after they realise her son was epileptic, they would show her the exit door with some apology. This made her move houses so often. Then one day, while going with the boy to the market, at the very heart of town, the boy experienced a seizure and everyone fled. She grabbed the boy, stood him on his feet, lifted her eyes to God and said, “O God, I am here without anyone to help me, but I know you are there, please help me.” From that day, her son was healed of that condition. Has an unpleasant situation brought you to a most disgraceful place? Look up to God today, hold unto Him and He will make a way for you. The Lord will terminate your shame and turn it into honour.

Prayer Point: Father, give me the grace to always focus my gaze on You. -

Expecting the Good that God Wants to Give You
by Joyce Meyer

Sometimes when you’ve had a long series of disappointing things happen, you can get into the very bad habit of just expecting more of what you’ve already had. You’ve been through a lot of trouble and you’re simply waiting for more to come. I used to be like that, but I’ve discovered it’s not how God wants us to live.

I was abused by my father throughout my whole childhood and I married the first guy who came along when I was still a teenager, and it seems he was a bigger mess than I was. After being abused and abandoned by him, our marriage ended. By the time I met Dave, I was negative and hopeless about everything, just trying to make it through each day.

Because I had been hurt so much in my life, I was really negative and expected the worst all of the time. Even after I had a strong relationship with God, I still struggled with this for a while. Then one morning, I was standing in the bathroom and I remember noticing this pressure, this evil presence around me. It wasn’t new; I realized that I’d always felt it. It made me think, “What bad thing is going to happen next?” The Fear of “What If…”

I asked God what this feeling was. He spoke to my heart that it is “evil forebodings.” Later I found Proverbs 15:15, which says, “All the days of the desponding and afflicted are made evil [by anxious thoughts and forebodings], but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of circumstances]” (AMP). “ God wants you to believe something good is going to happen to you. ”

Once I read that verse, I realized what it meant. It was the fear of something bad happening when nothing was going wrong. Then I looked back and saw how it affected me at different times in the past. For example, the night Dave asked me to marry him, he said he needed to talk to me about something. I actually thought he was going to break up with me because I just always expected the negative. That’s exactly what Satan wants you to do. He wants you to expect something bad and to become fearful of the “what ifs.”

Fear is the opposite of faith and it takes faith to accept anything good in our lives. When I was expecting something bad to happen, my expectation was from the devil. If we are not careful, this expectation will open the door to Satan’s evil plans for our lives by waiting for bad things. But when we expect good things, we open the door to God’s plans. See Lamentations 3:25. The Truth About God

God is good. Everything He does is good and wonderful. Everything God gives and offers is greater than what the devil offers, so shouldn’t our expectations come from God? God wants to do something outrageously wonderful in your life every moment of every day. But you have to be ready and expect it to happen.

Isaiah 30:18 (AMP) says it perfectly: “Therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you…. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him….”

God is looking and longing for someone who’s waiting for Him to be good to them. God wants to be good to you, but you have to be expecting Him to move in your life.

Today is your day to start believing something good is going to happen to you! God is working in your life right now, and when you get your breakthrough, it will be the result of what God has been doing for a long time. Whether you see it or feel it or not, keep praying and expecting because God is longing to be gracious and good to you.

Topic: Are You In Error? [Wednesday 18 November, 2015]

Memorise: Jesus answered and said unto them, ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. - Matthew 22:29

Read: James 5:19-20 (KJV)

19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;

20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

Bible in One Year: Job 32-35; 1 Timothy 5:9-6:2

MESSAGE:

After your heart is illuminated by the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, you need to carefully guard this light, to prevent it from getting dimmed or extinguished by the introduction of “another gospel” into your heart. Guarding against falling into the error of another gospel involves being grounded in the knowledge of God’s truth as revealed in the Scriptures and yielding your heart to the Holy Spirit to teach you the truth of God’s word. We are not to take a part of God’s word in isolation nor give personal interpretation of God’s word, but rather, allow the Holy Spirit to interpret the Scriptures with the Scriptures. This way, what we believe will always be based on God’s true word.

