KEY SCRIPTURE: John 1:9 KJV” That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”

Jesus is the true light which lights up everyone in the world. This means God’s saving power is opened to all humanity. God has put the sins of all humanity on Jesus and not counting anyone’s sins against him. He is rather calling on all men to repent. (2 Corinth 5:18,19) The saving power and the mercy of God is revealed towards all men. The truth is all this light is poured out unto all men, yet men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. (John 3;19). The key scripture also said, this is the true light. To have a true light means there is a false light, for the devil himself is transformed into an angel of light. Satan has deceived the whole world, especially through religion. (Rev 12:9)

We see a problem here. Jesus the true light shines on everyone who is born into this life, yet the god of this world, blinds the mind of them that believe not, so that the glorious light of the gospel, might not be seen by them (2 Corinth 4:4). There is a role for us to play. This is to intercede in prayer till those blinding effect will be stopped.

 Intercession is standing in the gap.

 To stand in the gap means to bear the burden of the victims and call on God for a relief.

The bible described one man who played this role so vividly. Col 4:12 KJV” Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.” He described Epaphras as one of them. He was just like any of them. He was not unique in any way, yet He committed himself to make a difference in the lives of the brethren through agonising in prayer. A similar description is made about Elijah. He was described as a ‘ man of like passions’ James 5:17. He prayed earnestly that it should not rain for a period of three years six months. It happened. God did that as a way of turning men’s heart to him. According to the bible Epaphras and Elijah were just like us in every way. The only difference is they gave themselves up to be used by God.

 Please note, until you decide to make yourself available to be used of the Spirit you remain ordinary.

The moment you commit yourself to bring the purposes of God to pass in the lives of men, God takes over and achieves great things through you.

The light of the gospel shines so brightly yet no spiritually blind man would see it. Naturally, the sun shines so brightly daily, yet, every blind man or woman lives in absolute darkness until their eyes begins to see. Dear child of God, God desires the salvation of all these spiritually blind folks, yet He can only save them when you stand in the gap.

THOUGHT:  YOUR AGONIZING PRAYERS WOULD BREAK THE BLINDNESS OF MEN TOWARDS THE GOSPEL.

FURTHER STUDIES

2 Corinth 4:4 KJV” In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

James 5:17 KJV” Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.”

KEY SCRIPTURE Joh 1:6 KJV “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.”

When John the Baptist, was asked by the priests, the Jewish leaders sent to enquire of who he was, he said he was a voice of one crying in the wilderness; make straight path for the Lord (John 1:23). In effect he admitted that, he had been sent on an assignment. Men are always God’s means of achieving His purposes on the earth.

 Every man saved by the blood of Jesus is also a man or woman sent from God.

You have a mandate to execute a particular task. We are all generally commissioned to go and make disciples of all nations. (Matt 28:19 &20)

The sad truth is that many Christians have a misunderstanding of the task given to us. The church to some is a place of entertainment, where they go to listen to music and dance. Others consider the church as a place with a superman in charge, whose prayers are very powerful to help them come out of their problems. They do not consider or accept that they are people sent from God to save men.

Dear brother or sister you have been sent from God. Don’t lose sight of your task. You would one day be required to give an account of what you did about what God asked you to do. (2 Corinth 5:10)

A story making runs on social media, is about a young boy who was SENT by the father to go, buy some food from a restaurant for Him. This boy bought the food alright, but when returning home, he came across some boys playing football. His friends asked him to join to play the game. Without hesitating he left the food with some boys and joined to play the game. He played very well and was hailed by all who watched the game. The game ended only to find out that his father’s food had been eaten. He was faced with the real challenge of going back home to face the anger and disappointment of his father. He cried and dreaded going home. Dear one, one day the game which has taken you from your assignment that God gave you, would be over, and you would go home to meet your father, who SENT you. Would you joyfully meet your father or you would be filled with fear.?

THOUGHT:  WHEN THE GAME IS OVER YOU WOULD GO HOME

FURTHER STUDIES

2 Timothy 4:7 KJV” I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:”

2 Corinth 5:10 KJV” For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 1:5 NET “And the light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it.”

Light is the domain of God. 1Timothy 6:16 NET” He alone possesses immortality and lives in unapproachable light, whom no human has ever seen or is able to see. To him be honour and eternal power! Amen”. Darkness is also the domain of Satan. (Col 1:13). Just as Satan cannot stand up to God, so would darkness and light. There is no contest between light and darkness. It means darkness cannot face light, yet it seems many Christians are being defeated by darkness. How is this possible? Darkness has the right to stay and function only in the absence of light.

The so-called victory or inroads of darkness into the life and experience of some Christians is because there is no light in them. There are two main reasons that spells the defeat of Christians.

