KEY SCRIPTURE: John 9:3 KJV “Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”

The disciples of the Lord asked who did sin, that the man was born blind? They were looking for someone to blame.

 They were expecting the Lord who knew every secret to just say, it was his parents or some ancestors. To their surprise, the Lord said, none of these. He said that it was rather for the glory of God to be manifested. God knows about the actions of all men. He does not guess but takes responsibility for what is His duty, and disciplines men when He has to. He is always perfect in His ways.

Now, talking about shifting blame; when the Lord confronted Adam about eating the forbidden fruit, Adam shifted the blame to Eve the wife, who also shifted the blame to the devil or serpent. The serpent who understood the significance and power of blame did not turn the blame to anyone but kept quiet. He knew by shifting responsibility, they were giving their authority into his hands. Satan took the blame and therefore accepted their responsibility for the act as well as the authority over them.

 Never shift blame for what is your responsibility, for by doing so, you lose your AUTHORITY

God the Father always accepts his responsibility or Judges when necessary. He would always seek His glory. God is very keen on manifesting his glory.

 That which glorifies God brings blessing to men.

What is the glory of God? The Lord at the tomb of Lazarus said the following to Martha Joh 11:40 KJV “Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?”

 The glory of God is that which reveals His power as shown by His goodness to men.

This results in men exalting and praising Him. Miracles always reveal His glory. It is God’s desire to show His glory unto men. In the book of Exodus we saw God doing so many mighty deeds. All was done to show the Egyptians His glory.

Whenever you are in a condition that needs a miracle to get you out, just start rejoicing, because the Father is more eager to reveal His glory than you even want it.

CONFESSION

Glory be to God, who does all things perfectly. His power and glory is seen in all that He does. My faith in Him triggers His miracles, that show His glory.

THOUGHT: GOD’S GLORY WINS MEN’S HEARTS

FURTHER STUDIES

John 2:11 KJV “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him”

Isa 42:8 KJV “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.”

KEY SCRIPTURE” John 9:2 KJV And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

Jesus’ disciples, asked Him, who did sin, that this man was born blind? Man is prone to finding someone to blame, for a condition he does not have the solution. These disciples could have kept talking to each other about the man without any positive action to alleviate his predicament.

The Jews normally believe every calamity results from sin. Every child of God has God’s solution with him or her. Remember what the Lord said in Mark 16:17, ” And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;” Unfortunately many children of God still count themselves as ordinary people without the power of God. In John 6:28, the disciples asked, what must we do, to work the works of God? Jesus answered, this is the work of God, that ye believe on Him, He has sent. One thing that builds our faith or boldness is praying more in Holy Spirit. Jude 1:20 KJV” But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,” It is the absence of boldness that prevent most children of God, from doing the greater works spoken by the master.

It is very unfortunate to find Christians who are potentially a storehouse of God’s power accuse and find people to blame, as the disciples of Jesus did. Dearly beloved child of God, know that anytime you find a person in a deplorable state, then God is calling on you to bring His power to bear on that situation. The Lord Jesus was always ready to be an answer to such situations. No such conditions ever took Him by surprise. He was always prepared.

A child of about seven months old fell from a height of about seven to nine meters to a cemented floor. Some doctors happened to be having a medical screening at that very moment, and so they checked the pulse and confirmed the child was dead. I refused to accept that and went into prayer till life began to function in her, as we sent her to the children’s hospital in Accra. I realised that day, that, most people there, were blaming the mother for negligence, but that was not my concern. To me, it was a moment to prevent a mother from sorrowing too much.

CONFESSION

I am born of God and endued with power from on high. I am ever ready to answer the devil any time or day he shows up with his questions. God saved me to glorify His name and so I always act on His behalf to do what He would have done if He was here in person.

THOUGHT:  THE CHRISTIAN IS CHRIST IN THE BELIEVER, SO BELIEVER, ACT ON CHRIST’S BEHALF

FURTHER STUDIES

John 14:13 KJV “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

Mark 16:17 KJV” And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 9:1 KJV” And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.”

From our key scripture, the Lord passed by and He saw a man born blind. Why did the scriptures emphasise Jesus, giving His attention to the man suffering from a physical deformity? There were so many observable things on the path of Jesus, yet, the scriptures referred to His reaction to the sick man. There could have been children playing, nearby, or people running to get a glimpse of Him, yet none of these things attracted his attention more than the man born blind.