I had an encounter with a member of an organisation that forbids its members from mentioning the Blood of Jesus. There are very intelligent people in that group. In a conversation with one of them, I said, “Sir it is written in Hebrews 9:22 that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin.
Who do you think is afraid of the Blood of Jesus? It is only one fellow – the devil, because Revelation 12:11 says the devil was overcome by the Blood of the Lamb. Anyone who says you should not mention the Name of Jesus or the Blood of Jesus id of the devil.” This fellow heard this truth but did not like it. If you are in a religious organisation or group where they restrict your freedom to read the Bible, you are in the wrong place. If they tell you that because we are now in the time of grace, the Old Testament no longer applies, take to your heels!

Also, if you find yourself in an assembly where they cannot mention the Name of Jesus Christ directly, but rename Him as “the righteous one” or “the holy one”, you are in a very dangerous zone; take flight immediately! If your place of fellowship tells you that the Name of Jesus and the Blood of Jesus are no longer enough, and that after prayer in Jesus’ Name, you need to add the word “fire” or something else, you are in error.
If you are in a place where they tell you that the Name of Jesus is too hallowed to be used, and that in reverence, you should pray to God in the name of any other individual like Mary, an angel or a dead saint, and that these individuals can acts as mediators between God and man, they are in error. Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). Read your Bible, hold on to the truth and let no man deceive you.

Prayer Point: Dear Holy Spirit, I yield my heart to the truth of God’s word, and to your teaching of this truth.

Topic: Fraud in Relationship [Tuesday 17 November, 2015]

Memorise: Thou art snared with the words of thy month, thou are taken with the words of thy mouth. - Proverbs 6:2

Read: Exodus 22:16-17 (KJV)

16 And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife.

17 If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins.

Bible in One Year: Job 29-31; 1 Timothy 3:14-5:8

MESSAGE:

In different areas of human relationship, offences arises in the course of interacting with one another. These offences can sometimes bring physical and emotional injury to people, especially in relationships between the opposite sex. One offence that is pronounced in relationships today, which was foretold by the apostles of old, is covenant breaking. Apostle Paul lists this among the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men in Romans 1:31:

“Without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:”

It is also listed as treachery in 2 Timothy 3:4. In relationships between the opposite sex, covenant breaking is a situation where one party makes a promise to the other party concerning a future commitment, but later fails to keep his or her promise.
As a Christian, God expects you to restitute such acts. In our Bible reading, God said if a man deceived a lady by promising to marry her, as a result had sex with her, he had to marry her, unless her parents refused to give her to him. In such a case, the man would be required to pay her bride price, even though he may not be given the bride. These principles still apply today. Today, there are instances where a lady agrees to marry a man, and as a result, he invests a lot on her education, sets he up in business or helps her get a good job; but by the time he expects her to become his wife, he receives the shock of his life when she elopes with another man. He will then realise that all along she was not really in love with him. This is fraudulent! Such a man would never have made those sacrifices if he knew she would not eventually become his wife. If you find yourself in such a situation, go and restitute. What you received was by fraud and must be returned. If you are not prepared to be bound by written agreement, why feign consent?
Today’s memory verse warns against this. There are cases where a lady would ask a man to send her abroad to school or to work, and in some cases, the man may even acquire a property abroad in her name as proof of his love and commitment to her, all with the understanding that there will be marriage down the line; only for her to dump him after getting abroad.
That is a terrible seed that will deliver the fraudster an evil harvest. If you are in that situation, immediately go and restitute your ways. These scenarios cold also happen the other way round. These are men, who with the promise of marriage were sponsored by some women to become somebody, only for them to dump these women for some other ladies. Go and restitute! Everything obtained by fraud must be returned.

Key Point: Any good thing that is built on lies and deceit will definitely crash at an unexpected moment.