1 A lack of knowledge of the truth. Hosea 4:6

2 A knowledge of the word yet a refusal to believe (accept) the word. Heb 4:2.

The above two conditions prevent the word from having access into the life of the believer to deal with any kind of darkness. Darkness stands for anything that takes away the peace of an individual, brings shame, pain and dishonours God’s word in the life of His children. Disease, repeated failure, demonic attacks etc are all manifestations of darkness. Hebrews 4:1-7 teaches us that those who refuse to mix the word with faith do not enter into God’s rest. Anyone who believes the word of God, walks out of the power and control of darkness. (Mark 9:23)

If one finds himself under any form of darkness, what must he do? He needs to look out for what the word of God says about that condition.

1 Do what the word says about that condition.

2 if there seem to be no change, then pray asking the Holy Spirit to show you what to do.

3 The Holy Spirit would show you what to do, stay faithful to his instruction.

4. Stay with the word and refuse to give attention to the negative condition. Flood your heart and mind with the light of the word. The scripture says, darkness has never over powered the light of the word. So long as you have the word in your heart that darkness is subjected to you. It has no grounds to mess you up. Insist that darkness can never overpower the light in you. Hold on to your grounds till that negative condition is defeated.

CONFESSION

I have the word in me, the word is light and destroys every darkness. I ‘m blessed beyond measure. I have peace, I am reigning over every negativity in Jesus’ name.

FURTHER STUDIES

Prov 4:18 KJV But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

2 Peter 1:19 KJV” We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts”:

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 1:4 KJV” In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”

In our first discourse on this topic, we considered the life that our Lord Jesus brings to us in His capacity as the eternal word of God. We would now consider the life in the written word. The written word of God, which is also known as the logos, is alive and powerful. It is sharper than any two-edged sword. It pierces to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit. And of the joints and marrow. It is a discerner of the thought and intents of the hearts. (Heb 4:12) From this piece of scripture the word of God which is firstly described to be alive functions in the following areas.

1. The Soulish and Spiritual dimension of man

2. The physical or corporal aspect, that is bringing healing to the body

3.The Moral aspect of man, that is correct wrong actions and instructing the right ways as well.

The word of God is extremely potent. It carries a solution for the total man.

 The word indeed has life. The pulsating life or breathe of God runs through the word 2Ti 3:16 KJV” All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: According to the scripture, it makes the man of God perfect thoroughly furnished unto every good work. The life in the word is real solution to every challenge of man. Pastor Chris Oyakhilome says all you need is wrapped up in the word, and so what God seeks to give you, is not money, or any physical thing, but rather to place the word in your Spirit. The word would make you what it talks about.

How would the word make us what it talks about? Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:1-3 shows us how. In Joshua it says the man who meditates on the word, day and night by keeping the word in his mouth, and does what it says, shall make his way prosperous and have good success. Psalm 1 also presents it that, the man who delights in the word and meditates on it day and night, shall be like a tree planted by rivers of living waters. He shall yield its fruit in its season. Whatever he does shall prosper. There is life in the word and this life is the solution or answer to man’s many challenges. Meditation simply means give attention to the word. Let the life in the word flow into you and you would surely produce the best in this life.

CONFESSION

The word of God is lamp unto my feet and light unto my path, no darkness is strong enough to quench the least light. Every work of evil is stopped by the word in Jesus’ name. I am free from every work of darkness.

FURTHER STUDIES

Prov 4:20 KJV My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.  Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

Psalms 119:105 KJV NUN. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 1:4 KJV” In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”

Christianity is primarily about receiving a supernatural life. Anyone who believes in Jesus, becomes a partaker of this life. He then becomes a son of God. All religions are about doctrines and practices that can earn one salvation. This is the very opposite to what we receive in Christ. In Christ we are the begotten of God through the life of God given to us (John 1:13).

Man’s problem is not about Satan or demons.

 Man’s problem is the reign of death over him. Rom 5:12 KJV” Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so, death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned”: This kind of death is a spiritual one. It is a separation of the life of God from man. Death therefore reigned over every man born into this world. Jesus is the only answer. In Him is life. John 5:26 KJV For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; The Lord’s life is   the very life of God. This life comes to reign in everyone who partakes of it. (Rom 5:17)

The life is the light of men. Light is the answer to darkness The life in Christ makes us free from the law of sin and death. Rom 8:2 KJV “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” When a man submits to the Lordship of Jesus, he receives the life in Christ. This life which is also called the law of the Spirit of life, breaks the old power or law that worked in men,

. The law of sin and death produced every negative force in us. It worked out sin sicknesses, sorrow, and ultimately death. The life in Christ, which is our light has indeed made us free. By this superior life we have also become light, (Matt 5: 14) therefore we bring solutions to others in darkness.

How to walk in this freedom.

