KEY SCRIPTURE: John 17:17 KJV “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”

To be sanctified means to be SEPERATED from profane things, and to be devoted to God. It also means to live a life of holiness. Our father is a holy God and we can’t fellowship or function with Him without being holy. 1Peter 1:16 KJV” Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy”. The Lord shows us the way of the sanctified life from our key scripture. He sanctifies His life by living by the truth.

 Now note this, hearing or listening to the word does not sanctify us. It is when the word is believed and applied that it sanctifies. Having soap in your hands does not make you clean. It is applying it to the sponge and washing your body that makes your body clean. The Lord led a sanctified life. John 17:19 KJV “And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth”. He kept applying and acting on the word always.

God cannot use vessels that are not sanctified. God’s word should be the only source of influence of the child of God.

 The Lord Jesus taught that ” For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:” These are that which defile the man Mark 7:21-23. The child of God must not allow these things to function in us.

Proverbs 4:23, teaches us to keep our hearts with all diligence, for out of it proceed the issues of life. The heart can also be kept by what one allows into the mind. The mind must continually be kept renewed as well as to focus on the word of God. It must be the desire of the child of God to continually seek to please the Lord at all times. If one’s mind does not admit wrong thoughts and sinful ways, there is no way the things spoken of by the Lord will be in the heart. To lead a sanctified life your mind must be constantly sanctified.

CONFESSION

My mind is the center of influence of my being. I feed my mind with the word and I act on it always. I do not allow any defiling thought into my mind. In this way my heart is constantly kept clean and whole. Thank you, Lord.

FURTHER STUDIES

John 15:3 KJV” Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you”.

Romans 12:2 KJV” And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

KEY SCRIPTURE Rom 6:14 KJV” For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”

 Every successful servant of God must know the dynamics of his victory over sin. Every child of God must be free from every unrighteous way. A life that falls short of righteousness will bring a great reproach to course of Christ, and will limit the impact of that individual Christian worker Our key scripture states that, sin shall not have dominion over you, because you are not under the law, but under grace. What does it mean to be under grace? How does one employ the principles of grace for a victorious life? By such an understanding every season of struggle would cease.

 To be under grace simply means to have the resurrected Christ express his life through you. The Lord Jesus is the grace of God personified. Living under grace also means living by the power of the Spirit of God. This is done by you being conscious that the Spirit or life that powers your body is not your natural life, but the Spirit of Christ. Galatians 2:20 KJV” I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”. Grace means a higher power giving you super human capabilities takes over your body. Your personal acknowledgement makes it possible

When a thought or condition suggest a wrong act to you, your response is, it is no more Somuah Asante or Mr. A or Madam B. It is the resurrected Christ who is presently alive in this body.  Christ does not and cannot do that wrong thing. This is the consciousness of the servant of God. This is what we call understanding the dynamics of victory over sin. You would be defeated by the devil if you attempt to overcome sin and the devil with your natural human strength or abilities. By grace your hands are no longer your own but the hands of Christ. Your mind is the mind of Christ. 1 Corinth 1:30. If a man has this understanding, he would be a candidate for God to use in various assignments, and would not fail to deliver, because he or she knows how to release the ability of the Spirit.

CONFESSION

IT is no longer I that lives, but Christ who personally lives in me. He rules, talks and acts through me. I do all things by His Spirit and not by my natural life. All things are therefore possible with me through Christ who works in me.

FURTHER STUDIES

Philippians 4:13 KJV “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me”.

Philippians 2:13 KJV” For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure”.

KEY SCRIPTURES: Matthew 4:19 KJV” And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men”.

The above key scripture is very revealing, yet it has not been seen in its true light, and therefore many have not responded to it rightly. In this scripture the Lord states our role in the whole equation of becoming real fishers of men. Many go about seeking to be fishers of men without observing what the Lord instructed. He said follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Becoming fishers of men is the ultimate, yet we don’t become it by ourselves. We are made fishers of men by the Lord as we follow Him.

Now please, understand this point, if you wish to be effective in God ‘s service: The first call of the ministry, or serving Christ, is to give attention to the Lord, and to learn about how he went about doing the work. Mark 3:14 KJV “And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,” Most of the lack of effectiveness with most people proceed from not obeying this instruction of first being with Him. There are some basic lessons that being with the Lord will infuse into you as well as expose to you. The first thing you would learn about Jesus is His love to please the father. This was the basic core commitment of the Lord. Heb 10:7 KJV” Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God”.

