ENGAGE IN WONDER WORKING PRAISE

Saturday May 9, 2015

Memorise: But thou art holy, O thou that
inhabitest the praise of Israel. -Psalm 22:3
Read: Acts 16:25-26 (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.

Bible in one Year: I Samuel 14, Mark
6:7-29

MESSAGE:
Praise directed towards God is a lethal
weapon of spiritual warfare. This is so
because God inhabits the praises of His
people. Children of God must not joke with
their. It would be logical to say that if prayer
is the “master key”, then praise is the
“principal key”. You need to catch the
revelation of what the Psalmist is saying in
Psalm 22:3:
“But thou art holy, O thou that
inhabitest the praises of Israel.”
In other words, God, the wonder-working
Father, dwells in the praises of His people.
The implication of this revelation is that
wherever God is, the supernatural is always
present. In the habitation of the Almighty,
wonder-working power is present and
breakthrough is commonplace. However, we
must get it right; it is the praise we channel
towards God that He receives. God will only
take what you give to Him. Those who sing
the praise of pastors or of themselves,
particularly during testimony time, are
missing a great point without knowing it. It is
not your prayer or the prayer of your pastor
that did the wonders; rather, it is the mercy
of God in action upon your life. He alone
deserves your praise.
Although Paul and Silas were kept in prison,
they did something unusual of people in
trouble. Even when people know that they are
the architect of their own problems, they still
try to justify themselves by raining curses on
their tormentors. This was not the attitude of
Paul and Silas. Their case was different
because they were apprehended for preaching
the gospel. They were thoroughly beaten and
cast into prison. While they sang praises. The
Almighty God came to inhabit their praises.
This should not be surprising, because the
promises of God are Yea and Amen. He had
already promised that He would inhabit the
praises of His people. Since this is true, what
prison gate could have resisted the coming of
the King of glory? None! It is written:
“Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be
ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the
King of glory shall come in.” -Psalm
24:7
Paul and Silas engaged in wonder-working
praise and they experienced wonder in their
ministries. God is no respecter of persons;
what He did for them, He can do for you
also. Learn to engage in the praise of God to
unleash His wonder-working power. I pray
that as you engage in the praise of the
Almighty God, you shall receive the wonders
of a life-time in Jesus’ Name.

Action Point: Devoted at least one hour to
the praise of God the Almighty without asking
for anything.

THEME: SOCIAL DEVIANTS!

DATE: SATURDAY 4 OCTOBER 2014

MEMORISE: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: 1 Peter 4:2

READ: ACTS 17:5-9

5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.

6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;

7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.

8 And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.

9 And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 SAMUEL 17:1-18:16 and PROVERBS 6:16-27

MESSAGE:

A Christian can be described as a little Christ. While on earth, Christ exhibited integrity in all His utterances and actions. He said His children would do greater works. Are you born-again? Are you a true child of God? With self-discipline and appropriate preparation, you can become effective in exhibiting integrity. Integrity as a way of life and our effectiveness in every field depends on the measure of our preparation. The more prepared we are, the more effective we become. Therefore, to become effective in exhibiting integrity, you must be prepared.

God’s standard for His children is perfection (Matthew 5:48). It is pathetic to note that many societies lack integrity. In a society where integrity has become a scarce commodity, a person of integrity is sometimes seen as a social deviant. Occasionally, efforts are made by bad elements of such societies to neutralise his or her influence. This can be by subtle or outright persecution, imposition of sanctions, or by a collective effort to undermine his or her personality. History confirms however that a person of integrity is always a winner. Why? He or she is consistent and credible. Are you a person of integrity? Credibility defines integrity. The benefit of integrity is confidence and the ability to influence others positively. The more credible you are, the more confidence people place in you, thereby granting you the privilege of influencing their lives. The contrast is also true. The less credible you are as a person, the less confidence people place in you, and the more quickly you lose your position of influence. Are you a Christian leader? The secret to rising and not falling is integrity. Integrity is germane to your success in ministry. There is no denying the fact that the more credible you are, the longer your staying power and the more successful your ministry will be. In the same vein, the less credible you are, the shorter your staying power and the less successful your ministry will be. Every leader needs integrity because it builds trust. A man must have followers in order to be a leader. In order to have followers, a leader must have their confidence. Hence, the supreme quality of a leader is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, whether it is in a church, on a football field, in an army barrack or in an office. If a man’s associates find him guilty of being a phony, if they find out that he lacks forthright integrity, he will fail. Your teachings and actions must square up with each other. Society may see them as deviants but the first great need of a Christian leader is integrity and high purpose. Are you viewed as a social deviant? Don’t lose your integrity.

KEY POINT:

A man’s character determines the character of his organisation. Be a person of integrity.

