KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 14:30 KJV” Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.”

What is the strength of the devil over a man?

 It is not the difficulty, or the trouble Satan and His devils put you into, but when he has succeeded in depositing any of his deceptions into you.

The Lord came to the tail end of His ministry and said, the prince of this world comes but he has nothing in Him. The Lord was referring to His suffering and death. Luke 22:53 KJV “When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” It was the hour of the evil one, and God had indeed allowed it.

The Lord described Satan as the Prince of this world. He was the ruler of the world and its systems. As the ruler of the world, he has deposited his ways in his subjects. His ways are basically deceit. Rev 12:9 KJV “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” He has his deception in the people of the world. Sadly, many children of God have allowed some of his deceit to get into them. What are some of the things Satan has in Christians? The following are some of Satan’s ways in Christians? Fear, worry, envy, drunkenness and all the works of the flesh, are listed in Gal 5:19-21. Unbelief and doubt strongly hold that, if he should get into a man, would seriously make Satan mess up   that individual.

The worse weapon that Satan could plant in a man, especially a Christian, is self-centeredness. Self-centeredness is a kind of ‘god’ worshipped by many. This self opposes the Spirit of God in a man. When a man is filled with himself, he becomes an enemy of God. Rom 8:7. The Lord said, he does not have any of these in Him. Remember that the Lord said we must give no place to Satan. Remember, if you give Satan or a demon a foothold, he would take your ‘ body hold’ Whatever, Satan has in you, gives him an edge over you and the right to visit you at will.

To have complete victory over Satan, you must root out everything that comes from him. Lust, must go, fear must die, anxiety and worry must be no more. Unbelief and doubt must be attacked aggressively. You must be free from all forms of carnality.

THOUGHT: A LIFE FREE OF SATAN’S INFLUENCE, IS A LIFE WHICH HAS THE MASTERY OVER SATAN.

FURTHER STUDIES

Gal 5:17 KJV” For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.’

2Corith 10:5 KJV “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 14:28 KJV “Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.”

The Lord explained to His disciples that, He would go away to the Father and come back to them, for the Father is greater than the Son. Does this suggest that the father is superior to the Son? What does it make of the doctrine of the Trinity, where the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three distinct persons yet one God, in essence, co-equal in power, wisdom, and in everything?

Why did the Lord Jesus say the Father is greater than Him? Please let us know that Jesus is one with the Father in nature as God. John 10:30 which says “I and my Father are one”. The Lord had taken on the form of men and had come to do the will of the Father. In the light of His role in the salvation of men, the Father was greater. Consider the various roles of the trinity in the salvation of men according to 1 Peter 1:2 ” 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.” We see in this verse various roles played by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in the redemption of mankind. In this verse, the Father determines men’s salvation, the Holy Spirit sanctifies them, and the Lord Jesus lays His life in ‘obedience ‘ to save men. The Lord Jesus plays the sacrificial role. His role is lesser in ranking compared to that of the Father, yet it is all a cooperative role to save mankind.

In Philippians 2:6,7 the scriptures say; Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:” The Lord had to put aside His glory as God, and became man. As a man, He depended on the Holy Spirit to do all that He had to do. In His capacity as a man, the Father was greater. He made statements like; the day of His coming was in the Father’s domain. He even said, all He did and said came from the Father. At the end of His assignment, He said in John 17:5, that” And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” Over here, the Lord prays to the Father requesting Him to be adorned with the same glory, He had with the Father, before creation. This establishes the fact that He assumed a lesser position, in order to save men with His life or blood, after which, He went back for His original glory.

THOUGHT: JESUS IS GOD, BUT TOOK UP A LESSER STATE AND ROLE TO SAVE MEN; WILL YOU ACCEPT HIS SACRIFICE?

FURTHER STUDIES

 Joh 3:16 KJV” 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.

Rom 5:8 KJV” But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 14:27 KJV “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Man’s life on the earth appears to be under a siege. Natural disasters threaten him around the globe new and clueless diseases assail him all round; war with weapons of mass destruction remains an unavoidable option that may be unleashed on humanity by heartless world leaders, national economic down turns bring untold hardships to most families, and in addition to this array of dangers, are social crimes, like armed robberies and kidnappings. These leave most hearts failing. It is in the foresight of these that the Lord says He leaves His peace with us. He added that, not as the world gives.

What is the difference between the peace that the world gives as compared to the peace that He gives? The peace of the world is a state in which prevailing conditions are calm with no threats to human life (this state is never real). It can also be a state in which certain human provisions promise to secure the life of an individual or a group of people.

