Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works: (2 Timothy 4:14 KJV)
Here we see Paul extremely hurt by whatever Alexander the coppersmith has done. Judging from Paul’s tone, whatever harm Alexander has done is probably either towards him or towards the church of God.
Paul later said,
Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words. (2 Timothy 4:15 KJV)
In Weymouth New Testament translation, it says,
Alexander the metal-worker showed bitter hostility towards me: the Lord will requite him according to his doings.
Now, in life, we will meet with a lot of people that will do us much evil. There will be several metal workers who want to use their metals on you! We will meet with a lot of people that will try to harm us.
We might have experienced deep hurts and wounds from those that jilted us. We might have gone through bitter experiences from people who used us and then dumped us. We might have encountered people that insulted our intelligence and tried to play smart on us. We might have been met people that promised heaven and earth and later abandoned us. We might have experienced the greatest levels of betrayals, wherein, the closest friend of ours betrayed us.
Those kinds of experiences are deep seated, the hurts are strongly rooted, the bitterness breathes within, live magma, waiting for an opportunity of a volcanic eruption, to cause untold damage and harm.
In all of these, we must learn from Apostle Paul. We must learn to sheath the sword like Apostle Paul did.
Yes, he was hurt, and he actually verbalized it when he said, “Alexander the coppersmith did me MUCH evil…”
No doubt he was hurt and must have gone through a very painful, heart wrenching experience…but in all of these, he simply said,
“…the Lord reward him according to his work!”
In as much as this is not what the flesh wants to do, I believe this is the best attitude to take when you have been deeply hurt!
Commit the situation into God’s hands. Let God judge the matter! Let God fight for you. When God fights for you, you have the privilege of dealing with your enemy without lifting a finger and without bitterness, and God also compensates you! That is the beauty of it!
Did you see the classic film, “Woman thou art loosed” by Bishop T.D.Jakes?
That lady that was raped and had her innocence taken away at a tender age still ended in jail because she took laws into her hands by shooting the man that hurt her! The prison experience would probably get her bitter than ever!
But you can choose to let God handle it. When you allow God to judge the matter, you let go of the hurt in your heart and await a compensation that only God can bring.
I want you to hand it all over to God. The guy, the lady, the man, the woman, who did you much evil, hand it over to God. Don’t go on with any hurt! Let God reward them according to the works of their hands. That is when it is sweetest!
As you do that that, you will receive healing for every hurt and wound, and God will compensate you heavily! Were you abandoned? Thank God you knew him or her before marriage! If he didn’t go, how will the right person show up!
I pray for you this morning, God will compensate you heavily for every harm, hurt or evil in Jesus name!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I refuse to be bitter
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, help me to let go of all hurt
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. (Luke 6:28 KJV)
Yesterday, we considered a few things to note about pressures.
We discussed that;
1. Pressures come to everybody 2. Nobody can put pressures on you unless you allow that person.
Let’s conclude this morning.
3. You can stop the pressures when you want to When you really want to stop the pressures, you simply stop seeing the person in question. You press the ‘disconnect’ button. You stop picking his or her call. You see, the moment communication lines are kept open; the pressures would keep coming! You say somebody is putting pressure on you and yet you are ‘flashing’ the person with your phone? Who is really putting the pressures?
4. Be sincere with yourself. Do you really want to stop the pressures or are you enjoying it? If you want to stop it, you won’t be like Samson, rather you will follow the example of Joseph.
What was the difference?
Joseph ran away at the face of sexual pressures. Samson thought he could handle the pressures, but he lost his life eventually. Look at what Delilah did to Samson:
And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; (Judges 16:16 KJV)
That is what I call pressure! But he didn’t run away. He thought he could handle it. He was wrong.
Joseph was pressured too! Look at the scriptures:
She pestered him day after day after day, but he stood his ground. He refused to go to bed with her. (Genesis 39:10 Message)
He stood his ground, and eventually ran away! That is what you do at the face of pressures. Run! Don’t bother to speak in tongues or spiritualize it, just run away!
Are there people around you that you need to run away from? Are there some Delilahs, some Amnons and some Mrs Potiphars? Wicked men? Evil men? Strange women? Liars? Impostors? Deceivers? Manipulators? Think about it! You have a responsibility to protect your life and destiny by the decisions you make and the people you give access to! Selah!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am not under undue pressures. I have liberty in God.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Ask God to give you strength to handle pressures.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me:and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.(Genesis 39:12 KJV)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Disconnect from people putting pressures on you
Pressures can come from different sources. Pressures can come from the devil, they can come from your friends, they can come from your environment, and they can come from within you.
Here are a few things to note about pressures.
1. Pressures come to everybody Everybody experiences one form of pressure at one point or the other. From the pews to the pulpit, from the laity to the clergy, from the janitor to the archbishop, from the person that got born again yesterday, to the one that has been in the faith for twenty years! As long as you are human, you will experience one form of pressure or the other.
The fact that pressures come to everybody is also an indication that tells you that you are not in that alone. There are no custom made pressures, and there is no pressure that you are facing that somebody, somewhere has not faced before.
Here is the scripture:
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV)
Even Jesus Christ had pressures! That is why the Bible says
We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all––all but the sin. (Hebrews 4:15 Message)
2. Nobody can put pressures on you unless you allow that person. Everybody that is putting pressures on you, be it sexual, physical or mental, you have allowed them one way or the other.One of the greatest gifts that God has given you is the gift of time. 24 hours that you live yesterday was time spent, but it was also a portion of your life that can’t be relived again. Those hours are gone into oblivion. The question is who have you given access to in your life, directly or indirectly?
Anybody you spend time with and listen to, you have just given them access into your life and permission to carry out whatever ulterior motives they had.
The moment you spend time with that unbeliever, you have just given him access to put pressures on you. The moment you go out on date with your boss who is married, you have just given him access to put pressure on you. The moment you report your spouse to your colleague or your boss at work, you have just given him or her permission to put pressures on you! The moment you keep spending time with that fellow all in the name of being taught tutorials, you have just given such a person access into your life.
I will show you more ways to handle pressures tomorrow.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am not under undue pressures. I have liberty in God.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Ask God to give you strength to say NO at the right times.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me:and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.(Genesis 39:12 KJV)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Disconnect from people putting pressures on you
There are two things in life that are so important and pertinent that if you can have them, you are good to go. They are two things you need in relationships, marriage and life. They are the two things you need at work, in your school, in your business and in every sphere of life.
The Presidents of nations will pay millions to get these two things and the common man will desperately search for them. What are these two things?
These two things have caused not a few to dabble into the occult and some other terrains that are dangerous.
People are willing to pay millions for these two things. Some die in their bid to get them and some even lose their lives when they fail to get it right. Some have committed suicide at their inability to have these two things.
Everyday of our lives, we are trying to answer these two questions. We make decisions based on our projections on these two things.
What are these two things?
1. Profitability or fruitfulness 2. Direction or Navigation
That is the summary of success in life. The young girl wants to know who to fall in love with. That’s direction. She also wants to know whether it will last or be fruitful and then lead to marriage. That’s profitability.
