KEY SCRIPTURE: John 2:17 KJV “And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.”

An activist is a militant reformer. We have encountered such activists in men or women who stage a revolution. Such men are fearless and even ready to die to achieve their course of bringing the kind of change they desire.

The Lord Jesus came at such a time that the Israelites had a history of going through cycles of hoping from exile to hardships because they broke the laws of God. This was the reason for the synagogues and the evolution of the pharisaic group that taught God’s laws, so they would not enter into those punishments. As a result of this, they established the Pharisaic group who were the custodians and teachers of the law that would make them obey God’s laws and not incur His judgment when they broke the law. Unfortunately, these Pharisees and the high priest made the practice of the law a tradition of men. The Lord Jesus came to establish a new order of relating to God. It was also a new covenant. The Pharisaic order, coupled with the Roman administration was a very tall order for Him to overcome. He needed to be very strong and tough to penetrate this order and establish the new order.

He needed to be resolute and set His face as a flint. Isaiah 50:7 KJV “For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore, shall I not be confounded: therefore, have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.” Flint is a very hard rock. From the very first time, He started His ministry to the final day He died; He was faced with hostilities. They were constantly at His heels to cause Him to err against the Roman regime or the law of God. The story of our key scripture is about The Lord Jesus who made a whip to drive out all those who were selling and changing money in the temple. He overturned their tables and actually cleaned up the temple.

He was not in any way afraid of their faces. He told them the truth always. Herod who killed John the Baptist, could not intimidate Him. Luke 13:32 KJV “And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.”

He was totally given to doing the will of God and so when Peter rebuked Him about not going to the cross, He addressed Peter as Satan who perverted the way of God but exalted the ways of men. Matt 16:21-24

 The Lord boldly went to the cross to suffer such shame because He came to establish a new order. What do we learn from His example?

CONFESSION

The student is never greater than the master

As the Lord selflessly committed His life to achieve so much for the Father, so do I commit my life, to also be an activist, challenging the standards Satan has set in place to influence humanity.

THOUGHT: A PLANTED LIFE WILL ALWAYS MULTIPLY RESULTS.

FURTHER STUDIES

Matt 10:24 KJV “The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.”

John 12:24 KJV “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 5:8 KJV” Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.”

The Lord Jesus never prayed for any sick person to be healed. He always gave commands or just asked the sick person to arise. This was how the Lord instructed His disciple to do. Matt 10:8 KJV “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.”

In our day, we mostly pray for a sick person to be healed. We can find this in the epistle of James to the brethren. Apostle James wrote. Jas 5:14 KJV” Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:”

Now, what is the impact of the James approach in comparison to how the Lord ministered to the sick? The two may be effective depending on the level of faith or spiritual understanding that the individual has.

Normally most ministers of healing who approaches the healing by giving commands to be healed on a number of occasions understand their spiritual authority. Because of the understanding they have about faith in God as well as the absolute defeat of the devil, they get quicker results.

A minister, Smith Wigglesworth met a man who had no foot on one of his legs. This man of God asked the man to go get knew shoes for his foot. The man acted on the instruction and went to a shoe shop. At the shop the shop attendant looked at the man’s legs and told him they don’t have his type of shoes, since he had no foot to wear a normal shoe. The footless man insisted he wanted a normal pair of shoes and even gave the size he wanted. The attendant found one which he paid and then put his clubbed foot into these pair of shoes. To the amazement of the attendant and the man himself, the footless man had a new foot growing out to fill the shoes.

This is a miracle which required the faith of the minister as well as the man. Miracles are normally worked out through definite actions of faith.

The Lord also instructed people to act out their faith. Examples are the blind man He smeared clay on his eyes and asked him to wash in the pool of Siloam. Another event is the lepers he asked to show themselves to the high priest.

May we learn from the way Jesus ministered to the sick, so we can also see greater results.

CONFESSION

I am a representative of the Lord. I do all things in His name. I seek the leading of the Holy Spirit to minister to the sick. So long as I act in faith God honours His word, to set the sick man free.