Jesus is the eternal word of God. He is the will of God, in human form. Whatever He did was what the

Father wanted to be done. John 8:29 KJV ‘And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.” He said He always does what pleases the Father. Diseases were conditions the Lord hated. Most of the time, He was ready to help the sick people, by healing them.

 Dear one, you would have to settle it firmly in your heart that, God does not want you sick. He wants you well.

Throughout the scriptures, the Lord Jesus went out of His way to heal a number of people who were sick. The following were some of the instances:

1.The woman who had the spirit of infirmity for eighteen years. Luke 13: 11-17.

2. The invalid man, who laid at the pool of Bethesda for 38 years. John 5:1-15

3. The man born blind in John 9:1-7

4 . The man with the withered hand, He healed on the sabbath day. Mark 3:1-5

5. Acts 10:38 He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil.

From this scripture, we see sickness as an oppression of the devil but Jesus went round to stop Satan from oppressing men.

In all the above instances the Lord either called the victims to His side or went to them and healed them. In the case of the woman whom He described as, being bound by  Satan, for eighteen years, He expressed His great dislike against the Pharisees, who were opposed to her healing.

Again, in the case of the man with the withered hand, He asked the scribes and the Pharisees, whether it was right to do good on the sabbath day or not? He looked around with anger and was grieved for the hardness of their heart for resisting the healing or saving of the sick. Remember, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever Heb 13:8, and is against Satan or devils molesting your body.

 Call upon Him in faith and you would not be disappointed. Rom 10:13 KJV” For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

 PRAYER

I thank you heavenly father for your love and provisions for my good health. I thank you that the Lord Jesus always healed every sick man who came to Him. I pray in His name and rebuke every spirit of infirmity and declare my healing right now in Jesus’ mighty name. Thank you Lord for healing me.

THOUGHT: GOD IS GLORIFIED WHEN OUR BODIES ARE STRONG.

FURTHER STUDIES

1Co 6:20 KJV” For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Rom 10:12 KJV For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 8:59 KJV “Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.”

In our previous study, we considered religious aggression and the fact that, it has no place in Christianity. Although Christians are not supposed to attack any man, we are threatened and often attacked by people of other faith all over the world. In our key scripture, the Lord’s life was also threatened by the Jewish scribes and Pharisees. The Lord according to the bible hid and then passed through the people and no harm was done to Him. This is divine security and preservation. In these times of evil and all kinds of satanic atrocities, we have to understand and exercise God’s provisions for divine security.

The Lord Jesus escaped all attempts at destroying Him before His time. How did He survive all these? I believe one of the means of achieving this was His ardent prayer life, coupled with His faith in God. The following scripture explains it wholly. Heb 5:7 KJV “Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;” Jesus in His flesh had laid down, His glory as God, Philip 2:6,7, John 17:5, and so He had to depend on God like any man would. He did so through a very submissive and committed heart to prayer. The scripture said He prayed with strong cries and tears unto Him who was able to save Him from death.

He instructed His disciples to pray so they would not enter into temptation. Temptation in this context is the hour of evil when Satan is in charge. In 1 Thess 2:18, Apostle Paul said he and his team would have visited the brethren in Thessalonica, yet Satan hindered them. Was it the will or doing of the Lord for Satan to hinder them? I do not believe so. Satan had the upper hand because they failed to deal with him effectively in prayer.

Jesus, Himself showed by His example that through committed life of prayer, God fully ruled in His case, to the point that, the perfect will of God was done. If we fail to pray, as exemplified by the Lord, then the enemy will have the upper hand. This does not mean, we live in fear of the devil, but rather take advantage of God’s provisions to secure us. Please note that God gave the habitation and control of this earth to man. He can interfere with earthly affairs as we pray. The other means of securing divine security was His faith in His Father.

CONFESSION

As I pray diligently my God, has total access to secure my safety, I also employ my faith in God, by speaking boldly of God’s provision and blessings, that keep me secured. Though my trust in Him.

THOUGHT: PRAYER WITH FAITH ENSURES PERFECT SECURITY

FURTHER STUDIES

Psalms 121:1-6 KJV A Song of degrees.” I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.”

KEY SCRIPTURE Joh 8:59 KJV” Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.”

We continue with our walk with Jesus through the gospels.

This time, the Lord said to the Jews that before Abraham was ‘ I am. This statement was blasphemous to them, so they quickly took stones to kill Him. They interpreted it as He saying He is God. Why would they kill someone because he said something they did not agree? This is the problem with religion. Religion encourages the adherents to defend it by attacking those who hold contrary views. It becomes a real difficulty when the religious book teaches that people with contrary views must be killed. Judaism, which is the root of Islam and Christianity has those elements of destroying those who hold different views.