The young man wants to know which career to follow or business to do. That’s direction. He also wants to know whether it will eventually make him rich. That is profitability.
The minister of God wants to know what God will have him do. Is it a church or an itinerant ministry? That’s direction. He also wants to know whether the church will grow or the itinerant ministry will prevail. That is profitability.
And it goes on like that all through life. We are constantly tying to search and check. Will it prosper? Is it the right direction?
Life without a compass can be frustrating. One can be lost in the meandering paths of life without a navigation system. There is nothing as tiring as proceeding on a journey without direction. And after you have direction, what will I do when I get there? We are all in a race, so says Apostle Paul, but then to where? Speed in the wrong direction can be a tragedy of life.
God gave me a scripture that answers with all finality what I have been discussing with you this morning. Direction and Profitability!
Here is the scripture.
Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. (Isaiah 48:17 KJV)
This scripture nailed it all.
I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit – Profitability.
I am the Lord thy God which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go – Direction.
In studying some of these words in Hebrew from where they are translated, I saw some beautiful truths.
The word “teacheth” is “lamad” and it means amongst other things, “to diligently and expertly instruct” Do you believe God is an expert enough to teach you in your relationship, marriage, career, business and so on?
And then, the word that interested me most and caused an explosion of revelation within me is this. The word “Profit” is “yaal” and it means to “properly ascend,” to be “valuable” and “useful”
I know you have ascended a little in life, but we are talking about “to properly ascend!” God is about to expertly and diligently instruct you to properly ascend and to be valuable and useful!
And then He says He will lead you in the way to go. The right man to get married to, the right lady to go after, the business to choose and the career to settle with.
Get ready as God teaches you to profit and also leads you in the way to go! When you have these two things; success is inevitable!
I see God teaching you and leading you! It is difficult in the natural realm to have these two together. A good teacher may not know how to lead. A good leader may not know how to teach. But in God, we have both! You will succeed. God will lead you. He will teach you. You will no longer be confused! The light of God dawns upon your soul right now.
From this morning, you know what to do and where to go. You will no longer draw a blank, God is your teacher and you leader. From this morning, you will no longer be lost in the maze and turns of life that leads nowhere, you will have direction and you will profit! Why? God said so! Go ahead and speak that into your life!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am led and taught by God.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Pray that God will lead you to your right partner.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Isa 48:17 (BBE) The Lord who takes up your cause, the Holy One of Israel, says, I am the Lord your God, who is teaching you for your profit, guiding you by the way in which you are to go.
If you are a member of KHC, get ready to move! Yes, I hear the Spirit of God say, in areas of your lives where things have been static and stagnant, there is about to be a rumbling, and a movement that will turn every captivity around and put an end to disappointments!
Let’s take a look at this scripture that the Lord woke me up with.
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. (Exodus 14:13 KJV)
Moses was asking the people to stand still here. And some of you have stood still for a while.
You have fasted. You have prayed. You have done all you know to do. Things have stood still for a while. The man was not forthcoming. You couldn’t seem to find the right lady. The business has not been buoyant. Currency that is meant to flow stood still. Admission to higher institutions seemed pending.
But I love the next statement!
“…for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever.”
The failure you saw in the past months, you will see them no more!
The disappointments you saw in the past months, you will see them no more!
The abandonment, the jilting experiences, you will see them no more!
The strings of tragedies, the premature loss of loved ones, you will see them no more!
The reality of poverty and lack intertwined, you will see them no more!
The depression and despondency, the literal emotional upheavals, you will see them no more!
The rejection, the seemingly trail of curses, you will see them no more!
The delay, the disfavor, the loss of opportunities, you will see them no more!
Look at the next verse:
The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. (Exodus 14:14 KJV)
You see, this year, God will fight for you! That is why He is saying Press forth! You want to ask, how will I press forth? Where are the resources? How will I do it? God says, keep shut your mouth and stop asking questions of doubt, I have got your back covered! Glory to God!
And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: (Exodus 14:15 KJV)
Here God said, Look Moses, the people have stood still for a while, stop crying to me, take some action! Press forth! Go forward! Stop complaining and making doubtful statements, move!
Message translation says “…order them to get moving!”
I come in the name of the Lord and by the Spirit of God this morning and proclaim to all KHCites, “Get moving!” There is divine energy to move right now!
But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. (Exodus 14:16 KJV)
Press forth this year! You will go on dry ground. The ground will not swallow you. This year, you will not slip under the ground. The ground has been solidified for you! The ground of marriage, the ground of business, the ground of academic achievement, the ground of professional careers, have been made ready for you!
Get moving this year. Write that book. Publish that material. Start that business. Start that blog! Press forth! Get married! Begin the idea!
The sea has been divided for you. The hindrances have been disgraced. The obstructions have been divided. The sea has been “unsead” That courtship that is almost becoming everlasting because of funds, you are about to press forth because God will supernaturally provide!
Get ready this year to Press forth!
Press forth into your destiny. Press forth into God’s plan for your life! I come with a trumpet in my mouth this morning, and I blow upon all KHCites, PRESS FORTH!
Quit looking back. The sinful and oppressive lifestyles of Egypt, should be relinquished. No more frolicking with demons of iniquity! No more locked in the false embrace of a guy or lady, no more covered with the sheets of sexual perversion, it is a new day!
It is a new day for you! Press forth!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am pressing forth this month! No more disappointments!
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, I receive energy to press forth in Jesus name
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY God will fight the battle for you. And you? You keep your mouths shut! ” (Exodus 14:14 Message)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Write down areas where you need to look beyond disappointments and press forth!
One of the greatest challenges that a man will face is how to care of his wife. This is not because a man is reluctant to do so, but simply because the definition of care in a man’s brain is sometimes exact opposite of how a lady defines care. I am not talking about when you’ve just fallen in love. Mostly at that time, your eyes are not open to reality then. At the times when you’ve just fallen in love, everything he does is okay and everything she does is okay!
A woman sees C-A-R-E as availability, attention and some good money! A man often sees C-A-R-E as money, money and money, and that is where the problem is?
Didn’t I just send you money? How can you say I don’t care? Didn’t I just send you to Dubai? You see, a woman that truly loves you doesn’t mind going to Dubai, but she doesn’t want to go alone! She wants to go with you!
I know there are some women who see C-A-R-E as money, money and money! This isn’t a genuine love, and at the end of the day, they are still frustrated despite the money because the real need is never met!
This is the bane of ladies who are of marriageable age, but refuse to love and be loved appropriately because of some man who is giving them money or who rents an apartment for them somewhere.
You call them big girls, but they are really small inside! The big girls are not the ones spending some ill-gotten money that they accumulated from using their bodies as a commodity; the big girls are the ones who refuse to compromise in the face of provocation, who decides to stand up for God!
If you are engaged to a lady who never asks for your time and attention but only wants you to send her money, you should really be worried! She is probably getting the emotional fulfillment somewhere else and you are just a tool in her hands, to get money!
On the other hand, if a lady never stresses you for money but only asks that you call regularly and be there for her, she really loves you! Though, there could be an extreme of this as well, when the lady in question is overly needy because of past experiences and self-esteem issues.