Topic: Eternal Life Starts Here [Monday 16 November, 2015]

Memorise: And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. - John 17:13

Read: John 17:1-3 (KJV)

1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:

2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Bible in One Year: Job 23-28, 1 Timothy 2:1-3-13

MESSAGE:

In order to enjoy the things that God has provided for us through Jesus Christ, we need to have an in-depth understanding of what these things are; one of which is everlasting life. Out of God’s love for us, we have the privilege of partaking in this everlasting life (John 3:16); but what is everlasting life? This is life that never ends. It is the type of life that even death cannot terminate. It means, living with God inside of you on this earth, and continuing with this life after going through the gates of death. Eternity does not start after death, it starts now. Jesus declared thus in John 17:3:

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

If you want to have eternal life, it starts with receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, but it does not end there. It continues with having an intimate knowledge of God. It requires knowing His word. Every bit of God’s word that is revealed to you adds virtue to the life of God operating within you. Although some people are saved, they have little or no evidence of the presence of the divine life in them, because they do not know whom they have believed. How much do you know of Him who gave His life for you?

Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 1:12 declared that:

“For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”

The knowledge of the Holy Trinity is the source of eternal life. The more you know Jesus, the more impossible it is for you to be made ashamed. The knowledge of Jesus drives away spiritual and physical shame. If you know Jesus, you will not be ashamed or shy of being identified with Him, or to suffer for Him. Knowing Him helps you to trust Him. The level of trust or confidence you place in God is a function of what you know about Him. Are you born-again? Congratulations! The eternal life of God is present inside you; but this has to be jealously guarded and sustained by building a more intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit, and by increasing in the knowledge of God.

Prayer Point: Father, let the presence of Your divine life be increasingly made manifest in me every day, in Jesus’ Name.

Overcoming Depression
by Joyce Meyer Depression is very real. It can cause us to feel isolated, alone, and hopeless…like everything around us is falling apart.

Satan uses depression to steal a person’s spiritual power and freedom—he seeks to fill our minds with darkness and gloom and bring us down emotionally. However, God wants to help us live free from depression. He wants to fill us with His joy, hope and expectation of good things for our lives.

An important part of battling depression is winning the war over our feelings. We will always have feelings…they will never go away. However, we can make our feelings line up with our decisions.

When depression attacks, what we feel like doing is giving up. However, the way we respond to depression makes all the difference.

First Peter 2:3 says to resist the devil at his onset. It’s so important to resist the feeling of depression immediately, because the longer we allow it to remain, the harder it is to resist!

All of us will deal with disappointments from time to time—that’s a part of life. However, if we let it, our disappointment can lead to discouragement…and discouragement can lead to depression.

I’ve said this for years: If you don't let the devil impress you with what he does, then he can't oppress you; and if he can't oppress you, then he can't depress you. One of the most important things we can do is resist the devil at his onset!

A Biblical Prescription for Depression

I realize that depression may be the result of a physical or chemical imbalance, and I don’t want to discount these causes. However, for a great number of people, depression is a spiritual issue…and the Bible gives us great instructions on how to fight it.

Philippians 4:4 says, Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!

Praising the Lord in the midst of our pain is the greatest thing we can do. Why? Because when we choose to fix our attention on God and rejoice in the good things He has done, we make Him bigger than our problems.

I love Psalm 16:11. It says, In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. When we worship God, we invite His presence into our lives. He replaces our discouragement and sadness with His joy and peace…giving us hope and breathing new life into our situation.

The mind is also a major key to overcoming depression. Did you know that what you think about has the power to affect every area of your life? That’s why it’s so important to renew your mind with the promises found in God’s Word.

The more time you spend reading and thinking about His Word, the more it gets inside of you and begins to change you from the inside out. Hebrews 4:12 says that God’s Word “is alive and powerful” (NLT) It has the ability to change the way you see yourself and even your future. As you fill your mind with what God says about you and claim His promises as your own, it will bring hope and build your faith.

We can't control all of our circumstances, and we will never be completely free from experiencing pain or disappointment, but we don't have to let what happens today ruin tomorrow.

We have a choice. We can actually turn things around by making a decision to let go of the situations that caused discouragement and depression, and move toward the good things God has planned for our future.

Depression doesn’t have to rule your life. No matter what you’re going through, God is ready and willing to help you take your pain…and turn it into something great.