Doing the will of God should become the central concern of every servant of God. After this virtue you would begin to see His devotion to prayer and meditation. You would see in Him a man who is spiritual to the core, yet extremely sensitive to the needs of men. Jesus was a man who loved all men, even those who hated Him, to the point of killing Him. He loved them dearly. You can’t become a great soul winner, without a great love for men. You would learn about a man who did not shrink from pain and shame for the purpose of bringing men tranquility and glory. Knowing these things would enable you to receive the ability from Him to become an effective fisher of men.

CONFESSION

I am a follower of the Lord. I give Him my maximum attention, and always ready to do what He teaches me. His nature is seen in me and He makes me a soul winner.

FURTHER STUDIES

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”.

John 15:16 KJV Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 5:8 KJV” Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;”

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the greatest example of one God worked through to bring His purposes to pass. Although He is God, He put down His reputation as God and lived like a man (Phil 2:6&7) Our key scripture says he learnt obedience by the things he suffered. The word ‘suffered’ also means ‘allowed’ . It takes humility to go through some of the things he allowed. In Mark 1:9–13 the baptism of our Lord and some of the experiences he went through has a lot to teach us about some of the things God expects people He uses to go through.

The Lord humbled himself to be baptized by John. John’s baptism was a baptism unto repentance. It was also a form of cleansing from sin. The Lord did not need any such cleansing yet had to go through, to fulfill all righteousness. (Matt 3:15). In Mark 1:10, right after the Lord had submitted Himself to be baptized, the Holy Spirit descended on Him. Submission to God’s instruction would also bring God’s approval and provision. He was driven by the Spirit to be tempted in the wilderness. The following series of events were some of the things He had to go through because of His humility. Mar 1:13 KJV” And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.”

Every bit of all that he went through are preparatory stages that God requires everyone, that He may use effectively, must have. They are as follows:

1.Tempted for forty days by satan

2. Was with the wild beasts

3. Angels ministered to him.

Lessons

1.Everyone who must be used by the Lord, must learn to discipline his flesh from wrong appetites and control his ego

2.To be with the wild beasts, teaches that everyone who must be used mightily by the Lord must learn to trust God for protection. He must be fearless. No fearful man can be effective in God’s hands

3.The angels visited Him afterwards. The supernatural presence of the Lord would surely be manifested to you after   you have proven the first two conditions.

CONFESSION

I subject myself to the demands of the word of God. My flesh does not control me. I have learnt to trust God in all situations. I am bold and depend on the presence of the Holy Spirit in me to face and overcome all contrary situations.

FURTHER STUDIES

Galatians 5:24 KJV” And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts”.

2 Timothy 1:7. KJV” For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 2:1 KJV” And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins”;

Anyone who must be used by the Lord to save souls must know for certain that men are dead in sins. He is therefore lost if he has not found Jesus as his or her Lord and saviour. If the gospel worker thinks there is some spark of life in men, that need to be fanned into flames, then he would not move with passion and compassion for the lost sinner. Education without Jesus leaves the individual dead in sin. Religion may feed the person with morals yet he or she is still dead, and needs eternal life to be alive. It is true that ” Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. “Acts 4:12.

Apostle Paul realizing the utter depravity of the human soul said, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel (1 Corinth 9:16). It was not surprising that after he had been stoned almost to death in Acts 14:19, he stood up and went to the next town to preach again. He knew these men were lost, and they had to be told the good news irrespective of the fact that, they were hostile or receptive. He said I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone who believes (Rom 1:16). A man without Christ is a child of the devil. Someone said, we are all children of God: no, this is not true. The scripture said, only those who accepted Jesus, were given the ability to become sons of God (John 1:12).

We must preach the gospel at all cost. We must be instant in season and out of season. In these days when one can’t easily predict the life expectancy of a people, the gospel must go. Anyone who dies without salvation in Jesus is lost, and lost eternally. Hell has enlarged its mouth, ready to swallow the millions who are falling in without Christ. Please come to terms with this utter depravity of the souls of men. Without this you are going to walk past them day and night and would not do anything about their salvation.

PRAYER

Lord, open the eyes of understanding of every Christian worker to see the deplorable condition of men without Jesus. May you stir in us a longing to reach out to all men, irrespective of color, social status or religion.

FURTHER STUDIES

Romans 7:18 KJV “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not”.