BEWARE OF THIS ENEMY: PROCRASTINATION

Wednesday October 1

Memorise:
Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
Proverbs 27:1

Read: Luke 9:59-62

59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Message:

One of the worst enemies of progress in life, business and ministry is procrastination. To procrastinate is to put off a currently required action until a future time. It means to defer or to postpone. Procrastination is an attitudinal problem. It is a character flaw that affects millions of people in every walk of life. While it is regarded as normal for people to procrastinate, it can become a problem that hinders progress in life. It affects critical decisions such as accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and many other important things. It is dangerous for a Christian to procrastinate because procrastination can result in loss of fellowship and opportunities. It can also cause loss of souls which should have been won. The dangerous effect of procrastination is lamented in Jeremiah 8:20:
“The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.”

There are many reasons why people procrastinate. First is because of their personal convenience (Acts 24:25). This is a major reason many people fail in life, education, business, family and ministry. It is also the reason many do not give their lives to Christ immediately they hear the word of God. Laziness is another reason for procrastination (Proverbs 26:13-16). Many people put off indefinitely what they could have done presently as a result of indolence. A slothful man has many flimsy excuses for procrastinating. These range from imaginary fear to complaints that he or she lacks encouragement. Another reason for procrastination is worldly entanglements (Genesis 19:16, Matthew 19:20-22). Consideration of family pressure at the expense of God’s business could also lead to procrastination of God’s business. A reader of this devotional, who has the call of God upon his life, finds it difficult to surrender his all to God and go into full-time ministry because of family pressure. God should be topmost on your scale of preference at all times. Family pressure, as serious as it could be, should not be considered at the expense of God’s business. Learn a lesson from Elisha. As soon as the mantle fell on him, he ran after Elijah, turning his back on his family business (1 Kings 19:19-20). Another cause of procrastination is environmental distractions. Procrastination can be solved through proper planning and constant reminders (Luke 14:28). Priorities should be set right. Self-discipline could also help against procrastination when applied in areas such as eating, talking, watching TV or movies, use of telephones and other sources of distractions. It is always better to seize the moment and maximize every given opportunity to complete tasks and achieve goals.

Key Point:
The best way to do things is to do them at the proper time. Stop procrastinating.

FEAR NOT!

Tuesday September 30

Memorise:
Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Jeremiah 33:3

Read: Isaiah 43:1-7

1 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
3 For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
4 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.
5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;
7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

Message

Everyone has someone he or she turns to in the time of trouble. When trouble comes, some people turn to their friends, while some turn to their family. Some turn to witch doctors while others turn to idols. Some even turn to false prophets. In 1 Kings 18:26-29, the Bible tells us how some people called on the idol of Baal, but he did not hear them. Do not turn to idols that have mouths but cannot speak. Do not put your trust in a man of God. Put your trust in God only. The moment you trust in the prayers and powers of man, you are putting a curse on yourself (Jeremiah 17:5). Those who trust in the Lord when trouble arises are the ones who triumph. Long after the trouble is gone, they will still be standing (Psalm 125:1-2). It is only the Almighty God that is available at all times. Once in a while, we find ourselves in a situation where there seems to be no way out. If you are a true child of God, there is always a way out. God will make a way where there seems to be no way. When there seems to be no way, turn to the One who is the Way, and He will take you through locked doors, as He did in the case of Peter in Acts 12:10.

Whenever you call on the Almighty God, He does not delay in answering. There is only one reason why you may call and He will not answer; that is if there is sin in your life and you refuse to let go of that sin. David said in Psalm 138:3:
“In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.”
This is the way of God. God does not delay. He does not enjoy seeing His people in poverty, sickness or sorrow. He does not want you to suffer. If you let go of sin, there is no reason why your prayer will not be answered immediately. In today’s Bible reading, twice the Lord says to you: “Fear not”. This can mean several things. It could mean that there is something that can produce fear but the Almighty God is saying that you should not pay attention to it. Fear comes from something you can see or hear. In 2 Corinthians 5:7, the Bible says we walk by faith and not by sight. In order words, we refuse to look at things that bring fright. Faith also comes by what we hear (Romans 10:17). When others are bringing their evil reports from the devil, you are to hear the report of the Lord. You will have to decide on which one to choose. The report of the Lord is that, with Him, nothing shall be impossible. Therefore fear not.

Action Point:
Make this proclamation: “It doesn’t matter what may happen tomorrow, all will be well with me”.

CHILDREN OF LIGHT OR DARKNESS?