Christianity is a renewed version of Judaism. It functions under a new covenant, called grace. John 1:17 KJV “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ”. Grace is an overflow of goodness. Jesus came with the message of love and forgiveness. Mat 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;” Jesus instructed His followers to turn the other cheek when hit at the other. This was not to be taken literal, rather it meant the Christian should be none violent. Christians do not fight for God. He is too powerful for anyone to fight for Him. Dear fellow Christians never be physically aggressive toward those who have divergent views. We are taught from the scriptures that, everyone who attacks Christianity is under the power of the spirit of deception. We do not fight such people. They are only used by these devils. We fight on our knees, and this has won many hardcore opposers to the faith.

 Religious aggression is a nuisance.

Why should men kill their fellow brothers and sisters because they hold divergent views? Please consider this analogy. We practice our faith with the view to winning others from their sinful ways. If we kill them because they hold divergent views and are sinners, haven’t we pushed them into eternal damnation, and therefore you do Satan’s work for him?  This is the reason our Lord Jesus taught us to love all men, even those who hate and persecute us and go to every length to save them.  You will be doing Satan’s work to attack and destroy the one who holds a different view from yours.

CONFESSION

I am born of God, born with the love of God, I am salt and light to my world. I do not and cannot hate anyone, because I have passed from death to life. This is the way of life, this is the truth, this is peace for our world.

THOUGHT: JESUS NEVER RAISED A SWORD, YET, HAS WON MORE MEN THAN ANY WHO KILLED TO WIN.

FURTHER STUDIES

John 15:13 KJV “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

Rom 12:19 KJV” Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 8:58 KJV “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”

We continue with Jesus’ discourse with the Jews. After the Lord said Abraham saw His day and was glad, they responded that He is not yet fifty years, how could He have seen Abraham. The Lord had to make a statement emphasising the authenticity of what He was about to say. He said Truly, truly, or verily, verily, before Abraham was I am.

The expression I am, though in the present tense, is clearly designed to refer to a past time. Thus, in Psalms 90:2, “From everlasting to everlasting thou art God.” Applied to God, it denotes continued existence without respect to time, so far as he is concerned.

We, divide time into the past, the present, and the future. The expression, applied to God, denotes that he does not measure his existence in this manner, but that the word by which we express the present denotes his continued and unchanging existence. Hence, he assumes it as his name, “I AM,” and “I AM that I AM,” Exo 3:14. Compare Isa 44:6; Isa 47:8.

 There is a remarkable similarity between the expression employed by Jesus in this place and that used in Exodus to denote the name of God. The manner in which Jesus used it would strikingly suggest the application of the same language to God. The question here was about his pre-existence. The objection of the Jews was that he was not 50 years old, and could not, therefore, have seen Abraham. Jesus replied to that that he existed before Abraham. As in His human nature He was not yet 50 years old, and could not, as a man, have existed before Abraham, this declaration must be referred to another nature; and the passage proves that, while He was a man, He was also endowed with another nature existing before Abraham, and to which He applied the term (familiar to the Jews as expressive of the existence of God) I AM; and this declaration corresponds to the affirmation of John as he wrote in John 1:1.” In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Jesus is not just a man; He is also God.

ÇONFESSION

Jesus my Lord is fully man, yet He is fully God. As the Father said He is I AM, Jesus likewise said He is I AM. He is indeed one with the Father and the God of all things

THOUGHT:  JESUS IS GOD

FURTHER STUDIES

Rev 1:8 KJV I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”

Rev 22:13 KJV” I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 8:57 KJV “Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?”

 When the Lord told His Jewish audience that, Abraham, rejoiced to see His days, they answered Him, that you are not yet fifty years and have you seen Abraham? Once again, these people expressed their gross ignorance about the master Jesus. Many still take Him for something very different and they either do things against Him or they are not able to benefit fully from Him. “The value you place on anything, determines, the virtue that may flow from that thing to you”.

Paul before his conversion had no regards for the master Jesus. He took Him, to be an ordinary man, and so kept persecuting the church, until the Lord met Him, and asked him. ” …..Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Acts 9:4. After a couple of years Paul now said 2Co 5:16 KJV ” Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.” My question is how do you see Jesus? You may call yourself a child of God, yet you can only relate well with the master if only you sincerely accept Him for who He is.