So how do you take care of lady? Be there for her. Take care of her by spending time with her. But, I have to provide for her, so I am busy and I have to be away! Yes, but you have to create time out of no time, to be available for her. May you not get the money and then lose her!
You need to understand that it is a need of hers! Initially she might not complain because the money is always there, but after a while, she would rather let you have her than the money having her.
Why do you think some rich women get depressed? Haven’t you seen ladies living in palatial mansions who are so unhappy and depressed?
Money answereth all things…that it can answer!
Like it is often said, can money buy sleep? Nay, it may buy waterbed, not sleep!
Can money buy a good heart, nay, it may get a beautiful face, not necessarily a good heart. One of the worst things that can happen to a man is a stunningly beautiful face sitting on an evil heart! Conversely, one of the greatest tragedies that can happen to a woman is a stupendously rich man and a handsome face sitting on an abusive, egocentric and violent man!
His money buys your body, your mouth and your mind! You can’t even think for yourself, that is not marriage! Sadly this is where a lot of ladies find themselves! A lady called me sometimes ago weeping profusely; that she has all the money but she cannot spend! She was living in a prison!
It is for this reason that when you are talking of a relationship or marriage with a person, the most singular important factor is God’s choice for you!
And then some people will come up with some funny ideas like; what if God gives me somebody I don’t love? What you don’t know is that God is not man, that arithmetic or geometry will never be.
That God will lead you to somebody you hate all your life? It never happens like that! You will always love what God offers because He gives you the best! Yes, initially you may not cooperate with God’s plan because of selfishness and greed, but when you come to embrace God’s plan, you will see the wisdom of God, and you will be full of praises to God!
Only God knows the man or woman that will last the whole journey with you. Only God knows the one that will pack his or her load along the way. Only God knows the one that might pull the trigger on you five years later. Only God knows the one that wouldn’t mind using you for some ritual… because God looks into the heart…while you are looking at the bank account and the face! You see why it is important you follow God’s direction?
What if you are already married and you feel you made a mistake? Stay there and correct that mistake, with prayers, good attitudes, wisdom and a lot of maturity, God can heal your marriage and make it good!
May God help us all!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am not confused. I am being led of God
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord lead me into that place by your side.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. (Psalms 5:3 KJV)
This devotional is continued from yesterday where we talked about dangerous myths singles have to forgo.
5. I don’t have to get married. I can just have some kids and then live my life
When you think like this, something is missing somewhere. This kind of thoughts is a rebellion to God’s order and principles.
A person that says he or she doesn’t need marriage and yet sleeps around, is trying to get the benefit of marriage without the responsibilities attached to it. That would be adulterous. That is not God’s plan and you can imagine what the children raised in that kind of scenario will turn out to become.
6. God doesn’t love me. I cannot see His love
God will never forget you. God will never leave you.
“But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” (Isa 49:14-16, KJV)
I love Amplified Version of verse 16
“Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of My hands; [ O Zion ] your walls are continually before Me.” (Isa 49:16, AMP)
Your picture is tattooed on the palm of God’s hands, not just one palm, but both palms.
Believe in His love. Respond to His love and you will even see His love the more. You respond to God’s love by obedience. Obedience to God unleashes the love and benevolence of God even more in your life.
I pray for you this week, may you experience God’s love this week.
May you experience the love of God in a special way, in a way that is specific to your present needs, in a way that will replace your tears with a laughter, in a way that will turn your tests into testimonies, in a way that will minster specifically into your heart, in a way that will melt away all doubts and replace them with assurance of His love!
May the blessings inherent in His love be your portion. I pray that that every confusion will be annihilated even by His love on Jesus name!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am loved of God. I am free from dangerous myths.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Pray that God will deliver you from dangerous myths.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Rom 5:5, KJV)
There are myths every single should disbelief. Let me show you some.
1. The reason I am not married is because I am not beautiful
You see, beauty is in the beholder’s eyes. When you truly meet your spouse, you will be beautiful to him however you look.
Why do you think you are ugly? It is probably because some people told you that. Well, that is their opinion. However you look, somebody will soon see you and tell you you are beautiful.
I always say humourously that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You will be fearful (ugly) to some and you will be wonderful (beautiful) to others.
Psa 139:14 KJV I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
2. God is punishing me because of my past mistakes.
God never consults your past to determine your future. Let’s take a look at the scripture.
Heb 10:17 KJV And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
God will not only forgive you, He will forget about it. He would erase it out of His records. And listen to me, what God has forgiven and forgotten, don’t let the devil who is the accuser of brethren hold you on it.
Here is what Message translation says:
Heb 10:17 MSG He concludes, I’ll forever wipe the slate clean of their sins.
What God has concluded on, don’t allow the devil to add another paragraph. Where God has put a full stop, don’t allow anybody to change it to a comma.
3. A woman can never successfully submit to her husband
Submission to one’s husband is not a negotiation, it is an instruction from God. When you submit to your husband, you will bring yourself into a season of unprecedented favour, an unleashing of creativity and flowing in the fullness of God’s blessings over your life. Why? Because you are obeying God, even when it is not easy.
1Pe 3:1-2 AMP (1) IN LIKE manner, you married women, be submissive to your own husbands [subordinate yourselves as being secondary to and dependent on them, and adapt yourselves to them], so that even if any do not obey the Word [of God], they may be won over not by discussion but by the [godly] lives of their wives, (2) When they observe the pure and modest way in which you conduct yourselves, together with your reverence [for your husband; you are to feel for him all that reverence includes: to respect, defer to, revere him–to honor, esteem, appreciate, prize, and, in the human sense, to adore him, that is, to admire, praise, be devoted to, deeply love, and enjoy your husband].
4. There is certainly a curse working against me.
Curses are real. But the liberation from curses is even more real! The devil is wicked, but God is loving.
Through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have been redeemed from curses of the law. We have been made free. No devil should be allowed to lord it over you again!
Gal 3:13-14 MSG Christ redeemed us from that self-defeating, cursed life by absorbing it completely into himself. Do you remember the Scripture that says, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”? That is what happened when Jesus was nailed to the Cross: He became a curse, and at the same time dissolved the curse. And now, because of that, the air is cleared and we can see that Abraham’s blessing is present and available for non-Jews, too. We are all able to receive God’s life, his Spirit, in and with us by believing–just the way Abraham received it.
I will conclude on these myths tomorrow. Don’t miss it.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am free from myths and wrong beliefs.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Pray that God will deliver you from known and unknown myths
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Rom 5:5, KJV)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Challenge every myth you know about marriage.
It is the greatest miracle of all ages. After the miracle of resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is the next greatest mystery of all times. The worshipped will live in the worshipper! The Trinity became domiciled in humanity! It’s unheard of, but that was what happened.
It is the believer’s greatest advantage which has been provided. It is the greatest synergy that will ever happen between the divine and the humane. This mortal body of ours will become an abode, a milieu to the Spirit, not just any spirit, but the Holy Spirit! He is the helper. He is the interpreter of scriptures. He is our teacher. He brings understanding. He empowers us. He energizes us. He reveals. He explains. He dissolves puzzles of life. He demystifies enigmas!