1. Know that you have been freed from the law of sin and death.
2.   Believe and accept for a fact that you are really free from all the effects of the evil law of darkness
3.  Take a stand against any condition that contradicts your liberty and freedom in Christ.
4.  Keep thanking the Lord always for your liberation.
5.  See yourself as a solution to those in darkness.

ÇONFESSION

The life of Jesus is my life. His life is my light that overcome darkness. My very nature is free of the power of death, failure, defeat, sin, disease have no place in me. Life reigns in me. Glory be to God.

FURTHER STUDIES

Rom 5:17 KJV ‘For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)”

Rom 8:2 KJV” For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 1:3 KJV” All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

 Creation came from the word.

It is the means by which every visible thing was created. Hebrews 11:3 states it beautifully. “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” Every visible thing came from an invisible source. In John 6:63 the Lord explains the real substance of the word. He says the flesh profits nothing. It is the Spirit that gives life. The words that I speak are Spirit and life. The real nature of the word is Spirit. Our key scripture says without the word nothing was made. This teaches us a very important lesson. If there is a need or impossible situation, that is impossible, because the issue is not available to the senses, we are being told from our key scripture that, the word has the potential to bring that thing to pass.

The word from John 1:1 is a person.

 Meditating on the word is actually a visit with Him.

The word in our hearts is God in us. The word is God’s means of revealing Himself to humanity.

 We have no problem wondering about the form, nature and appearance of God.

His word answers all. The book of Romans 10 :7 asks ” Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (That is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)” This scripture says that, the presence of the word in your heart and mouth is all that matters. There are two things that can make the living Christ functional in us.

 To believe and to confess.

Believing sets Christ in our hearts and speaking the word gets Him into action. Romans 10:8 KJV” But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach”;

The above scriptures, that is Rom 10 ;7,8 show us how to get Christ who is the word bring us solutions. Please note, the name of Jesus means Jehovah is salvation. Man always finds himself in situations that needs salvation in one form or another.

 Jesus is God who has revealed Himself as the saviour.

He comes to us in the form of the word of God. Romans 10:9 gives us the underlying principle by which the saviour would save us. Whether it is a sickness, a demon tormenting you, a challenge of any kind.it reads ” That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Let me put this scripture in a general way for our daily use,’

 If you shall believe in your heart what the scripture says, and shall confess it , you would have the answer you expect’. The word is the means God created all things. Saying the word without believing is an illusion.

 Believe and say, that is the key.

CONFESSION

Praise God for His word. I have what it says, because I believe what it says. I experience what it says because I speak it into being. I have health, I have security, I have prosperity, Glory be to God.

FURTHER STUDIES

John 3:36 KJV “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

Rom 10:10 KJV “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 1:1 KJV “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”.

We have now lowered the curtain on the study of the book of Matthew. We now start with the gospel according to John. Matthew Mark and Luke are the synoptic gospels.  They have similar or same recordings of the events in the Lord’s life. The gospel of John although recorded certain similar events, dwelt more on the discourses the Lord had with certain individuals. It happens to have been written later than when the first three were written. John recorded his gospel with a lot of insight into the impact of the new life that the Lord Jesus brought to mankind. John 1:4 KJV “In him was life; and the life was the light of men”.

A close study of each of the gospels reveal a unique presentation of the Messiah. Matthew portrays Him as the king of the Jews, whose kingdom must be pursued first. Mark presents him as the servant who came to serve. Luke also presented Him as the son of man while John present Jesus as the Son of God.

John wrote his book with a lot of spiritual insight. He gave lots of revelation about Jesus that only the Holy Spirit could reveal to a mortal being. He introduced his recording with a rather resounding revelation about Jesus, He wrote, “In the beginning was the Word…”. What type of beginning was he talking about? He was referring to the beginning of beginnings. He says the word was with God. This shows the word was not created. The word is indeed one with God. He says the word was or is God.

Jesus is the eternal word of God. Everyone’s word dwells in his bosom, John 1:18 KJV “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him”. No one created his word. According Revelations Jesus name is the word of God. Rev. 19:13 KJV And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. This first verse of John reveals Jesus indeed as God.

THOUGHT:  THE WORD OF GOD IS THE WISDOM OF GOD.

FURTHER STUDIES

John 1:3 KJV ” All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

Rev 19:13 KJV And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 28:20 KJV “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

 The Lord never commissions without committing Himself to the one He has sent.

In Mark 16:20 the scripture reads ” And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.” This account is fully expressed in the Acts of the APOSTLES. The Lord never forsook them. He says the same word of assurance to us, and He does the same way of approving of their acts of obedience. The Lord is faithful and will always honour His word.  Heb 13:5 KJV “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

The scripture quoted above has an emphasis on the never. It reads, not at all or no never, no never. This is a very strong assurance of His commitment to be by us always. He even adds a time duration. He says until the end of the age. The implication of this is that if you are to speak or do anything on His behalf, and in His name, you should be assured of His full backing. This assurance should help the church act more in faith without any fear whatsoever, knowing He would not dishonour His own word. If you have to pray for a terribly sick condition, give no place to fear or wonder about what may happen. Always remember this slogan. WHEN THE LORD COMMISSIONS, HE COMMITS HIMSELF.