The peace given by the Lord, is a supernatural power received by faith, assuring us of Christ presence to protect, provide and promote when necessary. Isaiah 26:3 KJV “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” The peace of God is always possible irrespective of all that has been said above, because the power of the Lord is far and superior to every one of the so-called dangers listed above.

Men through their efforts have tried to prove that, they do not need God. The covid pandemic, set them reasoning one more time, that, man can never do without God.

Isaiah 31:3 “Egyptians are mortal, not God, and their horses are flesh, not Spirit.

When God gives the signal, helpers and helped alike will fall in a heap and share the same dirt grave.”

 Stop depending solely on the arm of the flesh.

Jesus is the prince of peace who always still’s every raging storm when men put their trust in Him. Experiencing the peace of God is a function of our faith in Him. To leave His peace with us is a way of assuring us that, “I will always be with you , just trust in me.” The   assurance of His peace with us, is a sign of His presence with us.

THOUGHT: TO ALWAYS HAVE THE PEACE OF GOD, ALWAYS TRUST IN HIM

FURTHER STUDIES

Phi 4:6 KJV “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Rom 8:6 KJV” For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 14:24 KJV” He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.”

I believe no Christian would say He does not love the Lord Jesus. Well, in our key scripture the Lord shows us those who do not love Him. It says such people do not keep His word.  Anyone who reads the Old Testament of the bible would realise that one main sin that those who did not love God, used to fall into, was idolatry. It was the major point of fall for most of the people. Some of the Kings who fell out of the good books of God, led their people into idol worshipping.

What is the modern form of idol worshipping? This is self-love, or self conteredness.2Ti 3:2 KJV “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,” Idolatry is when anything takes up God’s place in our lives. Sadly, many Christians have loved their personal comfort, such that most of what they do is to satisfy themselves. There are modern day idolators of which some are Christians. The word of God is full of divers’ instructions that we must obey. One of the main instructions that the Lord gave to the church is to win the lost for Him. The Lord kept appearing to the disciples for a period of forty days before going up bodily to heaven. In all these times the main thing He kept telling them, was to be witnesses for Him. Acts 1:3 KJV “To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:”

It was here that He asked them to wait for the promise of the Father, so they could be witnesses for Him. Sadly, many children of God are not witnesses. They are lovers of themselves, or better still, they are ‘idolators.’

Dear child of God, do you love the Lord? Since the year began, how many people have you spoken to about the Lord? Have you been concerned about the young converts, enough to help them stand strong in the Lord? Do you commit your money to the spread of the gospel? How often do you intercede for sinners as well as Christians to stand strong? Is your prayers mainly about yourself, your marriage, your finance, your visa, your conception, and many more? Is all about you, you and you alone? The issue is, you have no love for the master. Now let me show you a truth in the word. The Lord knows or is ‘ one’ with those who love Him.1Co 8:2, 3 KJV “And if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. But if any man love God, the same is known of him.” Dear one, it is not about what you claim to know, it is all about doing what He asked us to do. Those who would be accepted into His kingdom, are those who loved Him, that is those who did or kept His word. Are you a lover of Jesus?

THOUGHT: ONLY LOVERS OF JESUS WOULD BE RAPTURED.

FURTHER STUDIES

2Tim 4:8 KJV” Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing”.

John 14:24 KJV “He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 14:23 KJV “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”

Jesus said in the key scripture that those who love Him, will keep his word. The word of God is His identity on the earth. It is a revelation of what His ability would do and has done. Without His word no man would know Him. Indeed, He has exalted His word above all His names. To keep His word means you love Him, indeed it gives you a very High standing before Him. The Lord says, He and the Father would come to the man who keeps His word. To keep the word is to believe what the word says, and to do it. The[DSA1]  man that keeps God’s word, trembles at the word.

The Lord would come with the Father, and make their headquarters at your heart. The name of the ministry Christ Embassy, which is led by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome was birth out of this verse. He said he kept meditating on this verse till, it took a hold of him. He said, by keeping the word, the Father and Son comes to you, making their headquarters in. He came forth with the declaration that His heart has become the centre of the operation of God. The question that others may ask is, is he claiming he is the only centre of operation of the Spirit of God? Well, he did not say that. You have all the right in this world to also claim that your heart, is the headquarters of the Spirit of God.

What does it mean for the Lord to manifest Himself to you. This means He is going to prove His power in whatever that you do or say. The Lord is always with every child of his, yet those who consciously honour Him, in all they do receive His manifested presence in all they do. Dear one it is the greatest opportunity to have the Monarch of the universe, making your life His residence.

If you have indeed made His word your delight, then you must consciously practice the presence of God. Hold in your mind a consciousness of God’s presence. Worship Him knowing you are right before Him. Wherever you may find yourself chat with Him, bearing in mind He is standing by you, or before you. Never lose sight of His presence. This is what stirs up faith to believe for anything.