2Co 4:7 KJV But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the Excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
He teaches us all things. He helps me to write fresh word on KHC devotional everyday, since 2010, without fail, with amazing testimonies of lives touched around the world. He brings this devotionals to you and makes it applicable to you in a unique way. One write up daily, several lives blessed, shackles broken, sexual perversion destroyed! Help provided!
He helps you to decide. He helps you to identify the right persons and the wrong persons. His name is the Holy Spirit! He lives in you. He propels you. He moves you!
He was the secret strength behind the exploits of the patriarchs and the prophet of old! He was the secret behind the parted sea, the plagues unleashed on the Egyptians, the sun that stood still, the force behind the stone that felled Goliath, the exploits of Elijah and his protégé, Elisha and so many others too numerous to mention. He was the secret behind Samson!
Jdg 13:25 KJV And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.
As long as the Spirit of God moved Samson, his hands wrought unimaginable exploits. If you will be outstanding in this generation as a child of God, you should not joke with the Holy Spirit of God.
Jesus had to wait for Him to come before his ministry took shape and the miracles began. The apostles had to tarry for him to come and be endued with power from on high before their ministry exploded. But today, we don’t even have to tarry for him, we only need to receive him.
He helps us to resist sin. He helps us to say No to compromise. He brings light to darkened areas of our souls. His sweet voice is an elixir and a soothing balm in difficult and painful times. His peace enraptures and preserves us in the midst of storms.
You cannot do without him. That is why he has been provided. He makes Christianity exciting. He eliminates frustrations and helps to say “Abba Father!”
Samson took him for granted, and his destiny was terminated. It was that profound. You have been configured as a child of God to survive with His help. When you ignore him, you suffer for it.
It is not wise to ignore your maker. You will simply be ‘unmade’ like that! When he departed from King Saul, he transitioned from royalty to madness!
It is high time you get filled with the Holy Ghost. It is high time you tap into the vast reserve of divine and incredible power that is available for you as a child of God. It is high time you initiate a conscious and deliberate relationship with the Spirit of God.
Samson’s end came with one sobering statement! Don’t ever get to that spot in your life! Don’t ever dance in that forbidden zone! What is that statement?
Jdg 16:20 KJV And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.
Sinful lifestyle, unrepentant attitude, taking God’s grace for granted, undisciplined life, and lack of self-control got Samson to this spot!
The Spirit of God has departed and he didn’t know! How many people are simply going through the motions, both in the laity and the clergy, in the pews and he pulpits, shaking themselves as before, but in reality, they are disenfranchised for the Holy Spirit because of sin, disobedience, and compromise.
Before the philistines lay their hands on you, while you are frolicking on Delilah’s laps, wake up and take charge of your destiny! If the philistines lay their hands on you, the first thing they are going for is your eyes, where the scriptures makes no more meaning and the conscience is seared!
Get back to a relationship with the Holy Spirit today. Stay away form sin and compromise, and let God begin a new thing in your life, relationship and marriage.
I pray for God’s help for you this day, this week in Jesus name!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I will not be disconnected from my Help provided in Jesus name
PRAYER FOR THE DAY I pray for God’s wisdom in the area where help has been provided for in Jesus name
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak:and he will shew you things to come. (John 16:13 KJV)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Write out your goals about your relationship with the Holy Spirit.
Jer 33:1-3 KJV (1) Moreover the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying, (2) Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is his name; (3) Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
This is what I love about the God’s word. The word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah… Here, it is like saying a human being walks up to you…but actually, God’s word is more tangible than a human. The word of God is life…it is alive and it is the source of every life. It is that same word that became flesh and dwelt among us!
You see, the word of the Lord will always come and that is the beginning of good things in your life and the end of unpalatable experiences. The word of the Lord….let it come unto you daily before you leave your room, before you step out into your daily endeavor, it is the secret of life! Before you see the dawn of the day, and step out into the early morning sunshine, let the word of God light your soul in its blazing Shekinah glory!
And you see, the word of the Lord was not just coming unto Jeremiah…the scripture says it came unto him the second time…. God is a God of the second chance, and the third chance and the fourth chance and until you get it! He will come to you again and again because of His loving kindness and mercy…to you out there reading this…don’t back out on God, for He will lovingly embrace you when you respond to His word. You are not too far-gone; don’t allow the devil to deceive you. God will embrace the vilest of sinners that come unto Him and wash them clean as white as snow!
I then I love this… “…while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison. The word of God is not location-limited or circumstance-hindered. It does not discriminate and it does not play politics! It is not partial or biased. There is no distance in the realm of the spirit. That word came unto Jeremiah while he was still locked up.
Do you feel locked up and confused in a relationship? Do you feel barred and busted? The word of the Lord is what will free you. For you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.
In that situation that looks very bleak, what you need to get you out is the word of God. In those situations, the last thing your flesh wants to do is to read or study God’s word. Your flesh wants to panic, cry, gossip, rant, complain and play the blame-game. It wants to get depressed and have some pity-party.
But you see, in such situations, you cannot allow your body to dictate to you. You must put your body under by diving into God’s word to hear what He will say unto you.
You see, whatever you are facing right now, whatever imbroglio you find yourself, whatever relationship issue or marriage pressure that faces you, one thing guaranteed to sort you out is to know God’s word. And that word will come unto wherever you are. Joseph was in the prison until the word of God tried him. That word will dissolve every puzzle and unravel every enigma.
You are confused as to the choice of who to marry? Get back into God’s word for in Him is life and the life is the light of men! The life gives you energy to go the way that the light will show you.
Verse 3 says
Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Message translation says:
Jer 33:3 MSG ‘Call to me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.’
You see, there are things about your life, relationship and marriage you can never figure out on your own. You don’t often see beyond your nose. Your sight is often terminated by the horizon.
There are deceivers. A handsome man is not always a God loving man. A rich man is not always a nice man. A wicked man can be mercifully cruel! A beautiful woman can be a strange woman. The bible talks about a beautiful face on an empty head! How do you figure out some of these things?
The first thing is that the word of God must come unto you. The second thing is that you learn to call unto Him and He will answer you! The question is will it be that easy? Just call Him and then the next thing is that He will answer? This is the way I want you to see it. When you call a stranger, you’re introduce yourself first. When you call a friend, he already has your number and sometimes, you don’t even greet him or her before you say what you want to say. The scripture above is obviously one of a friendship, a relationship with God.
Call unto me, and I will answer… It didn’t say, “Call unto me, and introduce yourself and then I will consult my angel to find out who you are…”
It’s just like “Call unto me, and I will answer! Why? The background is that the word of the Lord already came unto you. There is already a relationship! It is on that premise that you call unto Him and He will answer you!
I pray for you this morning that even as you read this, the word of the Lord will come unto you to lift you out every miry clay and set you foot upon the mountain. You will overcome that challenge by the word of God.
You are not condemned because of that mistake; the word of God will come unto you and make you a new specie! You will not be cut off in the midst of your days. The very thing you need to know this day, God’s word will bring it unto you! Stop crying, wipe the tears off and get into God’s word! CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am a lover of God’s word. I have what it takes to know and live the word.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Pray that God will help you to know the Word
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1 KJV)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Study a book on how to know God’s plan for your life
Whether you want to believe it or not, angels are real. That is one of the reasons you are still alive today!