Topic: Am I Forever Saved? [Sunday 15 November, 2015]

Memorise: Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. - Galatians 5:4

Read: 1 Timothy 1:18-20 (KJV)

18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;

19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:

20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

Bible in One Year: Job 20-22; 1 Timothy 1

MESSAGE:

When Paul embarked on his Christian race, he focused on it wholeheartedly, so that nothing would derail him from the race. That is why in Acts 20:24, he said:

“But none of these things move me, neither count I myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”

The possibility of starting the Christian race and not reaching the finish line is obvious from Paul’s statement in the Scripture above. However, across the globe today, several preachers are teaching erroneous doctrines, saying all that matters is to believe in Jesus Christ, and you will be saved forever, irrespective of your conduct after you are saved. They teach that if you are saved today, you will surely make it to Heaven, even if you continue to live like the devil. Some say that any work of righteousness on your part, even after you has been saved, amounts of self-righteousness, which according to them, and cannot take you anywhere.
They also teach that you are automatically made perfect once you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. They will want to tempt you by asking if you are righteous.
If you sincerely say you still have some areas of your life you are working on, they will discredit you and say that you are depending on your works to make it to Heaven. Such preachers say that it is okay to sin occasionally, as long as you do not do so very often. These are all lies.

You need to know that it is possible to fall from grace, as stated in our memory verse. Do not let teachers with itching ears deceive you. They will tell you what appeals to your flesh and call it “the good news”. No! It is called deception. They mix the truth of God’s word with a bit of deception.
Some will tell you that the day you were born-again, all your sins, past, present and future, have been forgiven, and so if you commit any sin afterwards, there is no need to confess it. It is all a lie! If indeed you are saved and therefore forever saved, why does the Bible instruct you to work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12)? Why does scripture repeatedly say that only those who endure to the end shall be saved (Matthew 24:13, Mark 13:13)? Why did the lord of the unprofitable servant banish him to outer darkness in Hell (Matthew 25:30)? Take heed, lest you fall! It is possible of fall from grace. Be careful how you run the race!

Key Point: Believing that consistent, righteous works are not needed after salvation is taking the grace of God out of context.

Topic: The Challenges of Life [Saturday 14 November, 2015]

Memorise: And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgement, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. - Ecclesiastes 3:16

Read: Genesis 25:19-23 (KJV)

19 And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begat Isaac:

20 And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.

21 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.

23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

Bible in One Year: Job 16:19, 2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:18

MESSAGE:

Looking at the life of Esau, one cannot but learn a few lessons from him. Esau was the firstborn of Isaac. He was a twin. Being the first of the twins, he was supposed to inherit the double portion blessing meant for firstborns. But he had a major challenge: before his birth, a prophecy that would rob him of his rightful place had already gone forth. His problem started while he was still in the womb of his mother! Esau’s mother, Rebekah, has a lot of discomfort during her pregnancy, and so she went to ask the Lord what the matter was.

“And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger that the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.” Genesis 25:23

The forces that would truncate Esau’s destiny were already in place before his birth. Therefore, from the very day he was born, he was born into trouble. Do you know that like Esau, many people are born into trouble? Before Moses was born, the decree that made it illegal for him to live had already been passed. He was born to die prematurely, but God stepped into the scene and preserved his life (Exodus 1:15-2:9). Similarly, after Jesus was born, a decree was passed to kill Him (Matthew 2:13-19). King Herod and his army were on the lookout for Him. They searched so thoroughly that for the child Jesus to be safe, God had to instruct Joseph to escape with Him to another country, Egypt. The Lord who delivered Moses and Jesus will also deliver you! Have some people seen your destiny while you were in your mother’s womb, and declared war against you? The Lord will arise for you and put them to shame in Jesus’ Name.

We should learn from the circumstances surrounding Esau’s life that you cannot correctly compare one person with another, because their foundations are not the same. One of them might make easy progress in life with no trouble at all, because he or she was born into peace, while the other fellow may have been battling to survive even from the mother’s womb. Every battle that pre-dates your birth is terminated today! The Lord will put to flight all unknown enemies working against your destiny!

Prayer Point: I paralyse every destiny manipulator or destroyer, sent on a mission against me, my family and members of my church, in Jesus’ Name

A Life of Hope, Vision and Passion

by Joyce Meyer

Do you know that God has high hopes and expectations for you? He does. The fact that He invested the life of His only Son to see you set free shows how precious you are to Him. God believes in you more than you do yourself!