Jeremiah 17:9 KJV” The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

KEY SCRIPTURE: 2 Timothy 2:4. KJV “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier”

Worldliness is not just the physical appearance of an individual but when the heart is ruled by the flesh. Carnality is the underlying condition for worldliness. It is that which makes the heart of a man cold towards God. Remember Lot’s wife. She left Sodom and Gomorrah but her heart never left the place. (Luke 17:32) Our key scripture says the man who has been called to serve the Lord is a warrior. He is God’s battle axe against Satan’s activity in the lives of men. His commitment must therefore be total towards the Lord. Spirituality is separating from the world. It is fundamentally being scriptural oriented. It is to have a scriptural outlook about life.

To love the world makes one an enemy of God. The flesh has become his god. James 4:4 KJV” Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God”. The kind of associations we have would either make us worldly or spiritual people.  2nd Corinth 6:14 reminds us that, we cannot be equally yoked together with unbelievers. To be yoked means to be engaged in all affairs with that individual. The Christian worker must influence all that he relates with to love and serve God. If the Christian would act like the unbeliever then he has seriously lost his spiritual bearings.

Dear child of God you cannot be visiting the club with your friends neither can you do the things they do. The word church means, the called-out ones. You have been called out of the world and must remain out of it. Are your worldly friends comfortable in your presence to say and do certain ungodly acts? If your presence does not send any message to reverence the presence of God, then you have become worldly like them. Repent and turn to the LORD.

CONFESSION

I am in the world, but I am not of the world. I live by the spirit of God and do not give place to the flesh to control my life. I am light to many in darkness.

FURTHER STUDIES

2Corinth 6:17 ISV” Therefore, “Get away from them   and separate yourselves from them,”   declares the Lord,   “and don’t touch anything unclean.   Then I will welcome you”.

James 4:4″. You [are like] unfaithful wives [having illicit love affairs with the world and breaking your marriage vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world’s friend is being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God”.

KEY SCRIPTURE:2 Timothy 2:19 KJV” Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity”.

The strong exhaustive dictionary defines iniquity as ‘ an unrighteousness of the heart and life’, or a deed violating law and justice. God would not use an individual who violates his laws and is not just. Such a person is crooked. The following is what God will use. 2Timothy 2:21 NET “So if someone cleanses himself of such behavior, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart, useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” May you set yourself apart from every crooked way and be a vessel unto honour ready to be used by the Lord for every good work.

God is holy and cannot work with an unholy vessel. Dear brother or sister you have just one life to lead, and you must make that life count for God indeed. Your days should not be wasted at all. This is the reason you must make yourself “usable”. Every unclean thing in your life must be totally destroyed. It would cause your destruction, if you allow it, like the small-town Ai did to the well favoured army of Israel, led by Joshua. Achan’s accursed stuff made the whole camp of Israel to sting before God. God left them because of the accursed things and so, they were beaten and chased by the Aians. Sin of any form and kind is a reproach unto any people, but righteousness always exalts a people. (Proverbs 14:34).

IT was after the accursed man with the accursed things were found and destroyed that God was ready to work with them and show them how to conquer, and actually won the battle for them. Satan in these last days is devising all kinds of mischievous ways and worsening the condition of sinners. They need to be saved and set free. We need God’s supernatural hands to work along with his servants. We cannot afford to do things that would stay His finger away from our lives. Luke 11:20 KJV” But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.” His finger is all that we need to stop the enemy. May we do that which would keep His finger with us always.

CONFESSION

I have renounced every hidden act of dishonesty and by manifesting the truth, I commend myself to the conscience of all men in the sight of God. My life is on fire for God.

FURTHER STUDIES

2 Corinth 4:2 KJV” But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God”.

Joshua 7:24 &, 25 KJV And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So, the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 28:1 KJV “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion”.

We have learnt in our earlier discussions that courage is inevitable for a victorious life. The question is, how does one walk courageously in the face of threatening situations? Courage is a function of righteousness. Our key scripture states that Proverbs 28:1 KJV “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion”. Walking in sin makes one morally week and cannot have the inner strength to face danger. A life yielded to God would not be shaken in the midst of danger. The righteous are bold because they stand on the sure promises of scripture.

In Daniel 6 we learn about how Daniel was never moved about the threats of being thrown into the lion’s den, if he should pray to any other God for only 30 days. He was an upright man and so had his confidence in God. One is only vulnerable to satanic destruction if he or she walks in disobedience to God. If God be for us who can be against us, or if a man lives to please God, He (God) would always be for him Rom 8:31. Secret sins would expose your weakness in the day of trial. 1Jn 4:18 KJV” There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love”. Your strength in the day of trouble depends on your love for God.