THOUGHT: ACTING LIKE JESUS BRINGS HIS KIND OF RESULTS.

FURTHER STUDIES

John 11:43 KJV “And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.”

Acts 3:6 KJV “Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matt 8:16 KJV “When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:”

Our Lord Jesus healed lots of people throughout His ministry days. How did He go about doing it? We would consider a number of instances that He healed the sick. Luke 17:14 KJV” And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

In the above scripture, the Lord was met by ten lepers who pleaded with Him to heal them. The Lord asked them to go show themselves to the high priest. Going to the high priest implied they were healed, and so had to obtain approval from the priest that they could be accepted fully into society. The Lord just said go show yourself to the Priest. Their healing depended on their obedience which also meant they believed His word. Indeed, as they went, they noticed they were healed.

Mark 10:51 KJV “And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.” In this second instance, the blind man cried to the Lord to have mercy on him. The Lord called him, and after asking what he would like the Lord to do for him, he asked that his eyes might open. The Lord told him your faith has made you whole. This time too the Lord did not pray over him but just spoke the word to him.

We look at another encounter of the Lord with a sick person. Matt 8:15 KJV “And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.” The Lord visited the mother-in-law of Peter who was down with a fever. The Lord did not say a word but just touched her hand and she was made whole.

In all three instances of healing the sick, the Lord never asked any of them to bow his head for prayer. He either spoke the word or asked them to do something and as they obeyed their healing was effected. The other lesson we may learn is that the sicknesses left with ease. When faith is real healing happens simply.

CONFESSION

Our Lord Jesus demonstrated to us how to minister to the sick. He spoke the word or commanded the person to do something. I will also do as He did and see the sick made whole.

THOUGHT: JESUS ALWAYS EXERCISED AUTHORITY OVER SICK CONDITIONS

FURTHER STUDIES

Matt 8:32 KJV” And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.”

Matt 4:24 KJV” And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matt 12:49 KJV “And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!”

The Lord Jesus is our grand example in every aspect of life. His approach to all things is God’s approved way to relate to that thing. We would for today, consider His mindset concerning His parents and siblings.

In our key scripture, the Lord was busily teaching a group of people, whiles someone came to Him and said, master, your mother and brethren are seeking to speak to you. The very normal reaction would have been, for Him to excuse the audience for a moment and then go listen to whatever they had for Him. This was not the case. He rather made the following land mark statement. Matt 12:48 KJV” But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!” The Lord Jesus at this point was not making nonsense of the Law that commands us to honour parents, but placing that great importance of taking God’s word first and doing it. The Lord said He came to fulfill the law yet pleasing God always came first.

What has always pertained is to attend to our family and do what they require. In some cases, their demands are contrary to the way and counsel of God. Now let’s consider the Lord’s criterion for being His disciple. Luke 14:26 KJV “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.”

 Once again, the Lord establishes that, placing God the Father first in everything is the highest divine order of priorities in this life. He said if you do not love God the father above our families and even our own lives, we can’t be His disciples.

Do the events portrayed above mean that Jesus had nothing to do with the family? The Lord was indeed very close to His family. In John 7:1-5 we see His siblings discussing with Him, about going to the feast of tabernacles. When the Lord hanged on the cross, He asked John to take care of His mother and treat her as her very mother. This meant He never neglected His sonship duties to His mother.

In this study, we have learned that it is our duty as sons, and daughters to honour our parents, yet, we must always place our love for God above everyone including ourselves.

CONFESSION

God is the reason for us being alive, and so I place Him above my family and myself. I do play my role of honouring my parents and my siblings as well.

THOUGHT: IT IS ALWAYS GOD FIRST BEFORE FAMILY.

FURTHER STUDIES

John 19:27 KJV “Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.”

John 7:3 KJV “His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.”