Sunday September 28

Memorise:
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1 John 2:15

Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:4-10

4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
Message

It is unfortunate to observe that sobriety is no longer a common feature in the lives of many twenty-first century believers. Instead, the characteristics of the night or darkness are the common trademarks of many so-called Christians. Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:6 does not only admonish us to be sober-minded, he also warns us to beware of the sleep of death. We should not engage in spiritual slumbering, so that the coming of the Day of the Lord may not catch us unawares. We should not engage in the works of darkness as he enjoined us in Ephesians 5:4-5:
“Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”

Why do we have thieves in the Church today? Why are harlots singing in the Choir? Why are extra-marital wanderings common among both the laity and the clergy? The answer is not far-fetched: children of light are becoming children of darkness. Also, children of darkness are disguising as children of light. Furthermore, the children of light are making the spiritual environment (the Church) too comfortable for evil doers. The love towards the ungodly that they may be saved has been over-stretched to the point of deadly compromise. Sobriety is no longer popular. If you live soberly nowadays, you belong to the “old school”. You are looked upon as an idiot if you refuse to be fraudulent to get rich. Worse still, when you cannot dole money out like those who are fraudulent, you are inconsequential. How can we get out of our spiritual black-out? The answer is simple; the Bibles says,
“Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:”
Ephesians 5:7-8
The Bible also says that the night is far spent and the day is at hand. As a matter of fact, the Day of the Lord is at hand. So let us walk like children of light (Romans 13:12-14). May the second coming of the Lord not catch you unawares in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point:
Father, please give me the spirit of vigilance so that the coming of the Lord may not catch me unawares.

KNOW YOUR CALLING

Saturday September 27

Memorise:
Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.
1 Corinthians 7:20

Read: 1 Corinthians 12:1-7

1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
Message

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, wrote to tell us in today’s Bible reading that he would not want us to be ignorant of the truth concerning our calling as children and workers in the vineyard. It is needless to emphasise the danger of ignorance as stated in Hosea 4:6. Our Lord Jesus Christ also emphasised the importance of knowing the truth for perfect freedom when in John 8:32 He said:
“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
In other words, falsehood can hold people captive! In Proverbs 22:29, we read that a man who is diligent in business shall stand before kings. In what business did the Bible refer to? In his own business of course! What happens if a person is found in other people’s business? No doubt, it will be an exercise in futility or an unprofitable venture. You have to be diligent in your own business, which is where you will be rewarded. The Bible in Songs of Solomon 1:6 says:
“…my mother’s children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.”

Take to heart the following lessons from today’s Bible reading. First, it is possible for Christians to be ignorant of facts about spiritual gifts. Secondly, there are many gifts in the body of Christ, but no one can or should lay claim to having all of the gifts. Thirdly, it is the Holy Spirit who distributes gifts to every believer as He chooses. Fourthly, as there are differences in administration of the gifts, so also is there division of labour among those these gifts are administered to. A believer should therefore beware of arrogating all the activities in the Church to himself because it will be counter-productive. Fifth, though there are differences in operations from believer to believer, the same Holy Spirit works in all genuine believers. Sixth, the Holy Spirit gives different assignments to different believers to profit with. This means the gift is for the edification of the entire Body of Christ. It is not for the fun of it that believers are endowed with one gift or another; neither is it for self-gratification. The seventh lesson is that no gift is superior to another; neither is any inferior to another. For this reason, Paul further wrote to warn us against discriminating in the use of spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:15-17). Therefore beloved, let us work together as many members, but as one indivisible Body of Christ, with everyone playing his or her role as enabled by the Lord. We shall not miss our reward in Jesus’ Name.

Action Point:
Examine your life and find out what area of the ministry the Lord as endowed you with gifts for. Dedicate yourself and be diligent in it.

CONSISTENT CHRISTIAN LIVING

Friday September 26

Memorise:
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
John 15:4

Read: John 15:4-8

4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Message

Today’s scripture reading reveals a great secret of not only fruitfulness but also of God being with us. Emmanuel is not real to many so-called children of God because they are on their own. This is why they are caught in many horrible acts, and terrible things attend to their daily living. This scripture reveals the part we need to play for us to experience God as the present help in times of need (Psalm 46:1). He has promised not to leave nor forsake us. We must remember that the Almighty God is forever faithful. Though the world may deny Him, He cannot deny Himself. Though the whole world may be unfaithful, He remains faithful to His words and even to His creation! What is our part in this bargain? We must abide in Him. In other words, we must consistently live our lives as Christians. We should never take a break from living holy.

In light of this revealed truth, it is pertinent for all children of God who want to enjoy the presence of Emmanuel, to abide in Him so that the ever-willing Heavenly Father may be with them. How do we abide in Him? Ecclesiastes 12:13 says:
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
We must fear God and keep His commandments. Today, some people overstretch the grace we enjoy in the New Testament. Mischievously, they often say that we are no longer under the dispensation of the law, hence they can now do whatever they like. They seem to be saying: “Let us commit sin the more so that we can make maximum use of the available grace!” They are ‘practical atheists’ who believe in God with their mouths but fail to acknowledge Him and His Holiness. They do not see Him as the Consuming Fire. Paul in Romans 6:15 asked:
“What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.”

When we experience God as “God with us”, this attracts multiple blessings. One of these is the opportunity to pray and receive instant answers to our prayers. Jesus in John 15:7 said:
“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”
Thus, let us abide in Him because He is willing to make His abode with us and give us comfort.

Prayer Point:
Father, help me to be consistent in my Christian living in Jesus’ Name.