KEY SCRIPTURE: Eph 2:10 KJV “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

We are living at a time when times are not normal, yet the child of God must never lose sight of who He or she is. Our key scripture says we have been created from the very nature of our Lord Jesus. This is revealed in the teaching of the vine and the branches. The branch is made from whatever the vine is made from John 15:1-16. This scriptural revelation shows us that we should never accept any condition, or words about ourselves, that are contrary to who we are.

As workers in any establishment, you are the light, you are the truth, and you are the hope of the place. Do not allow any pressure whatsoever to allow you to conform to any contrary lifestyle. Some believers who go out of their family locations to new places to work begin to live very differently from their calling as Christians. Some always leave the place having babies with other women. It is rather amazing that, at the funerals of certain men, different women come along with children, claiming they were fathered by that brother. This is very different from who you are. Living this way, would find yourself in hell fire. Our key scripture says you are the workmanship of God, you have been created in Christ Jesus for only good works.

The Lord knew He was on earth to do good works. He said I am the light of the world. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil. Acts 10:38.

The Lord showed us that to bear fruit or to do good works, we must abide in Him. Maintain your fellowship, through prayer, bible reading, and study, bible meditation, fellowshipping with other Christians, and doing all that you learn. Daily affirm that you are the light of the world. Affirm also that, no wrong act will proceed from your life. Tell yourself you will overcome every evil condition with good. When others are mischievous decide you would exhibit the life of the Spirit. Forgive those who walk in the flesh and do negative things. In moments of temptation to act out of anger, quickly tell yourself, I am of the Spirit and cannot manifest anything wrong. Your words will always rule you.

CONFESSION

I am made to manifest only good things. Nothing makes me do wrong or walk in the flesh. I live in the Spirit and produce acts of the Spirit. I have a great life of love, peace, success, health, and prosperity.

THOUGHT: ACCEPT THAT YOU LIVE TO MANIFEST ONLY GOOD WORKS, AND THAT WOULD BE YOUR EXPERIENCE.

FURTHER STUDIES

Gal 5:16 KJV” This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”

Gal 5:22 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: 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.

In our key scripture, the Lord laid bare His qualification terms for one to be called a disciple. He says you will not be part of Him if you do not adhere to what He presented. He said to be His disciple, you must hate your father, mother, wife or husband, children, siblings, and your very life.  The Lord added that His disciples must take up His cross and follow Him. Your cross is not anything He has redeemed us from like our sins, sicknesses, or poverty, but anything that has to do with choosing His way as against choosing our way. It means He must come first in all that we choose to do.

The Lord does not just make empty demands but whatever He tells us comes from His love for us as well as His wisdom that surpasses all things. The Christian life is purely a spiritual life that could not be led by any man in his natural capacity as a man. Plucking your heart from every other thing to love the Master gives Him the right to live His life through us. In Matt. 10:40 the Lord added that when a man has fulfilled the demand to love Him above all other things, He said in verse 40 that “He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth the one who sent me”

What is the meaning of this statement?

It means the child of God who accepts to love the Lord above himself and every other thing has entered into a covenant relationship with Him.

Remember he loved us above Himself to die for us and we must also love Him above ourselves to complete that covenant pact of really becoming one with Him.

When we believe in Him, we are one with Him yet it becomes practical and experiential when we also love Him above ourselves. This cements our relationship with Him and we will be ready to believe in Him under any condition. Until this is done, He can’t stand for you because you have not crossed the death line. Please note I don’t mean dying physically, but rather dying in your heart and mind to yourself, your family, and the world. It is only by your death that you can partake of Him and everything that belongs to Him.

CONFESSION:

Dear lord Jesus, I accept to love you above myself, my relations, and my interests and also to carry my cross every day of my life. Thank you, Lord, for bringing me unto a solid covenant pact with you.

THOUGHT: TO LOVE THE LORD ABOVE EVERY OTHER THING RELEASES US INTO TRUE ONENESS WITH JESUS.

FURTHER STUDIES

John 12:24, 25KJV 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. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

Matt 10:37 KJV “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”

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

Who is the just? The just are those who live by trusting God. Heb 10:38 KJV” Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draws back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him”. The just also means, those whose ways please the Lord, since they live by faith according to Heb 11:6. The just also have righteousness being imputed on their account. Romans 4:3 KJV” For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”

From the above, we learn that they just walk in the ways or according to the word of God. They take time to learn from God’s word 2 Tim 2:15 KJV” Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” He is not put to shame because, through study or diligence he has come to know the right ways of life, and therefore treads thereby. He has a lamp unto his feet and a light unto his path. He does not stumble, for He is like the man whom Jesus said walks in the day, and so has the light of the day. John 11:9 KJV” Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walks in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.”