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

When the prophet Isaiah prophesied about the promised Messiah, he gave a number of names to Him. Among the list of names was the name Prince of Peace. Peace in its simple meaning is to be at one with yourself. Peace has indeed eluded most people since true peace is found in one person, yet they would not come to Him to experience that peace.

 From our key scripture, He taught that there would be tribulation in the world. This statement has two sides. There would be tribulation that the world would raise towards the people of Christ. There is a general problem in the world, which comes to all men. In the mind of Jesus whether tribulation for being His follower or tribulation that comes to all men, the answer is to place your trust in Him. The prophet Isaiah put it this way;

” Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Isa 26:3. The Lord is fully aware of the onslaught of Satan against humanity, which makes living quite miserable. He asks them to put their trust in Him.

In John 14:27 He says, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Please note, there is peace with God, which comes as a result of our coming to Christ and repenting from our sins. Rom 5:1. There is also the peace of God, which is a result of trusting Christ’s words of assurance.

 The peace of God is the peace he has as God. It is the authority of Christ over all distressing situations. We share in that peace when we refuse to submit to the suggestions and activities of Satan and his demons.

It is His will that we live in peace. What do we do when the enemy seems to overwhelm us with His frightening situation? In such times start speaking God’s words of truth to yourself. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. In 1 Sam 30, David found himself in a very distressing situation. He wept till he could weep no more. The Bible said he encouraged himself in the Lord.1 Sam 30;6 Keep speaking words of faith to yourself till your heart is fully free and encouraged.

CONFESSION

Peace is a person. He manifests this virtue as we surrender to Him. He is the Lord of my life and so I live in His peace. I am always of good cheer because I trust in Him.

THOUGHT: “YOU CAN NOT MISS JESUS PEACE IF YOU ALWAYS CHOOSE HIS WAY”

FURTHER STUDIES

1Sam 30:6 KJV” And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.”

Phi 4:6 KJV “Be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Heb 12:3 KJV “For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”

Our Lord Jesus indeed had a contradiction of sinners who stood against Him, opposed Him, and even attacked Him in the long run. What was His attitude towards these people? The Lord Jesus showed His philosophy about various aspects of life in the teachings He gave to His disciples and the multitude that thronged His meetings. This is what He said about those who hated Him.

Matt 5:44 KJV “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”

The Lord did not only teach these things but he demonstrated them when he was opposed and even attacked. One thing we realised in His dealings with those who constantly tried to get Him to err against the Roman administration and subsequently arrested for judgment. On a number of occasions knowing very well that these people asked Himquestionss to implicate Him, He was not once found angry at them. Most of the time He wisely answered them and they left bewildered.  On one occasion they came to Him asking, is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar? Matt 22:17. The Lord asked for a coin and asked them whose image is on it. They said, Caesar. Then He told them render unto Caesar that which is Caesar, and to God that which is God’s. He was never hostile toward any of them.

During the moments of His passion, He came under great oppression. The first act He did was to restore the chopped-off ear of one of His assailants. Matt 26:51.,52. On the cross, in the moment of pain and deep stress, He did not yell at the criminal who asked Him to save himself and save them. He did not respond to the words of the man who spoke harshly to Him He answered the man who asked for mercy. He even asked the Father to forgive all who were attacking Him. Luke 23:34 KJV “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”

Dear one what is your attitude to those who demonstrate they do not like you? Jesus is our grand example and must always go His way.

CONFESSION

I am born from above, with the father’s righteousness and His love. I live to bring glory to His name; and so I take every opportunity to show His love, humility, and blessing toward all persons.

THOUGHT: LOVE IS ALWAYS STRONGER THAN HATE.

FURTHER STUDIES

Matt 5:48 KJV Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Matt 5:44 46 KJV” But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matt 4:23 KJV” And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.”

Teaching involves conveying knowledge, competence and virtue to others, normally students, with an aim of improving upon their lives. Our Lord Jesus could be described as the greatest teacher who ever lived. He always held his audience spell bound as they listened to Him. In Matthew 15:32 the Lord remarked that, the multitudes have been listening to Him for three consecutive days, and most of them may be very hungry. These people were very much attracted to His teaching.