Jesus originally existed as the eternal word of God John 1:1. He is one with the Father, that makes Him God. He became a man so He could demonstrate to us how men should live victorious in this life, and secondly died for all men to make us qualified to be victorious by receiving the ability to live a victorious life. Our Lord Jesus as a man, emptied Himself of His glory and reputation as God (John 17:5, Philip 2:6,7) so He could fully depend on the Holy Spirit and overcome as a man. He went through His suffering  as a man to legally win for us.

I have given the above explanations for His reasons to become a man so you could understand perfectly the lessons and benefits that Jesus as a man brings to us. Have the right perspective of Jesus as a man.

 Now from His example you can also live a victorious life on this earth and conquer every situation as He did.

You can also count on the impact of His victory through His suffering and resurrection that has made us fully qualified to be very victorious.

 In Colossians 1:21,22 the bible said although we were aliens and enemies in our minds, He has reconciled us and ” In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:” Colossians 1:22.

 Can you imagine, you are now Holy, unblameable and unreproveable in God’s sight? What again can defeat you? Dear child of God, Jesus as a man gives us two main things

1. The example to be perfectly victorious in this life

2. The qualification to be very victorious.

May you be ever thankful to God for these and live in that victorious life.

CONFESSION

Glory be to God who gave Jesus for me, I have received the ability to be very victorious in this life. I am Holy, unblameable and unreproveable through His death and resurrection. I have Jesus’ example for victory as well. I walk by His word and I conquer always. Thanks be to God.

THOUGHT: AS STUDENTS USE SOLVED PAST QUESTIONS, SO DOES JESUS VICTORY SHOW US THE WAY

FURTHER STUDIES

Heb 4:15 KJV” For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

Heb 12:2 KJV “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 8:56 KJV “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.”

In our key scripture, the Lord Jesus told His audience that Abraham saw His day and was glad.

Abraham is the father of the Jewish race, and so they hold him in a very high esteem. Hearing about Abraham’s knowledge and reaction to information about Him attracted a great deal of interest from them.

Many interpret this scripture as the theophanic (God appearing in various forms to men) appearances of Jesus as the angel of the Lord to Abraham. The Lord’s Day had nothing to do with the appearances of the angel of the Lord. It refereed to His days on the earth, His advent, His manner of life and the experiences He went through. Luke 17:26″ as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the Son of Man”

 Secondly the coming judgement of all men is also called the day of the Son of man.

Abraham saw the day of our Lord Jesus in the prophesy given about Jesus. Gal 3:16 KJV “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. He also saw the day of Jesus in the offering of his Son Isaac. Jesus the only begotten Son of the Father was offered for the salvation of all mankind.

Abraham saw the day of the Lord and was glad in view of the promise, and that he was permitted so distinctly to see it represented. If the father of the faithful rejoiced so much to see him afar off, how should we rejoice that he has come; that we are not required to look into a distant futurity, but know that he has appeared; that we may learn clearly the manner of his coming, his doctrine, and the design of his death! Well might the eyes of a patriarch rejoice to be permitted to look in any manner on the sublime and glorious scene of the Son of God dying for the sins of men. And our chief honour and happiness is to contemplate the amazing scene of man’s redemption, where the Saviour groaned and died to save a lost and ruined race.

What should be our reaction to the knowledge and experience of the work of redemption of the master Jesus? We must gladly tell the many who have not heard, nor known what we have seen and experienced of the great work of salvation with its present impact of peace, changed life and an eternal hope of the return of our Saviour and Lord. We have a duty to live out that changed life, demonstrating the power of His salvation in our day-to-day encounter with those we associate with. We must do everything to save as many as the Holy Spirit would enable us to save.

CONFESSION

Abraham looked into the day of Jesus and was glad, yet I have not only looked at His life, I have experienced the impact of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. I therefore announce to all that Jesus is alive and will live through any man who will welcome Him into His life.

THOUGHT:  JESUS IS NOT JUST A MAN OF HISTORY, BUT THE LORD OFTHIS HOUR DOING WHATEVER HE DID THEN.

FURTHER STUDIES

Hebrews 13:8 KJV Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

Luke 24:48 KJV “And ye are witnesses of these things.”

KEY SCRIPTURE Joh 8:54 KJV Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:

The Lord Jesus continued talking to His Jewish audience. This time he tells them, that it is the father who honours Him. To honour also means to approve or testify positively about someone. According to the law, it is the testimony of two that establishes a fact about a person. Deut 17:6 KJV “At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.” The Lord Jesus claimed that because the Father, whom the Jews acknowledge as their God has honoured Him, or approved of Him, he was telling the truth.