I used to think that God was disappointed in me when I made mistakes. But God knows every decision we're ever going to make, He loves us anyway, and He knows that He can change us if we'll stay in His Word.

Perseverance Pays
In the early years when we were building our ministry, Dave and I went through a lot of difficult tests. I needed to work on my attitude. We needed to work on our marriage and how we handled money.

For six years I bought my socks and underwear at garage sales. We were totally broke—and I was teaching prosperity!
Not only that, it just wasn't popular for women to preach back then. We lost friends and had family members who didn't want anything to do with us.

It was just hard and sometimes I wanted to quit. But today I am so glad that I stuck with God because there are people all over the world who have been helped because of our ministry.

Scripture tells us in Matthew 19:29 that anyone and everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for My name's sake will receive many [even a hundred] times more and will inherit eternal life.
I know it's true because that's what I'm experiencing in my own life right now. If we decide to trust God's Word and never give up, we will have victory.
Attitude Is Essential
Our attitude has a lot to do with how God works in our life.

God doesn't reward a negative attitude or self-pity or an "everybody owes me" attitude. Nor does He work through laziness or passivity. God works through faith, but we need to have faith before we can even have hope.

Hope is really a positive attitude. It's expecting that something good is going to happen in your life. God wants us to be prisoners of hope. In other words, He wants you to believe He can change whatever needs to be changed and that you can do whatever needs to be done. Pursuing God's Passion

The Bible teaches over and over again that we're to help hurting people. I believe that's God's passion. He wants us to enjoy our lives and He wants us to have nice things, but He also wants us to remember the poor, the lost and the needy.

Sometimes we don't realize that one person can really make a difference. We can inspire the people around us just by making right choices. And we can change the world through our prayers, our giving, and by reaching out with the love of God to those who are in desperate need.

You and I can fulfill God's vision for our lives by living with expectant hope and being passionate for the things that He is passionate about in life

Prayers for Spiritual Growth

Do you want to grow, but don't know how? The solution is simple: Learn the Word.

Ephesians 3:16 Strengthen me in the inner man.

Ephesians 3:17 That I may be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love.

Ephesians 3:18 Let me grasp God’s love – the breadth and length and height and depth of it.

Ephesians 3:19 That I might be filled through all my being with the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:19 That I might become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself.

Philippians 3:10 That I may “know” Him and the power of His resurrection.

Ephesians 1:17 That He might grant me a spirit of wisdom and revelation.

Ephesians 1:18 That the eyes of my heart be flooded with light.

Ephesians 1:19 That I might know the greatness of His power in me.

Philippians 1:10 That I may learn to sense what is vital and of real value.

Philippians 1:11 That I may abound and be filled with the fruits of righteousness.

John 17:12 That He will keep and protect me from the evil one.

(Jesus’ prayer)

Colossians 1:9 That I may know God’s will.

Colossians 1:11-12 That I may be strengthened with all power, [to exercise] every kind of endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks.

SUPER-NATURAL

Discover the Incredible Role of the Holy Spirit in Your Everyday Life

Most of us are familiar with stories about “superheroes”—fictitious characters like Superman who are extremely powerful and always swoop in to save the day right when you need their help. Pretty cool, right?

Well, as Christians, we have access to Someone even greater: the Holy Spirit.
When we accept Christ as our Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell inside of us—God literally gives each one of us a little piece of Himself. So what does this mean? It means that all of God’s power, strength, comfort, creativity, and help are available to us at all times. He is our real-life superhero.

In John 16:7 Jesus uses several different words to describe the incredible work of the Holy Spirit: Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener and Standby. Let’s take a look at what this means for our lives… Comforter
I believe one of the greatest lessons we can learn is to run to God first when we have a problem. When we are hurting, so many times we look to other people to help us feel better only to discover they don’t have everything we need.
The Bible says that God is “the God of all comfort.” (2 Corinthians 1:3) The Holy Spirit, who dwells on the inside of us, knows us better than anyone else, and when life is painful, He has the ability to bring strength and healing right where we hurt. Yes, the Lord will often use others to bring us comfort, but running to God first opens the door for Him to help us in the best way possible. Counselor
It is simply amazing what can happen when we begin asking the Holy Spirit for help and answers to our problems.
Recently, I was having episodes of feeling really weak and tired. As I sought the Lord about it, He showed me I wasn’t eating often enough and my blood sugar was dipping too low. I adjusted my diet and everything went back to normal! When I later went to the doctor, he confirmed this was the problem.