How did Jesus Teach. He taught clearly, simply and powerfully. He taught with authority. Mark 1:22 KJV “And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.” Jesus’ teaching was an overflow of His knowledge and fellowship with His father. He was not the type that will look for some information to go and teach. He was always in fellowship with the Father, and so communicated the mind, presence and power of the Father to His audience. Teaching the word of God is not like teaching in a classroom. The ultimate is to bring God to the concept, experience and transformation of the people or listeners.

The Lord mostly tried to use day to day experiences to bring home what He wished to teach. He called them parables. Now what made the Lord’s teaching so impactful? His teachings always came along with the power of the Spirit of God. Jesus was a great dispenser of the Spirit of God. His Secret was the great moments He spent in God’s presence. Now let’s get this point clearly. Men everywhere are under evil influences not to submit to God. It is therefore not the eloquence of speech that matters, but the communication of the Spirit that renders these evil influences ineffective. It is at this point that a simple message begins to make so much impact.

One must study much to know the word and relate with God in such a way that He knows the God of the word. This is what brings an effective delivery of our messages.

CONFESSION

My conveying of the Lord’s message needs His full involvement, a d therefore I com.it myself to Him, to receive directly from Him for my uplift, them to communicate it to my hearers.

THOUGHT: WE CAN TEACH EFFECTIVELY, IF WE HAVE BEEN WELL TAUGHT BY THE LORD.

FURTHER STUDIES

John 8:38 KJV” I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.”

2Tim 2:15 KJV “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Mark 3:14 KJV “And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,”

We look further into what is most important that the Lord would want us to know and to practice. In our key scripture, the Lord appoints His disciples and calls them apostles or the sent ones. The verse stated that He called them so that they might be with Him.  Every child of God is called to be with the master. Every Christian leader is called first and foremost to be with the master. We are to learn and be so filled with Him for effective life and ministry. Our strength as servants of God depends on how much we are filled with Him.

When the Lord was describing John the Baptist, He said He was the greatest man born of a woman but added that he that is least in the kingdom is greater than him. All those born of the kingdom, include all who have been born again. John worked no miracle like any of the prophets, yet He was devoted unto the Lord right from his youth. The following verse explains what I just said about him. Luke 1:15 KJV “For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.”

John was to grow as a Nazarite. A Nazarite was a vow of devotion that one commits to God. (Numbers 6:2). John was in the wilderness fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit.

John was a man of great spiritual power, that drew the whole people to the Jordan River, without any special advertisement.

The Lord Jesus said abide in me so you might bear much fruit. He said without me you can do nothing. John 15:4,5

What happens when a man stays in the presence of the Lord. He carries that presence to wherever he goes. Please note, as children of God the Lord is ever with us always. If a man gives attention to staying long in the presence of the Lord, he operates in the manifested presence of the Lord. There are varying degrees of staying in the presence of the Lord.  We may observe the following activities in His presence. We minister to Him in songs. Ministering to the Lord is one of the most important aspects of our staying in God’s presence. It is a moment when we express our love, reverence and fear for Him. A time in His presence without a meaningful time of ministering to Him, makes you miss a lot. We also pray for any lengths of time that one may be led to go, and meditate on the Lord. We also make time to study His word. These practices should be done always. As you maintain a consistent time in His presence you would grow in your relationship with Him. You would surely have a fruitful life and ministry.

CONFESSION

LIFE is all about our relationship with the Lord and Ministering to others comes from the overflow of our fellowship with Him. I make it a prime issue to go into His presence.