There are demonic beings and principalities all over the place that you cannot see with your physical eyes who are looking for every opportunity to carry out their master’s mandate which is steal your joy, to kill your destiny, and to destroy your relationship with God, and ultimately, end your life, if the opportunity arises.
No wonder the scripture says that the devil is come down with a great wrath. He knows his time is short. He is a like a roaring lion looking for whom he can devour.
But you also need to know that there are angels all over the place that you cannot see with your physical eyes as well! They are mighty massive beings that are constantly watching out for the plans of the enemy and thwarting them!
When we pray to God, God sends His angels to us. When we are careless and we have not prayed, God still sends His angels. Otherwise, some little loophole and the devil would have struck, but God’s mighty angels would not allow.
Let’s look at a few scriptures
1. They are committed to keeping us!
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. (Psalms 91:11 KJV)
God has given His angels charge to ensure that we are kept! Glory to God. In these days of palpable fear of Covid-19 and terrorism, we are kept! We are kept by His power. We are surrounded. We are not left alone. You need to have that consciousness!
The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. (Psalms 34:7 KJV)
2. We have individual angels guarding us!
Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 18:10 KJV)
Kenneth Hagin of blessed memory once had an open vision where He saw Jesus Christ and a mighty being standing nearby. In the course of their conversation, Kenneth Hagin asked Jesus Christ, “who is that fellow?” and Jesus Christ answered “That is your angel! He referred him to the scripture above and told him that our angels don’t leave us when we grow up! They are still protecting us! Glory to God!
3. Angels are not to be worshipped.
Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? (Hebrews 1:14 KJV)
Angels are not to be worshipped; only Jesus is to be worshipped! That is why when an angel appears to a human in their fullness and on a supernatural level, the first thing they say is “Fear not!” and they will not allow you to worship them!
Why? They are ministering spirits! The nearest word is “waiters!” They are waiting on us who are heirs of salvation! Glory to God, I am not alone! You are not alone! There is a fellow, a mighty being, a supernatural being, guarding you!
4. To activate their ministry in your relationship, fill yourself with God’s word!
Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. (Psalms 103:20 KJV)
Here, the scripture tells us that they excel in strength. They are mighty beings. They do the commandments of God and listen; they hearken to the VOICE of His WORD! It is the voice of God’s word.
When your utterances are aligned to God’s plan for your life, you release the ministry of angels to come to bear for you.
In order words, stay in God’s plan and speak His word constantly. In order to speak His word constantly, you have to study that word regularly.
5. Don’t make negative utterances!
When you make negative statements, you deactivate their ministries.
Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands? (Ecclesiastes 5:6 KJV)
Negative words attack your faith and bring fear. Only speak God’s word in any situation you find yourself. Stop speaking facts, speak the truth!
May God grant us more understanding!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY The angles of God encamps around me because I fear the Lord
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Pray that God’s counsel and will become a reality in your life
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven:and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. (Genesis 28:12 KJV)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Fill yourself with God’s word
Sister Faith was spiritual! While on campus, she was everywhere. From prayer group, to the Choir and then the missions, she tirelessly served God and it was obvious God’s hands were upon her. She counseled younger ladies, prayed for them and ensured new converts were established in the fellowship. The fellowship missed her like “Mississippi” when she left.
At the one year national orientation camp, the fire continued to burn, but not for long! The news soon filtered, she got involved in a relationship with someone who is not born again. All the attempts of other ‘brethren’ to stop her were futile.
In later years, she was not happy. Her rich husband would not allow her to work or serve God. She became a permanent house wife, disappeared from church and later entered in to depression. Needless to say, she did not enjoy her marriage.
The question of destiny! This one cannot be over emphasized. As singles, you cannot be involved with a man or woman that has no sense of destiny in God! In these days, and for whatever reason, you should not go into a marriage with someone that will hinder or stop your relationship with God.
There are dream killers and destiny destroyers. When you marry such people, whole destinies can be swallowed up.
I feel like I’ve got a trumpet in my mouth to sound a warning to this generation about emotions and sexuality. You see, God cannot be mocked! Marriage is not what you fall into like a lamb being led to the slaughter because you are in love. Marriage comes with pressures, and those pressures are amplified when you get married to someone with no sense of destiny.
With marriage, dreams can come alive, and dreams can die, literally vapourize until you become a shadow of yourself. With marriage, the heavens can be opened, and with it the heavens can also become iron.
With marriage, you can move to your next level in God and you can be reduced to the level of your partner. With marriage, you can enter into unbelievable rebellion and bite the fingers that fed you, and you can honour those who have contributed to your life positively.
With marriage, you can find your rhyme, come alive with hidden gifts bursting out into manifestation and divine expressions, and gifts can also be wrapped up and buried in the tomb of unbelief and depression.
Why is marriage that powerful? You see it is a covenant.
In the book of Proverbs, the Bible says God’s word will keep you away from evil men and strange women. So, there are evil men and strange women.
There are Delilahs whose mission is to destroy. There are Jezebels whose mission is to use you. There are Samsons who are anointed but are full of lust and will not mind sleeping with you before marriage and then preach next day. There are Herods who don’t see anything in killing infants and will take to abort over and over.
In marriage, destinies are wedged together. Like the dog whose jaws are locked when it bites, there are people you kiss and your jaws are locked. In marriage, blessings and afflictions become intertwined and your issues become his\her issues.
May God guide you as you choose wisely.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I will apply discretion in every area of my relationship as God helps me.
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY I will not be entwined with a destiny-killer in Jesus’ name.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY James 4:12 MSG God is in charge of deciding human destiny. Who do you think you are to meddle in the destiny of others?
You can be free from wrong spirits in relationships. Yesterday, I showed you how these spirit works with various examples. Today, I will show you how deliverance comes from the word.
You see there is interplay of money and jeru trip. There is dual operation of the spirits of mammon and perversion. The prostitute gives her body to get money. The man gives his money to get a lady. The student offers her body to get money for school fees. The young man sleeps with older men to get money. The employer sleeps with potential employees to give them job. Young men give their body to older women abroad to get money and citizenship. Guys join gay clubs to get business deals and it goes on and on. The pastor uses the grace of God over his life (or is it disgrace now) to lure innocent souls looking for help!
But the scripture above advises:
Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have];
You should not allow greed and love for money to determine your character and moral disposition! There is deliverance in God. After getting the money and losing your soul, what then? That is the question, what then!
The rich man acquired and stored up riches and then sat down to enjoy and God said, ‘you are dying tomorrow!’ Lobatan! What then?
So how will I survive? How will I get a job? How will I pay for my school fees? How will I start my business?
The scripture advises futher: Be satisfied with your present circumstances! Then put your trust in God. He is able to meet your needs! Stop every compromise and start all over again!
… be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]
God will not fail you! Don’t reduce yourself to a commercial article tossed from men to men and from bed to bed because of money! Your God is the provider, not any man!