I believe we often spin our wheels looking for solutions when the Lord has our answers all along. The Holy Spirit is our Counselor, and as we seek Him, He can reveal in a few moments things we could never discover on our own.

Helper
Did you know the Holy Spirit wants to help you with every little detail of your life? Maybe you are like I was. For years, I felt like it was okay to bring my “serious problems” to God, but I didn’t want to bother Him with the smaller things.

The truth is, the Holy Spirit is concerned about everything that concerns you—whether it’s a “serious” matter like a relationship issue…or something as simple as fixing your hair in the morning.

“Help me!” has become one of my favorite prayers to pray. And the more we acknowledge the Holy Spirit and ask for help, the more we’ll discover His presence and ability in everything we do.

Advocate
The Bible tells us that Satan is our adversary. In fact, it even calls him “the accuser of the brethren” (Revelation 12:10 NKJV). But there’s good news: We have an Advocate, the Holy Spirit, Who pleads to God on our behalf.

He’s not only our Advocate to the Father, but the Holy Spirit also accompanies us through life—helping us, defending us and giving us favor with others when we need it. Whatever situation you’re facing, you can take comfort knowing that God Himself is on your side.

Intercessor
I don’t know where I’d be without the help of the Holy Spirit in my prayer life. The Bible says He not only intercedes on our behalf to the Father, but He also comes to our aid and helps us to pray that perfect prayer when we don’t know what or how to pray (Romans 8:26).

First Corinthians 2:11 says no one knows the mind of God except the Spirit of God. That means regardless of the situation, the Holy Spirit can always help us pray the right prayer at the right time.

Strengthener
Isaiah 40:29 says that God …gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound].

I never start a day without asking the Holy Spirit to strengthen me—physically, mentally and in every other way. Because no matter how strong, talented, or capable we think we are, every single one of us requires God’s strength to accomplish His will and enjoy our lives.
I encourage you to begin asking the Holy Spirit for strength as you go about your day. As you do, He will energize you to do your work, resist temptation, be kind and loving with others, and have success. I’ve found that even a short prayer for God’s strength can make all the difference.

Standby
What does it mean to have the Holy Spirit as your Standby? Years ago, the Lord gave me a terrific example. He said think of it this way:
If you’ve ever been on “standby” for an airplane, you simply wait nearby until an opening is available—then you take that opportunity.
In the same way, the Holy Spirit is standing by, just waiting for an opening in our lives…waiting for us to ask for His comfort, counsel, guidance, and help.
Friends, I want you to know that God has you covered. I think many of us have a mindset that says, Oh, I don’t want to bother the Lord with that. But the truth is this: The One who knows you the best is the One who desires to help you the most.
And He is with you everywhere you go.

Topic: Faith Recovers Losses [Friday 13 November, 2015]

Memorise: As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. - Mark 5:36

Read: Mark 5:23-24 & 35-43 (KJV)

23 And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.

24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.

35 While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?

36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

37 And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.

38 And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.

39 And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.

40 And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.

41 And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.

42 And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.

43 And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.

Bible in One Year: Job 12:15; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-2:12

MESSAGE:

Faith in Jesus Christ is so powerful and relevant that if there is any area where every believer in Christ needs to grow, it is in the area of faith. Faith is believing that God is who He says He is. Faith is also believing that God can do everything He says He will do. Faith is giving God the benefit of the doubt not to go below His promise in the face of contrary circumstances. Are you in any form of bondage? If only you can believe in the power of Jesus to set you free, you will be free. Also, if you can believe that you can recover any of your missing valuables that money cannot buy, you will have it. This was demonstrated in the case of Jairus, whose only daughter died. It seemed his world has crashed.
The most important person of him was gone. For most people that loss would have been permanent or irrecoverable. Sometimes, when something or someone goes missing, a reward is offered to the one who helps in finding the missing person or item. The size of the reward would depend on the value the owner places on the missing item or person. In the case of a kidnapping, a large amount of money would be demanded as a ransom by captors before their victim can be set free. All these are cases of temporary loss; in the event of a permanent loss such as the death of a loved one, what ransom can be paid?