The next point to look at concerning living in courage is to trust God for simple issues. Your courage grows as you encounter the faithfulness of God from time to time. David testified that He killed, the bear, and the lion, so Goliath would not mean anything to him. He trusted God to conquer simpler issues, and so, was ready for a more terrible one. Practice the word or put the word to the test and see God win for you . You would be very ready to face and overcome more life-threatening situations. God is faithful and would always honour everyone who trust him. Romans 10:11–13

CONFESSIONS

I walk uprightly at all times. I am therefore very bold and courageous, because I know God is on my side, and who can therefore be against me. Nothing can overwhelm me. In the name of Jesus every situation submits.

FURTHER STUDIES

Romans 10:12 & 13 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. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Isaiah 8:12 &13 KJV Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 1:17 KJV” Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them”.

Our key scripture is a very profound one. It states that we must be very courageous to act and speak on behalf of God. If any servant of God fails to do so God would confound him before the people or the condition he may be facing. The Bible is filled with countless instances of how certain individuals or group of people overcame very dreadful situations through courageous stands.

1.The huge walls of Jericho were brought down through courage (Joshua 6)

2.David faced Goliath through his courage (1 Sam 17)

3. Jonathan and his armour bearer defeated a whole Philistine army by courage (1 Sam 14)

4. Elijah’s contests with the prophets of Baal was done in great courage (1kings 18:23–40)

5. King Jehoshaphat and the people of Israel defeats multitude of fighters from Ammon and Moab (2 Chronicles 20)

In all these ventures it took courage on the part of the people of God to face supposedly terrible and unsurmountable enemies or oppositions. As they moved forward in courage the great power of God was released to defeat these enemies. Jonathan took on a whole army and slaughtered them terribly. Dear child of God, your fear and decision not to move forward and face that enemy is your real enemy. God always needs a man to express confidence in Him, for Him to do the impossible among men.

 One of the differences between conquerors and non-achievers is courage. It took the courage of David to bring him from obscurity, to the lime light. Stop being afraid for your life and leave your life in God’s hands. Courage simply means standing in the name of God and for Him. How can you ever fail in such a venture? Lift up your head, look ahead, and in the name of the Lord move forward, coming against anything that seems to threaten you. It would succumb because of the Lord who is with you.

CONFESSION

I know the Lord is ever present with me. I speak in His name, as all glory goes to Him

He will always honor His name and bring glory to His name. This is the reason for my courage in trying moments. I can’t be disappointed

FURTHER STUDIES

Exodus 14:13 & 14. KJV” And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

Acts 3:4 –7 KJV. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them, And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Joshua 1:9 KJV” Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest”

Courage is the ability to hold yourself together to face a dreadful situation. It is also one’s ability to maintain his course of action although a threatening condition opposes him. Courage is inevitable because your ability to keep moving forward gives the spirit of God the right to stay with you, and face that condition through you. God is always at work in and trough His servants, therefore discouragement means blocking the channel through which He is going to work. Courage is simply inevitable for God to achieve His works through His servants.

When the Lord called Joshua to take over from Moses, He kept insisting that he must be courageous and not be afraid (Joshua 1:5–9). The power of the enemy in any form cannot be pitched against God’s power. The only way the enemy defeats the children of God is to cause them to respond to the fearful or dreadful situations. The scriptures refer to an event that the children of Israel became so discouraged that, they spoke of returning to Egypt. Num 14:4 KJV “And they said one to another, let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt”. The Bible said Caleb and Joshua had another spirit. They were not discouraged. All those who behaved as defeated ones never got to the promised land.

Courage is a product of one’s faith in God. It is stronger depending on how much one knows God. In the spell of moments of challenges, courage may rise in you, as a result of turning your attention from the situation to consider what God has said. Please note that, a sense of fear may rise in you in the face of dreadful situations, but do not allow it to dominate you, encourage yourself in the Lord as David did. (1 Samuel 30:6) With courage you will overcome.

CONFESSION

I focus on the Lord for my help. He is my strength in times of need. He is forever with me and so I will never be moved by whatever the enemy raises against me. I will not turn away from challenges but will stand to overcome.

FURTHER STUDIES

Joshua 1:9 KJV” Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest”.

1 Samuel 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”.