THOUGHT: YOU SEE GOD IN YOUR LIFE AS YOU HONOUR HIS WORD

FURTHER STUDIES

1Sam 2:30 KJV Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me forever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

Jas 4:10 KJV ,”Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

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KEY SCRIPTURE: John 14:20 KJV At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

The Lord spoke about a particular day in which the disciples would know that the Son is in the Father, and the disciples are also in the son, and the Son is in them. This is a real mystery. This is why Christianity is unique from other religions. Religions have the followers separate from their deity. They strive to meet the demands of their deity. In Christianity our God lives in us, and we likewise live in Him. The closest of the religions to Christianity is the African traditional religion in which the gods or spirits of the gods live in their subjects, but they do not live in their gods. There is no forgiveness for them, when they break the rules of their gods. To be accepted one more time, they would have to make sacrifices to pacify their gods. In Christianity we come under a principle called grace. It is a favour that our heavenly Father expresses towards us, as a result of the eternal redemption established for us by our Lord Jesus. Heb 9:12 KJV “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

The state of the child of God is a very privileged one. If most children of God should come to terms with where we are located in the Spirit, and as a result the kind of beings that we are, our level of impact and the manifestation of the glory of God would be very high, like our Lord Jesus demonstrated, when He was here. Just consider a statement God reveals about the believer. Eph 3:10 KJV “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,” the verse says God has honoured and raised the believer’s spiritual state to such a level that , the believer or believers are to make known to the principalities the many sided wisdom of God. I find it very intriguing when certain idol worshippers threaten to destroy Christians.

The truth is that certain Christians have ever suffered under the assault of such situations. The question is, what causes such brethren to come under their assault. When the believer does not walk in the light. Usually when he walks in sin. The other stronger principle that makes the Christian vulnerable, is when he or she does not live by the principle of a crucified life. In this state the child of God sees himself as crucified with Christ. His life is sold out to Christ. Every battle he faces is the Lord’s battle. Such a person cannot be destroyed by any evil power. The banner over him is Christ, and that is what any spirit who matches against him would face.

Dear child of God, may we stop living for ourselves, and rather surrender our lives totally to Jesus.

THOUGHT: GOD HAS SHOWN US MERCY, AND WE MUST BE LOST IN HIM TO REALLY EXPERIENCE HIM.

FURTHER STUDIES

1Co 6:17 KJV “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.”

Col 3:3 KJV” For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 14:19 KJV” Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.”

The Lord declared that, when He leaves the disciples into glory, the world would not see Him. He added that His disciples would continue to see Him. The Lord has consistently shown Himself to His disciples. Acts 1:3 KJV” To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:” This was the post resurrection appearances of Jesus to the disciples. God used these visitations to strengthen the disciplines. The Lord said, “His disciples will continue to see Him. How were they going to see Him?” Christians see the Lord as we study and read the scriptures. He is the word of God John 1:1. By reading and meditating on the word of God, Jesus is revealed to us.

We see Him as He  answers  our demands we make in His name. John 14:13 ,14 Every step of faith we take pleases Him, and He responds by answering, therefore manifesting His power. As we go about sharing His word with others, He works with us. Mark 16:20 KJV “And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.”

Jesus reveals Himself through various Christians, as we live by the word of God. God intends to revel His Son Jesus through us. Galatians 1:15-16 KJV “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:” Every Child of God is God’s vessel to reveal His Son. We have to understand we have received the ability to do so, and must yield to the Spirit’s leading always. Please note that your call as a child of God is to make Jesus known, first, by your life, and by your speech.

Finally, the Lord comes to many of His children through visions of all kinds. Our Lord has appeared physically to some Christians, or audibly spoken to them. Jesus indeed went  to the heavens, yet through the Holy Spirit with us ,we see and  fellowship with Him in various ways.

THOUGHT: JESUS WENT PHYSICALLY TO HEAVEN, YET BECAUSE OF THE SPIRIT, WE SEE HIM ALWAYS

FURTHER STUDIES

Phi 1:20 KJV” According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.”

Mark 16:20 KJV “And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 14:18 KJV “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.’

In the above key scripture, the Lord said He will not leave His disciples comfortless. The word, comfortless is the Greek word ‘orphanous’, out of which we have the word, orphans. There are occasions when believers go through certain events that it appears the Lord is very far away. Some even feel the Lord is not there. Dear one, the Lord says He will never leave us as orphans. The presence of the Spirit in you is the Lord Jesus with you. The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Truth. This means He would communicate the truth to you always.  The Lord said He would come to us.  Jesus is with you as are reading this piece.