In today’s Bible reading, Jairus’ daughter was in a critical condition, and he went to Jesus, asking Him to come and pray for her. On the way back home with Jesus, somebody came from his house to tell him that it was too late as the child had given up the ghost. When Jesus heard the message, He simply told Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; only believe.” Why did Jesus say this? He knew the bad news was capable of affecting the faith of Jairus, causing him to doubt. Jairus held on to the Restorer and his child lived. If you have faith in Jesus, no loss is permanent. If you lost a child, He can restore that child to you or give you another child.
If you lost a job, you can recover it or be given something better; if only you believe Jesus can do it. What is that situation of loss you have experienced? Invite the Restorer, Jesus Christ, to step into it. Hold on to Him in faith until your desire is met.

Prayer Point: Father, increase my faith and that of Your people in my local assembly, so that we can receive the good things we are holding onto You for.

Putting God First in Your Priorities

There are so many things that clamor for our attention and devotion: our jobs, our kids, our spouses, our hobbies—the demands and distractions of life. And we have to be careful not to let them become more important or more of a priority than our relationship with God.

The first of the Ten Commandments states we will have no other gods before Him (see Exodus 20:3). And Deuteronomy 5:8-9 (NLT) says, “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind, or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.”

Yet how many of the things that occupy our time, money, thoughts and attention have taken the place where God is supposed to be? Distractions from Truth

Anything can become a god to us—anything we worship or put an excessive amount of time into. Even your feelings can become a god if you allow them to control you. We need to ask ourselves, “Am I bowing down to God and His Word or to my feelings?”

Another challenge we have to confront is living in a world full of humanism and people not wanting God and His Truth to interfere with their lives and routines. It seems we have an epidemic of selfishness in our world today, and this creates all kinds of unhealthy situations.

For example, when people refuse to honor God and follow His wisdom in their decisions, it causes them to become bogged down with worry, resentment and bitterness. Eventually it shows up as sickness and disease in their bodies. And in our culture, this behavior causes a decline in our moral standards and attitudes.

But the good news is, we don’t have to settle for this way of living. In Christ, we can enjoy our lives—abundantly! (See John 10:10.) How to Establish the Habit of Living for God
“ The key to having God's 'abundant life' is keeping Him in His rightful place in our priorities. ”

The key to having God’s “abundant life”—His love, peace and joy—is keeping Him in His rightful place in our priorities. God said to Abraham, “Walk and live habitually before Me and be perfect (blameless, wholehearted, complete)” (Genesis 17:1 AMP). Notice that God instructed Abraham to be habitual in walking with Him and living for Him. We can do this by establishing daily habits of prayer, worship and regular, consistent time spent in His Word.

I love the Word of God! It is amazing. It contains wisdom, encouragement, comfort and inspiration for every conceivable human problem or dilemma. His Word brings peace and stability to our spirits and it will renew our minds (see Romans 12:2).
Get excited about getting into the Bible! Benefits of Keeping God First

Make it your goal to have a deep, intimate relationship with God. Let Him into every area of your life. If you constantly look to other people for answers and validation, pray about this and ask the Lord to help you stop doing that and instead look to Him. (See 1 Thessalonians 2:4.) As we live to please God, He promises to bless our lives and make us prosper.

When you decide to serve God with your whole heart and make Him first in your life, your soul will prosper and your joy and peace will increase. Remember to lean on Him more than anything else, and tell Him, “God, I want to do this, but I can’t do it without You.” He doesn’t expect you to live for Him in your own strength or ability, and He understands when you make mistakes.

So if you mess up, don’t be discouraged and let it hold you back; confess it and keep going. God will give you grace to do what you need to do. One day at a time you and God together can do anything!