Our key scripture says His way, is like the shining light, that keeps shining unto the perfect day.

The path of the just is the way of rest. He does not fret about what happens around Him. This man constantly celebrates the Lord for His victories which is his victory as well. The just has a continuous stream of victory.

The Bible is full of characters who threaded on the path of the just. One such man was King David. He wrote the Lord is my shepherd, and so I shall not want.  He added, thou I walk through the valley of the shadows of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. King David lived His life in the presence of God and kept shining till he left the earth scene. David fought several battles and lost none David came into the limelight because he trusted God when he fought Goliath. His way was the path of the just. The Bible taught that the way of the wicked is as darkness, they know not when they stumble. The wicked are not necessarily the murderers, but they would not trust in the Lord. Live your in the word and enjoy an abundance of God’s light

CONFESSION

I live and walk on the path of the just. My life is simply based and dependent on the infallible word of God. He keeps me winning daily until that perfect day when we Shall meet in glory.

THOUGHT: KEEP YOUR WAYS SHINNING BY STAYING WITH THE WORD

FURTHER STUDIES

Prov 3:5 KJV” Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

Heb 11:6 KJV But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 17:1 KJV” These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:’

I was once in a meeting in which the speaker for that night prayed and said, “Father glorify me that I may also glorify you” I asked myself what does this man mean by such a statement or prayer? I also think he picked the whole idea from our key scripture. I believe that asking the Father to glorify him meant, God should work miracles to show His approval of him. This is not wrong. It is not proper for any man to ask the Father to glorify him. We do nothing for our glory, but for the Lord to be glorified. If God uses a man to work miracles, it is never a sign of him being glorified. Working miracles reveals God’s glory. God is the one who always confirms the words of men to bring glory to His name. The Holy Spirit is in you to glorify Jesus.

When we were born again, He glorified us by seating us in Christ, far above all principalities and powers. Eph 2:6 KJV “And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” (Read Rom 8:29)

The Lord had come to the end of His ministry on earth and needed to take back His glory as God, so He prayed to the Father as follows.  “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” When He walked the shores of this earth, He lived as a man who trusted and depended on the Holy Spirit in all that He said and did.

 One may ask, why did the Lord have to ask the Father to glorify Him, since it was obvious that the Father would glorify Him? He said this prayer to the hearing of His disciples for one main reason.

This prayer establishes the fact that He is God. The Lord knew very well that His deity would be greatly contended by many, yet it was a very important truth for everyone who seeks to follow Him to accept.

Everyone who reads this prayer will cease to have any doubts about His deity.

THOUGHT: JESUS IS GOD, AND ALL MEN MUST KNOW IT.

FURTHER STUDIES

1 Tim 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.”

Titus 2:13 KJV “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 17:1 KJV” These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:”

In our key scripture, the Lord said as the Father glorifies Him, He would intend to glorify the Father. The Lord led His whole life to glorify the Father. The reason for man’s existence is to glorify the Father. We were created to please Him. How does God do it? He takes His abode in us to express Himself through us. It was a very big loss to God when man fell from God’s grace into sin. The scripture said, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. God expresses His glory through man as He dwells in man. 1 Corinthians 3:16 KJV says “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”

The Lord had led His life to glorify the Father in every way, He was at the last lap to glorify the Father, at the time He made this prayer. He was about to suffer total shame, total pain, and total rejection. This was the climax of pleasing and bringing glory to the Father. At this point, He was going to bear the sins and sicknesses of the whole world. He was going to be forsaken by the Father because He had become sin. 2nd Corinth 5:21.

Men who were lost to sin and through the obedience of Jesus, would be redeemed. God was indeed to be glorified. God would win His most treasured creatures back home. This was a real glory to God.

 We also glorify God when we submit our wills and live to please Him. The greatest glory to give God is to win many souls for the Lord. John 15:8 KJV” Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so, shall ye be my disciples”. Would you do your life a favour by winning souls unto the Lord?

THOUGHT: GLORIFYING GOD IS THE BEST MEANING YOU CAN GIVE YOUR LIFE

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.”

John 15:8 KJV” Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Rom 8:30 KJV “Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

Glory is beauty, splendour, exaltation, honour, to be above, and many more. Our Lord Jesus intends to bring men into glory or glorification. When man was created in the beginning, God placed him over all His creation. This was a glorified state. Man was glorified from the beginning, yet sin dethroned him, and the serpent assumed that exalted state. The serpent became the God of the world. 2 Corinth 4:4. The Lord came with a mind to lift men from the dust of sin and place him, not just over the earth, but where the Lord sits and remains glorified forever.