How did the father approve of Him? Act 2:22 KJV” Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:” The Father honoured Him, by performing miracles, signs and wonders. These things were God’s signature that testified of God’s presence with Him. There is also the witness that the one in question must express, which seals the two witnesses and makes their case accepted. For the person in question, the Lord Himself said, by that person’s fruit one or others would know whether he is true or not. Matthew 7:20 KJV” Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” Every tree is known by its fruits. There may be very similar trees, yet they can never bear the same fruits if they are different.

 A person’s fruit or lifestyle is therefore his signature, which declares who He is.

Miracles alone do not authenticate one’s genuineness, it must be fully endorsed by appropriate fruits. A minister without miracles also lacks a great amplification of his works.

 His impact would not go far if he lacks the supernatural dimension of God’s power.

In the period of the law, the high priest wore a garment, which had various colours of pomegranates and golden bells placed side by side at the hem of his garment. The pomegranates were the beautiful fruits, that showed his character, and the golden bells were the amplifiers of God’s presence with him. Exodus 28:33 KJV “And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:” Every minister of God needs the fruits and the gifts or amplifiers, which are the miracles, signs and wonders. This is what makes for balance.

CONFESSION

I have the witness of God upon my life, as He works miracles, signs and wonders through me. I also bear fruits of righteousness that seals the two witnesses, which are God’s and mine. These give me an authentic ministry.

THOUGHT: MIRACLES AND FRUITS GIVE PERFECT BALANCE FOR PERFECT IMPACT

FURTHER STUDIES

Acts 10:38 KJV “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”

Gal 5:22,23 KJV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 8:51 KJV” Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.”

God created man to live forever, yet sin, which is neglect, rebellion or disobedience to the word of the Lord has brought man into this state. God told Adam, the day you shall eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall die. They ate it, and so they died. Even at that time, they lived to be, over nine hundred years.

It was further, disobedience and an outright dislike of Godly instruction that caused God to make the following decree over man. Gen 6:3 KJV” And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.” Man’s days were brought to 120 years because he would not retain God’s word in himself. Remember that God’s word and God’s Spirit are one (John 1:1, John 6:63. 2 Tim 3:16) Man’s condition was not just a decree of God, but a result of his actions or making.

It was not the original intent and desire of God, (for from the beginning it was not so, Matt 19:8b) for men to be destroyed by death. Remember according to Gen 6:3, John 6:63, and Rom 8:11, it is the Spirit that gives life. KEEPING THE WORD IS KEEPING THE SPIRIT.

Apostle Paul’s experiences explain how one could overcome death’s destructive power and leave this life when ready to go. Paul survived a viper attack Acts 28:3. The following are death-bound conditions that could not take away his life.

1. Five times he received 39 stripes.

2. Three times beaten with rod.

3. He was stoned once and dragged on the floor yet he woke up again. Acts 14:19, 20

4. Twelve hours of daytime in the deep, and twelve hours of nighttime in the sea as well.

5. In perils of robbers, perils of waters, perils of countrymen and that of foreigners, perils among false brethren, and many more.

6. In colds and nakedness.

All these are life-threatening conditions that could not take his life.

What on earth could hold his life against all these death-threatening events? The power of God’s word at work in Him. He kept the word or trusted in the word he received from the master.

How did apostle Paul go about surviving these events? In Colossians 3:16, He said let the word of Christ, dwell in you richly. In 2 Corinth 4:13 he said, We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; Apostle Paul kept declaring the word which he had gladly believed in his heart. He spoke life, God’s protection and the fulfilment of his ministry. He said in Philipp 3:12, that he may achieve, whatever Christ had called him to achieve. I believe these were his confessions of faith. The Bible said the Lord Jesus is the high priest of our confession. Heb 3:1. You can also keep the word and experience a divine hand in sustaining you against every danger or threat to your life

CONFESSION

God’s word dwells in me richly. I put my confidence in His word. My life is secured, and preserved against every satanic onslaught. His word in me is my seed for immortality.

THOUGHT: THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO SURVIVE THE THREAT TO LIFE, GOD’S PART, WHICH IS HIS WORD, AND MAN’S, WHICH IS TO KEEP THE WORD.

FURTHER STUDIES

Prov. 18:21 KJV “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

Prov. 15:4 KJV” A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.”