This thought brings us to the point of never asking the Lord to be with you. Such a prayer shows a high level of ignorance or unbelief. May we copy the Lord’s example in John 16:32. He said, His disciples will scatter and leave Him, yet He was never alone, because the father was ever with Him.

How can one maintain a consciousness of the Lord’s presence? You can do it by practising the Lord’s presence always. You always create a mental picture of His presence with you. You may start this in your quiet time and your times of meditations. You then do it where ever you are. This is one of the greatest assets you can build into your consciousness.

CONFESSION

Jesus is with me always. I am one with His Spirit and so He lives within my being. He eats with Him   and meets every challenge with me. I am never alone. He always honours my actions in His name.

FURTHER STUDIES

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.”

Isaiah 43:2 KJV” 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”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 28:20 KJV “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen”.

We continue with teaching the new convert. In our key scripture the Lord instructs all Christians workers to teach the new converts to observe all that He had taught them. This statement has two aspects.

1.It means they must teach the new convert everything that the Lord taught them.

2.The new convert must be made to understand the Lordship of Jesus over their lives and therefore live to please Him in everything.

We would consider the later one for now.

 Christianity is an initiation into the kingdom of God.

In this Kingdom every citizen shares in the life of the King. He is one with the king and lives by the pattern of life in the kingdom. 1Corinth 6:17 KJV” But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.” Teach the new brother or sister to know that Jesus is His Lord. He is the king. Living to please Him shows you have indeed passed from darkness into light. Col 1:13 KJV “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:” Living under the authority of our Lord and king, keeps the enemy of our soul from having any influence over them.

Teach this convert that the kingdom of Jesus is a spiritual kingdom. We are physically in the world but we are not of the world. John 17:14 KJV” I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” This understanding, should be made very clear to the new convert. His path of life is the way of our master. He must passionately seek His way and live by His word. Teach the new Christian to know that he is in this physical world to bring the light of the kingdom of God into this world, for he is the light of this world. Mat 5:14 KJV” Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.” He can only be the light of the world by living according to the teachings of our king. As lights, refusing to shine will seriously endanger his survival in the kingdom of the Lord.

In addition to all these teachings, please continue to intercede for the convert to stand firmly in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. The systems of this world which are under the influence of the Prince of the power of the air, may want to swallow him or her up (Eph 2:2). Your intercessions would prevent that. Colossians 4:12.

PRAYER

Oh heavenly father open up the understanding of every Christian to be committed to raising souls for your kingdom and establishing them as well.

THOUGHT:  WE HAVE BEEN RAISED TO RAISE OTHERS.

FURTHER STUDIES

Acts 14:22 KJV ” Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God”.

Col 4:12 KJV” Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God “.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 28:19 KJV Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

The Christian Church believes in the trinity. Although the word trinity is not used anywhere in the scriptures yet it is fully expressed all throughout the bible.

The Lord asked the church to baptize all the converts in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and not in the ‘names’. These are three persons yet He says they have one name, not names. It also suggests that the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are co equal and share in the same glory (John 17:5) God is one although He has three distinct persons. There are a number of scriptures that these three persons function together. In 2 Corinthians 13:14 it says, ” The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.” In this verse we see the three persons seen together in unique functions, all for the up keep of the believer.

In 1 Peter 1:2, the three persons are once again involved in the salvation of the believer.1Pe 1:2 KJV ” Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.” The father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are always involved to save, to create and even to fellowship with the believer.

In the baptism of the Christian the Lord asked them to baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. What is that name? Throughout the Acts of the APOSTLES, they always baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts 8:16 KJV” (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)” We find other scriptures like Acts 2:38, Acts 19:5. Some people pray and close their prayer in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. No where in the recordings of scripture do we see anyone pray that way. They always prayed in the name of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus Himself said, whatever you shall ask the father in my name He will do it. John 16:23. In this new Covenant era the only name given to us to be saved is the name Jesus. Acts 4:12. It is also in this name that we approach the father. Jesus is the English of the Hebrew Yehoshua or Yeshua, the Greek ‘Iesous’ and it means ‘Jehovah is salvation’

Jesus is the name of God given to us to be saved.

THOUGHT: IN THE OLD COVENANT GOD REVEALED HIMSELF AS YAHWEH, NOW HE REVEALS HIMSELF AS JESUS

FURTHER STUDIES

Acts 4:12 KJV Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

1Tim 3:16 KJV “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the ;,flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory”.