The process of salvation was not the end of God’s plan for mankind. It was a means to an end. We see this in our key scripture. It said, the Lord predestinate those He knew, and then, called them to respond to His saving power. As they responded and believed in Jesus, He justified them or made them righteous. Those that have been made righteous He has also glorified. This is a place of enthronement. Please, this is demonstrated in our seating with the master at the right hand of the Father. Eph 1:21, in comparison to Eph 2:6, means we are seated far above all Principalities, powers, dominion, and every other throne. There is another glory that would be revealed at the close of history, yet we are presently glorified. In John 17;24, the Lord prayed that those of us who are born again will be at where he is presently.  We are glorified with Him.

In Isaiah 42:8, the Lord said He would not share or give His glory to another. This has made some to say God says He would not give His glory to anyone, including men like us. The context of the scripture refers to another god. Listen to what the Lord said in the following verse. John 17:22 KJV” And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: From what we just read, would the Lord give His glory to men who are saved? The answer is definitely yes.

We said from the beginning that glory is beauty, splendour, honour, exaltation, and also weighty. All these adjectives reveal people of significance and impact. Our lives must be very impactful. God, our Father desires that His glory fill the whole earth through His children. Jesus said that unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it abides alone, but if it dies, it will multiply. THE BRIDGE BETWEEN OUR PRESENT GLORIFICATION AND MANIFESTATION IS TO DIE TO SELF LIKE A SEED.

CONFESSION

My Lord Jesus came to lift me from the dust of sin to His glorious position at the Father’s right hand. I am honoured, blessed, and endued with glory. I offer my life as a seed to truly show forth this glory to fulfill the Father’s desire of filling the earth, with His glory.

THOUGHT: HE GLORIFIED US TO GLORIFY HIS NAME

FURTHER STUDIES

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: Luke 22:40 KJV” And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.”

 The Lord Jesus gave so much of His time to pray. His disciples saw Him pray so much that, they asked Him to teach them to pray. Luke 11:1.

He expressed His attitude to prayer through the many statements He made about prayer. He taught that prayer is indispensable and that men should not stop praying. Luke 18:1 KJV “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;”

The Lord showed that praying can keep us from getting into temptations. What did He mean by temptation in the context of what He was saying? The Lord demonstrated this as He prayed fervently just before His arrest and subsequent suffering. He endured the challenge that came His way. From this event, we see temptation as a condition that overwhelms you. The scripture said an angel came to strengthen Him.

The Lord also demonstrated that before making a major decision, especially concerning choosing among some people to undertake a particular role with you, you have to spend a great deal of time praying to receive God’s will concerning the right person to choose. Luke 6:12 KJV “And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” Are you a leader? Let prayer lead before you make major decisions.

Prayer was the life of Christ, and it is to be our life too He always kept communication lines with the Father. Remember, prayer is not a one-way affair. It is a dialogue between man and God, our father.

PRAYER

Father, you are the source of my life, as well as my true dependence. Through prayer, I receive guidance and provisions for what I cannot do or get by my effort. Thanks for your love and your ears that are ever ready to hear me.

THOUGHT: PRAYING IS YOUR LIFE, FOR GOD IS YOUR SOURCE AND DEPENDENCE.

FURTHER STUDIES

Psalms 34:15 KJV “The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.”

1Thess 5:17 KJV “Pray without ceasing.”

KEY SCRIPTURE;” Luke 19:10. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

The Lord Jesus revealed right from the beginning His intentions for the lost. In Luke 2:49, He said He must be about my father’s business. What was the Father’s business? This was for the salvation of the lost.

In our key scripture, He said, for the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. This call was the drive and motivation of His life. In light of this, He devises a plan to get the task well executed. After His baptism and waiting before the Lord in fasting and prayers, He decided to choose men who would be with Him and then continue with the work after He had given His life for all humanity. “And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,” Mark 3:14.

When the Lord was visited by Nicodemus, Jesus expounded to him what was in the plan of God for all men. He showed him that as Moses lifted the serpent in the wilderness, so will He be lifted up. In this state, He revealed how He will save the world through dying on the cross, as well as how He will become a symbolic serpent or sin for all so that as many who would believe in Him, will receive a substitution of their being. They would become the righteousness of God, as He, Jesus, become sin or serpent which must die. Jesus revealed that this act of God is an expression of His heart for all men. God wants all men saved. This is the heart desire of the Lord Jesus for the lost. He had to become sin, or in a more demonstrative way, a serpent for all mankind, whose sin has made us evil like the proverbial serpent.

The salvation of the lost is the motivation for all the shame, pain, rejection, and suffering that He had to go through. Now, He is calling on every saved one to have the same heart and mind toward the lost. Apostle Paul said, “I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians; both to the wise and to the unwise.” Romans 1:14.