He will not leave you helpless. He will not forsake you. He will not relax His hold on you! Trust him today. Believe Him and believe His word and unleash the blessings of heaven over your life.
For those of you that have kept yourself so far, keep on relying on Him. Refuse to be distracted at the pressures around you!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY Lord, I am free from the love of money
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Pray that God will show you his deliverance
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Heb 13:5 MSG Don’t be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,”
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Disconnect from all ungodly and sinful associations and influences
As Sandy narrated her present ordeal, she wept profusely because of what she had been through. She was raised in a good home, but she ended up finding herself in unbelievable lifestyle.
It was a lifestyle she once condemned and which she vehemently opposed, but alas, she became a victim of that which she abhorred. It was a lifestyle she hated and yet could not let go.
The more frustrated she became with sleeping around for money, the more the god of money sucked her in.
Her situation was cemented in an intertwining of a sexual life she detested but which offered a financial reward she wanted.
Mr. Andy on the other hand was caught in the thicket of adulterous strings, his money became a weapon in his hands to lure ladies into sexual escapades, he wanted to stop, but the dual influence of the spirit of mammon and the spirit of perversion held him by the jugular! He had not only lied to his faithful wife, he had become a lie, compensating his faithful wife with unfaithfulness!
Lovette and George were engaged and are supposedly the children of God. But they are caught up in habitual immorality, they cry today, only to sin the next day. The whole thing looked like a joke, a cycle of repentance and deliberate disobedience.
Pastor Johnson is called and anointed. But he found himself in a web of self-deception, compromising heavily with people under him that he is meant to lead. He had been bound with a religious spirit, think God must be approving his shameful lifestyle because of the ‘result’ and the anointing he thinks he has. The reality is that he is a dead man walking!
The scenarios could go on and on. Several professed children of God caught up with pornography, masturbation, lesbianism, homosexuality and other sexual perversion!
Hear the word of the Lord today. God is not mad at you neither does he condemn you! But He would not also condone any sin! Is there any reason why He would like you to lose your soul? No! Especially, when the price has been paid of your behalf!
Heb 13:4 AMP Let marriage be held in honor (esteemed worthy, precious, of great price, and especially dear) in all things. And thus let the marriage bed be undefiled (kept undishonored); for God will judge and punish the unchaste [all guilty of sexual vice] and adulterous.
Relationship or marriage ought to be a worthy, precious and great price. It is not a game. It is not an experiment. It is supposed to be held in honor. It is sacred. It is an institution that God himself initiated.
The marriage bed should be undefiled. Don’t dishonour what God has honoured, or there would be consequences! Don’t let the devil tell you that you cannot stop. Don’t let the devil tell you cannot live right. Don’t let the devil tell you everybody is sinning. All those are lies.
Heb 13:5 AMP Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]
Tomorrow, I will show you the interplay between mammon and perversion.
Don’t miss it.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY Lord, I am free from the sport of mammon and perversion.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Pray that God will supply all your needs
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Heb 13:5 MSG Don’t be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,”
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Disconnect from all ungodly and sinful associations and influences
One of the purposes of making love with your spouse is to establish a bonding at the highest level. However, when this is done with someone you are not married to, a bonding also takes place, but it is an unhealthy bonding, because it is spiritually illegal, a direct violation of God’s injunction, a sin unto God and unto one’s body. Rather than soul harmony that happens with married couples, what happens is a soul tie that tends to suck one more into the compromise.
What if I make just one mistake; is a soul tie formed? The answer is yes, because the devil doesn’t need many mistakes, he only needed one to get you into trouble. You give the devil an inch, he takes a mile!
That is why the Bible says:
Eph 4:27 AMP
Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him].
Just one mistake of David with Bathsheba, an intrigue and tragedy of murder, lies, deception and death of a baby were what ensued.
So what do I need to do to break a soul tie?
1. The first thing you have to do is to genuinely repent of the mistake and decide to stop the act.
When you say you have repented of a particular sin, and the next day, you visit the same person and announce that you only came to say hullo, knowing fully well that one thing will still lead to another, then you have not really repented. When you say you have repented and then he comes visiting the following week, and then you start cooking Rice and Beans for him when it is already late in the night, then you are just playing games with your destiny, because you sure knows what will happen afterwards.
And you know, God cannot be mocked. You can fool your pastor or parents, but don’t even think you can fool God. Don’t even nurse that idea because it is not possible. You need to understand that God does not only listen to the words of your mouth as you cry and say that you will never do it again, He looks into your heart and knows whether you are just acting or your are truly and genuinely repentant. This then determines the release of His mercy that can suspend judgment and overrule damning consequences. His mercy endureth forever.
What does it mean to repent?
It means a change of mind and a turn around. You don’t go back there again!
You want to break soul ties? The first thing is to repent genuinely.
2. The second thing to do is to forgive yourself and forgive the person that has wronged you.
When you are genuinely repentant, God forgives and forgets!
Heb 8:12 KJV
For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
Take a look at the Message translation:
Heb 8:12 MSG
They’ll get to know me by being kindly forgiven, with the slate of their sins forever wiped clean.
That is God for you! He is a merciful God. He is your father. He will forgive….well that is understandable…but forget? How is that possible?
I am not talking about amnesia here, that is a disease of forgetfulness. I am talking about when you genuinely repent, the blood of Jesus cleanses you and gives you a right standing with God as if you have never committed that sin! It is not as if the sin is still lurking somewhere in some hibernated corners of God’s brain (if there is anything like that) where it can be retrieved later, like restoring a file from recycle bin, it is that the sin is permanently and divinely shredded and does not exist again. There would be no records again and you become like you were before God before you ever committed that sin!
You are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus!
Your slate is wiped clean, your life becomes anew, and you become new specie!
Well, of course you know that genuine repentance is not when you are habitually hooked to a particular sin…and you keep asking for forgiveness everyday. That is not true repentance, you are just trying to pacify your conscience and it is a dangerous state to be in.
So upon genuine repentance, God forgives and forgets! But do you know where the problem is? You have to forgive as well. Forgive the person that wronged you if that is the case, and then forgive yourself! That is very important. This stage is necessary in order to break soul ties and move on with your life! After asking God for forgiveness, stop gong back to ask again because there is no record again. You have been cleansed, so rise up as the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus that you are!
I pray for you this morning that you will indeed come to to the knowledge of that which Christ has done for you in Jesus name.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I severe myself from every soul tie
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, open the eyes of my understanding.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Hebrews 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Decide to be faithful to your partner
Gen 3:1 KJV Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Gen 3:1 AMP NOW THE serpent was more subtle and crafty than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had made. And he [Satan] said to the woman, Can it really be that God has said, You shall not eat from every tree of the garden?
The tactics the devil uses, even till today doesn’t change. It is important we get conversant with his tactics so that we can better prepare ourselves and safeguard our destinies by the help of the Holy Spirit from falling into his traps.
That is why the scripture says
2Co 2:11 KJV Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Amplified version says:
2Co 2:11 AMP To keep Satan from getting the advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his wiles and intentions.
We must by the Spirit of God protect ourselves so that he does not get advantage over us in our relationships and marriage.
In verse one of the above verse, he said: “Yea, hath God said…” He still does the same today. What he does is to challenge the truth of God’s word in your heart.