The Lord also said the Holy Spirit will be with us and will be in us. He is with us to lead us; He is with us to protect us. He is with us to fellowship with us. We must enjoy Him through worship and prayer. Learn to ask Him about matters that are of concern to you. When you ask a question, wait for Him to respond. 2Cor 13:14 KJV “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen”. There is so much we have not known about the Lord, as we maintain our communion or fellowship with the Spirit, we get to know Him more and more.

The Lord also said the Spirit would be in us. In 1 John 2:27 “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him”. The Holy Spirit in the believer according to this verse is the anointing. Every believer has the Holy Spirit in Him, and so has the anointing. The word Christian, means, the anointed one. Every Christian is anointed. Never think you are not anointed. The flow of the anointing in a man is dependent on his faith in God, and in His word. God gives of His fulness to us. Eph 3:19 KJV “And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” If the Holy Spirit is in you, then you are full of power.

THOUGHT: YOU ARE NEVER ALONE, AND YOU ARE ALWAYS FULL OF POWER.

FURTHER STUDIES

Acts 1:8 KJV “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

Acts 6:8 KJV” And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 14:16 KJV” And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;”

The Comforter who is the Holy Spirit is just like Jesus Christ, come in the form of the Spirit. Ps Benny Hinn says the Holy Spirit is Jesus Christ unlimited. That is He cannot be confined to one location at a time. The Lord said, He would ask the father to send another Comforter. The word Comforter in the Greek is parakletos. It means  one called alongside or called near  to help .The Comforter is one who pleads another’s course before  a  judge as a lawyer. He is a Counsellor who advises in the right ways. He is also our strengthener. In whatever areas of life that one may need divine or physical strength to function in every way possible, He grants   that strength.

The Comforter or Holy Spirit came to play the place of Jesus in the life of the Christian. He came that the believer should live constantly in fellowship with God, and express the nature and life that our Lord Jesus manifested whiles He was physically on earth. One of the biggest errors of most Christians, is the poor understanding of who the Holy Spirit is. The Holy Spirit is the Father in us. John 14:10. The Holy Spirit is God, with unlimited power. He has unlimited wisdom and everything we need to stand out in this life. All we need is to be aware of the awesome presence that is in us. We have to approach life as our Lord Jesus did. He spent moments fellowshipping with the Spirit and learning from the Holy Spirit.

From our key scripture, the Lord said that, the Holy Spirit will live with us forever more. Beloved brother and sister you do not need to see Jesus in His physical form to know He is with you; He is already and forever with you. He never leaves you. He has almighty power in you. Let your confidence and audacity rise up. Get bold, set your life free from every sinful way, and give Him full charge over your life. He is forever with you, irrespective of the place, time or the people or person you are with. Please meditate on this study and allow your life to be greatly transformed.

THOUGHT: GIVE A PROPER REVERENTIAL ATTENTION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.

FURTHER STUDIES

Isa 63:10 KJV “But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore, he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.”

Luke 4:1 KJV” And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 14:15 KJV If ye love me, keep my commandments.

The Lord expresses a very important point to His disciples in our key scripture. He said if a man loves Him then he would keep His word. The Lord has been speaking about His relation to the Father as well as working the work of Christ, and even doing greater. The Lord said it takes love to do all these things or walk in them. Love for the Lord is the highest principle or law that would make a man to stand out in life. God’s greatest commandment is that we might love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind.

Loving God is that which brings a man to be accepted by God.1Co 8:3 KJV ‘But if any man love God, the same is known of him’. One can profess to serve the Lord yet without any love for the Lord. Many serve God purposely to have certain material blessings. This is an error, for love for Him should be the basis of all that we do for Him.2Co 5:14 KJV “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:” Apostle Paul was motivated into loving the Lord because he came to terms with the love God had for him. Appreciating God’s love is the answer to having that right relationship with God.

David was a man who lived most of His days to honour and please the master. David took time to appreciate God through meditating on the goodness of God and His greatness, by considering the works of His hands. Psalms 143:5 KJV” I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.” Take time to consider God’s power and love for us in the abundant mercies and goodness that He has shown us. This is what stirs up the love in us.1Jn 4:19 KJV” We love him, because he first loved us.” When a man comes to understand these things, He turns the focus from himself unto God. When a man comes to terms with the fact that, pleasing God, is the reason for living, then has he or she found the meaning to being alive.

THOUGHT: LOVE FOR GOD, BEGINS WITH APPRECIATING HIS LOVE FOR US

FURTHER STUDIES

1Jn 4:16 KJV “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”

 2Co 5:15 KJV” And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”