FURTHER STUDIES

John 15:4 KJV 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 15:5 KJV I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Luke 10:42 KJV” But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

The Lord visited Martha and her sister with His usual entourage.  As He got settled, He started teaching the people as He always does. Mary joined the people to listen to the master teach. Meanwhile, Martha was in the kitchen preparing some food for Jesus and His disciples as most people would have done. After some moments of working in the kitchen, Martha came to the master and lamented saying. Luke 10:40 KJV “But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.” The Lord answered her and said; Martha, Martha you are worried about many things. He then added, “But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

What had Mary chosen? Attending to the words of life! God’s word is the principle or laws that control the universe. John 1:3 KJV “All things were made by him; and without him (the Word) was not any thing made that was made”. His word is what holds the sun, the moon and other galaxies in place.

Jesus said ONE thing is needful, not two or three. May your eyes be enlightened to know that this word of God is the most important thing to give all your attention to. Psalm 107 narrates the story of the Israelites as they left Egypt for the promised land. He wrote Psalms 107:18 KJV “Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.” These people rejected the word of God. God’s word is symbolised by food. When we consistently take in the word, our souls are strengthened to face all kinds of issues that come our way. In verse 20 , the psalmist wrote, He ( God) sent His word and healed them and delivered them from all their destructions .

The word according to Acts 20:32 the word of God’s grace is able to build us up and give us an inheritance among the saints. As s child of God, our father has great blessings as well as specific possessions that we are to receive. We can only have them if we have matured in the word.

The Bible teaches with God nothing shall be impossible, and on the other side, all things are possible to him who believes. It is the word that brings faith into the heart of man to step into the shoes of God. No wonder the Lord said, only one thing is needful, and that is, receiving the word of God. The Psalmist said blessed, happy, or most privileged is the man who forsakes all other mundane things to delight in the word, and to meditate in it, day and night. Such a one would be blessed in all that He does.

CONFESSION

The word of God is God Himself coming to me in thoughts and vocabulary form. It enlightens the eyes, gives wisdom to the simple, heals sick bodies, and turns righteous the froward. I give my all to receive and to do it.

THOUGHT: KEEP RECEIVING THE WORD, AND SPIRITUAL DARKNESS CAN NOT QUESTION YOU.

FURTHER STUDIES

Ezra 7:10 KJV” For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.”

Col 3:16 KJV” Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matt 18:28 KJV” But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.”

The Lord gave a parable about a rich man who asked His servants to give account. One realised he owed ten thousand talents which is about today’s 5,467 British pounds. His Lord asked that his children, wife, and himself be sold, to pay for the debt. This man fell to the ground and pleaded for mercy. The Lord had mercy on him, and let him go.

After being set free, he met another servant of his who owned him a hundred pence, which is equivalent to about 15   cents. This man holds his throat demanding his money. Although his debtor pleaded for mercy, he overlooked it and cast him into prison. Why did this man behave this way? Some will say he was a wicked man. Indeed, he was wicked yet He was also forgetful. He owed over five thousand pounds and was set free. Another owed him just 15 cents and will not forgive him.

Every man must always know that he or she has been forgiven much. Our debt was to cost us our very life in hell and the power of Satan over our lives. God forgave us all and gave His Son Jesus in our place. There are some who claim we would not pardon those who might have offended us. Some husband is so bitter about his wife, whiles a wife fuming with rage and so would have nothing to do with the husband.

There are certain instances that those who might have offended us would have seriously broken our hearts, because of what they did. It is true that their injury might be ‘beyond pardon’. Please may I ask, is there any price that can substitute eternal destruction in hell? Certainly, there is none. Our Lord Jesus gave His life to rescue us. Would it be too much to let go any offence.

Forgiving those who offend us is God’s demand from us. In the light of this we must always reflect over how much God forgave us through our Lord Jesus Christ in order to freely forgive our offenders.

CONFESSION

Jesus gave His for my total liberation inspite of my offences. Today I consider it and forgive anyone and everyone who offends me; inspite of the degree of offence.

THOUGHT: IT IS GOD’S COMMAND THAT WE FORGIVE ALL.

FURTHER STUDIES

Eph 4:32 KJV “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

2 Corinth 2:10 KJV “To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;”