He did the same thing for Jesus Christ! The temptations of Jesus Christ were crafted to challenge the word of God. That was why the moment Jesus Christ responded with “It is written…,” he won!
Why would the devil always challenge God’s word? The reason is obvious. The moment he makes you to doubt God’s word or to reject God’s word, he would have a foothold to operate.
So he comes and says things like: “Did God really say we should not have pre-marital sex?” “But everybody is compromising! Why should I be different?” “Can I really marry someone without ‘testing’ that person on bed?”
Sometimes, he even comes quoting scripture and misapplying it. He says things like:
“The scriptures says we must be wise as serpent, so I don’t think it is wrong to fight for my job at work place by sleeping with my boss” “Is it really wrong to be involved in adultery? David was adulterous, and yet God still said He is a man after His heart. Did God not approve adultery there? If God hates my adulterous life, He would have killed me!”
He comes and tells two people who are in courtship: “See, there is nothing wrong in kissing and petting. It is something we should do in order to express our love since we are sure of getting married!”
He tells another: “There is nothing wrong in masturbation. We must find a way to relive the pressure, in as much as we did not fornicate. Even one Pastor said it is okay…”
He tells a married person: “Your spouse is a mistake. You don’t need to divorce him/her, but you can just have affairs outside and God will understand that it is not easy!”
It goes on and on. The underlying thing I want you to see is that the moment God’s word is being challenged on any level; know that the devil is at work. The Holy Spirit will never come to counteract God’s word or to debunk it; He only comes to expound it.
Never yield ground to the devil. Resist him like the Jesus Christ did and he will flee. Adam and Eve yielded to the devil and lost the fullness of God’s plan. Jesus came to restore that loss, but he would have failed if he yielded to the devil when he was being tempted.
Every compromise you cooperate with alters something in the spirit realm. Make up your mind this coming month to resist the devil every day and consciously with the help of the Holy Spirit.
You cannot be yielding to your flesh and the devil every time if you want to go far! You cannot be saying some girl seduced you all the time while you sleep around recklessly. You cannot be saying a man forced you into compromise with his money.
The devil is not that powerful. He is as powerful as you allow him in your life. He needs your permission before he can trip you and trap you. Never allow him again. Don’t give him an inch!
Do it God’s way. There will no longer be delays in Jesus name. God will perfect everything in your relationship and marriage as you make up your mind to resist the devil.
Never forget this, if you can keep feeding your spirit with God’s word daily and consistently, and you believe His word, that same word of the Lord will keep you! That is why we have created this online Club for you! Visit it daily and keep learning all you can. Keep encouraging each other! Stay on your toes and be alert.
I pray that you will have a higher revelation of the person and the principles of our Lord Jesus Christ! Victory is yours!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY In all things I give thanks. I will not allow the devil, pride, pressures of life and ignorance to steal this gracious act from me.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, give me your wisdom to be a good spouse
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Heb 12:28 MSG Do you see what we’ve got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander.
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Make up your mind to stand strong in God
Isaiah 28:20 KJV For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it.
…and the covering narrower than he can wrap himself in it. Uhmmm… May we never be in this situation! It is a place where one is exposed and there is no covering. It is a place where one becomes exposed to the harsh weathers of this life, and there seems to be no covering.
It is a place where the different seasons of life become a disadvantage rather than leverage. It is a time where one’s nakedness is uncovered, where the finances are never enough and where shame is always in the offing.
It is a time when spiritual cold is easily caught because you are exposed to the elements of this world. It is a time when all the sounds are just sneezes and noises, and you are no longer a voice. It is a time where embarrassments become the order of the day, and your story seem to be on the lips of everyone.
It is a time where it seems there is no place to hide under, the blanket is useless, and the harsh weather of life takes over!
May I have the honour of telling you this morning, that this is not your portion? May I announce to you that if you have been coping with some of these experiences, it is time you rebel.
Yes, you read it right. It is time to rebel against what God has not packaged into your life. It is time to reject every thing the enemy is trying to programme into your life. It is time you reject every message form demonic dreams.
It is time you reject the tendencies you see in your lineage and is beginning to rear its head. It is time you say No because you are a child of God. It is time you pull out every tree that your heavenly father has not planted!
Throw away the wrapper, and take on the garment of righteousness. The wrapper of iniquity and compromise is too narrow, it will rather bring shame and rather than save from shame.
Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach! When you find yourself in a relationship with a person who has no fear or regard for God, your covering will be narrow. If you find yourself in an adulterous mess, the covering will be narrow.
Throw away this covering that is narrow and stop going through life in a cycle of broken relationships and jilting experiences. Go to where the real covering is!
Psa 91:1-2 KJV (1) He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (2) I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
It is when you get in the secret place that you can be saved from the vicissitudes and the harsh weathers of this life. Let Him be your refuge and fortress. Put your trust in Him today.
The wrapper you have from that married man who is not your husband will not last, it will expose you. The house he rented for you will not cover at the end! Go for the real garment that lies in God
Mat 9:21 KJV For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
Go for that garment. Decide to have a relationship with God rather than live with your issues alone. He will save you. He will embrace you in His everlasting arms and save you from the evil one. He will wrap you in His love and give you a new garment.
He will dress you up and decorate your destiny with dignity. He will glorify you with productivity and result. He will save you from the frustrations of this life and the shame that is lurking.
Call upon him today. Confess all sin. Give your life to Him and start a new beginning in Him. You will not regret this decision!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am free from shame. Shame is far from me.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, let the eyes of my understanding be enlightened.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Psa 91:1 KJV (1) He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Decide to go for a new garment.
This devotional is continued from yesterday, where we talked about how to dispel every iota of darkness in relationship and life generally.
In verse 2, it says 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.
You see, we must come out plain and lay our cards on the table before God. There are some actions that can invalidate the benefits of His mercies in terms of favours and opportunities. I must renounce all forms of iniquity. I have to quit double dating. I have to stop seeing that married person. I have to stop frolicking with that colleague of mine! You have to make up your mind not to walk in any form of craftiness and stop quoting God’s word to suit yourself in a deceitful way! Your conscience must be clear with God. This is how to live the life of God. Devoid of any deception!
That is why the scriptures says in Galatians “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked…” You can’t play God around. You can’t continue in some habitual sins and then think you will still have God’s support and favour. It doesn’t work like that!
Check out Amplified version of verse 2
We have renounced disgraceful ways (secret thoughts, feelings, desires and underhandedness, the methods and arts that men hide through shame); we refuse to deal craftily (to practice trickery and cunning) or to adulterate or handle dishonestly the Word of God, but we state the truth openly (clearly and candidly). And so we commend ourselves in the sight and presence of God to every man’s conscience
And then in Message translation:
We refuse to wear masks and play games. We don’t maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes. And we don’t twist God’s Word to suit ourselves. Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open, the whole truth on display, so that those who want to can see and judge for themselves in the presence of God.