We are likewise debtors to anyone who is lost. We must not be adamant about any lost person. The cost, and loss of a man dying in his or her sin are unimaginable. Suffering agelessly in hell fire, and then subsequently being cast into the lake of fire after the end of all things.

CONFESSION

I am very much aware of the heart of the Lord towards all the lost. I likewise commit my heart and might to reaching out to the lost I encounter as well as reaching out to others who are far away.

THOUGHT: HAVE THE HEART OF CHRIST TOWARDS THE LOST.

FURTHER STUDIES

John 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

1 Corinthians 9:16. “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 4:4 KJV “And he must needs go through Samaria.”

The Lord Jesus did not function on earth in His full capacity as God. This could be understood in the prayer He prayed before He was arrested and crucified.  John 17:5 KJV” And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” We see in the immediate verse that before Jesus left the earth, He asked the Father to give him the glory He had with Him before the world began. Jesus lived as a man who depended fully on the Holy Spirit. We also have the same provision in our time. We can likewise live as He did.

From our key scripture, it was said, that Jesus, needed to go through Samaria. We now consider the Lord’s attitude to strategic actions. The Lord Jesus throughout His ministry was never late or ever too early such that He failed to do what He was supposed to do. He was always on time to do the right things. Whenever He made statements like, ‘ it was not time for Him to do a miracle when a miracle was in demand’, then He expected the people to express their faith in Him. This could be seen when His mother came to Him at the wedding feast. The Lord led a successful strategic life because He knew He could do nothing without the Holy Spirit. I believe He always asked the Holy Spirit, what would you want me to do? He said I do nothing, but what I see my father do. John 5:19.

Jesus knew when to start His ministry and when to bring His ministry to an end. The Lord had three and a half years to fulfill His task of announcing the kingdom of God as well as the kingdom life, and also dying on the cross to resurrect on the third day. Each person He encountered and ministered to was on schedule.

He was not going to leave anything to chance. How was He able to achieve such a level of success? He did all this by depending on the Holy Spirit. He fellowshipped often with the Spirit.

He had a mind never to make a mistake or do anything that displeased the father. His desire to please the Father made Him the master strategist in all He did.

PRAYER

Father, I pray that I may always incline my ears to the voice of the Spirit and be able to hear whatever He tells me. Give me that heart that continually seeks to please you always. I pray in Jesus’ name.

THOUGHT: A READY HEART FOR GOD WILL DO WHAT HE TELLS YOU.

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.

John 5:19 KJV Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

Matt 6:15 KJV” But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

To forgive is to let go of an offense and the person who caused it from your heart such that you no longer feel bitter or offended towards them. To forgive therefore demands two things letting go of the act and the person from your heart.

Our Lord Jesus taught extensively about forgiveness and the great importance for forgiving those who offend us. During His days He taught that those who fail to forgive their offenders will not be forgiven. When Peter asked how often should he forgive those who offend him, the Lord answered, Matt 18:22 KJV “Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven”. What did the Lord mean by this statement? He meant we must forgive without limit. It also means bearing no grudge in your heart against no one.

In Matt 18:35 the Lord taught that for one’s forgiveness to be accepted before the father it must be an issue from the heart. I have encountered persons who have been offended, when it comes to forgiving the offender, their facial expressions show that they still bear the pain of the offense and so.  they are not able to freely talk to their offenders. They have not forgiven from their heart.

The Lord held to the view that to live a happy life and to receive the goodwill of others, we must learn to forgive them. Luke 6:37 KJV” Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:” The Lord reveals in this passage that, whatever you do to and for others will be surely done for you, but in this time, you will receive it in a multiplied way. He said, what you give would be given back to you in a good measure, pressed down, shaken together running over will men give to you.

The Lord taught that without forgiving others’ faults, one’s prayers cannot be answered. Mark 11:25 KJV” And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

Why is the Lord so concerned about forgiving one another? All men are in the image of God and so every evil against any man ultimately goes against God. The Lord taught that, if you come to the altar of sacrifice, only to remember your brother holds a grudge against you, just stop your sacrifice, go to your neighbour, and settle the issue before you bring your sacrifice. Matt 5:24 KJV “Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first, be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”

 God cannot be pleased when his word has been broken in our relationship with our fellow man.

CONFESSION

Thank you, dear father, for showing us the way of forgiveness. You forgave us when we killed and reproached you. I also forgive all those who offend me Indeed I forgive them from my heart, with no ill feelings whatsoever

THOUGHT:  FORGIVE, FOR NO OFFENSE CAN BE COMPARED TO OUR OFFENSE AGAINST JESUS.

FURTHER STUDIES

Matt 18:35 KJV “So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”

Luke 6:37 KJV “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:”