Verse 6 says For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
You see, there is a light in your heart. That light shines there. When you are going through issues, and there seems to be darkness all around, realize that the darkness is only without, and not within, and so you can reach out to the light within, and come forth with God’s word in your mouth to dispel the darkness without. And you know what, the light shines in darkness and darkness cannot withstand it. So be aware of that! There is light within you. In the midst of that depressive wave and despondent waters, reach out within to the light of God’s word and out of thy belly shall flow rivers of living waters!
The next time darkness tries to envelope your mind because of negative thoughts that tells you might never get married or God has abandoned you, reach out to that light within that says “the thoughts of God towards you are thoughts of peace and not of evil…” The next time darkness descends on your soul because of negative thoughts that tells you your life is an error because of past mistakes and that you are suffering because of past misdeeds, reach out to the light within that tells you, “Behold, I will do a new thing.”
Reach out to the light of God’s word that tells you, “God will restore all you have lost.” Reach out to the light of God’s word that tells you that “you will forget the shame of your youth!”
I pray for you this morning that God will open your eyes to see that they that be with you are more than they that oppose you. I pray you realize that greater is He within you than he that is in the world!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I see correctly. I know how to dispel every darkness in me.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, teach me how to use your word to dispel darkness in my life.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY “And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless…” (Genesis 15:2a KJV)
This morning, we will be looking at a couple of scriptures in 2 Corinthians 4
Verse 1: Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
Okay, there is something we have to keep on seeing. “Seeing we have this ministry…” There is something we must keep in our perspective. It is the reason for the season. It is the reason for which God has laid on us individually. You see, you must come to a place where you have to lay hands on that which He has laid hold on you for. You have to keep on seeing the assignment; it is the big picture. It is that which you have to focus on.
The moment Abraham began to see something else, there were issues.
“And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless…” (Genesis 15:2a KJV)
What you see matters a lot. What you dwell on will either fill you with energy and enthusiasm or drain you and leave you dry and weak.
That verse goes on to say “as we have received mercy.”
That is powerful. We are all products of His mercy. You need to lift up your hand right now and say, “Lord, thank you for your mercy!” The mercies of God endureth forever. It is by His mercy that we have not been consumed. His word says “I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion upon whom I will have compassion.” Thank God because you are a child of His mercy. Jesus took His blood as an offering, He was the offering and the offerer, and He went ahead into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled His blood on the mercy seat!
That is why God has been merciful to you and I. When I make the most costly mistakes in which I think I am a goner, the blood of Jesus begins to speak mercy! That blood speaks better things!
And the next thing it says is “we faint not”
How come we must refuse to faint, get wearied or give up? Two things there,
1. Seeing what we have
2. We have received mercy
There is something I have because of His mercy. I must focus on that and refuse to cooperate with the devil’s antics to get me depressed!
Here is amplified version of verse 1
Therefore, since we do hold and engage in this ministry by the mercy of God [granting us favor, benefits, opportunities, and especially salvation], we do not get discouraged (spiritless and despondent with fear) or become faint with weariness and exhaustion
Make up your mind. The fact that you are not in a relationship yet, should not get you discouraged in any way. Why? The mercies of God will find and locate you. The fact that your courtship got broken and you are so discouraged about it all is not enough to make you stop going to worship in His presence. The fact that you have issues in your marriage should not leave you despondent with fear! God’s mercy is what we have received and that mercy will bail you out and dispel darkness in your life!
To be continued tomorrow
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I will see correctly. The light of God will dispel every darkness in me.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, let your light dispel darkness in my life.
What do we do with all the things we have been learning, reading, and listening to? How do we become productive with all we have learnt? The Scripture rightly says that a man of knowledge increases strength. But again, the same scripture says that knowledge puffeth up! Where is the balance?
What do we do with knowledge so that it becomes strength?
1. Be a doer, not just a hearer
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (James 1:22 KJV)
When we hear only without doing, the Bible says we are deceiving our own selves. Now, sincerely, that is not a good place to be. The greatest level of deception is when you deceive yourself!
If you heard in church that sleeping around is not good for you, don’t just hear that, be a doer by disconnecting from all sexual partners. That is when knowledge becomes wisdom, and that is when your strength is increased.
If you read in a book that life is about working principles, not just floating around, sit down and apply that to your life! It is one thing to acquire so many books and tapes, it is another thing entirely to sit down, eat those things and do them.
Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like (James 1:23-24 Message)
Can you imagine that? Hearers who are not doers have identity issues. They don’t know themselves and they don’t know who they are in God!
2. Do not allow what you have learnt to slip
Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. (Hebrews 2:1 KJV)
You are asked to give more earnest heed. It means to keep a firm grip on what you have heard. Why? Because knowledge is slippery in nature! You can hear something in the service in the morning, and by afternoon if you are not careful, you have allowed it to slip carelessly.
So what do you do with what you hear? You keep a firm grip of that knowledge in your heart! How do you do that? If the heart has hands, it would just have been explicit on how to do that. The hands of your heart are stretched out in meditation. You place a firm grip on what you have heard when you meditate on that thing. That way, it becomes difficult to slip away.
Another thing you can do to keep a firm grip on what you have heard is to pray in the Spirit over that thing. It will take you to a higher level of understanding.
3. Marry the right person for you
God’s word in your life can be rendered unproductive when you align with the wrong person in your life. You cannot marry anybody and everybody. There is the right man for you and the right lady for you. Not every good person is meant for you. A good person might not be the right person for you. There is a difference between Mr. Right Now and Mr. Right!
The scripture talks about wicked men that walk with a froward mouth The scripture talks about evil men whose mouth speak froward things The scripture talks about evil men who leave the path of uprightness The scripture talks about evil men who walk in the way of darkness The scripture talks about evil men who rejoice to do evil The scripture talks about evil men whose ways are crooked
The scripture talks about strange women who flattereth with her words The scripture talks about strange women who forsake guides of their youth The scripture talks about strange women who forgetteth the covenant of their God The scripture talks about strange women whose house inclineth to death Then the scripture talks about men that lie and cheat, women that deceive and nag, and so on and so forth.
What this means is that you don’t dabble into marriage like you are playing cards. You walk down the aisle deliberately knowing what you are doing with God’s help. You don’t fall in love with anybody because falling in love with the wrong person can snuff out your fire for the things of God. You don’t fall in love with a figure; you fall in love with a person and with God’s direction.
Getting the right person can be simple, sincerely. Just get busy for God and serve Him sincerely from the depths of your heart. Serve Him with your heart and with your substance. I have shared severally from my experience. I never for once had to pray about marriage. God actually interrupted me while I was serving him. I had postponed marriage or relationship till after school but God interrupted me while I was just serving Him and getting busy for Him. The reason I didn’t run after marriage was not that I was spiritual; I was just not interested! But God was interested! Just get busy for God!
Remember Adam had to fall into a deep sleep before Eve could be presented to him? Maybe you need to sleep and put your mind at rest and then see what God wants to do in your life! What if Adam had refused to sleep? He would have disallowed God from doing what He wanted to do. Let God interrupt you rather than you interrupting God!
I pray that God will grant you more understanding in Jesus name!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY The word works for me. I am an ardent stickler of the word.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, help me to daily meditate on the word.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (James 1:22 KJV)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Meditate on a verse about marriage.
