Abiding TV

Remember not the former things, Beloved, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it shall spring forth. I have opened the door to NEW life. I have chosen you and appointed you. Even in the midst of your trial, celebrate. Celebrate that your Savior lives and is alive forever more. For surely I shall deliver you from the hand of the enemy.


I have closed the door on the evil one in your circumstance and he will not be able to open it again. Follow Me, Beloved. I am He who is faithful and true. You have passed from darkness to light, from death to LIFE, from lost to found. Let not your faith be found in the wisdom of men but in the power of your God. I AM the Door to glorious treasures and wisdom, and marvelous answers to prayer that your mind can barely comprehend, Dear One. I have blessed you with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Just trust your Abba Father.

Come boldly to My Throne of Grace and make your requests known, My Child. For I know what you have need of before you even ask. Ask, believe, and then freely receive from My hand. Eye has not seen nor ear heard nor has it entered into the heart of man the things which I have prepared for those who love Me. I am carrying you over the threshold, My Bride, from yesterday into your tomorrow. Forget the former things, behold, I am doing a new thing.There are GOOD and WONDER FILLED days ahead, Beloved, which I have prepared for you from the foundations of the earth.

Psalm 40:5 Many, LORD my God, are the wonders You have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with You; were I to speak and tell of Your deeds, they would be too many to declare.

Ephesians 1:3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
John 15:16 You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

John 16:23-24 In that day you will not question Me about anything.Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your JOY may be made full.
1 Corinthians 2: 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

9 But as it is written:
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

Memorise: 
But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 2nd Timothy 2:20

Read: 2nd Timothy 2:19-21, 
19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.


Bible in one year: 
1st Kings 14:1-15:32,
Proverbs 18:1-14

Message:
Today’s memory verse speaks of the availability of vessels of different makes; designs, and qualities to a great person. The choice of what vessel to use for any particular purpose is dependent on the master’s preference and the suitability of each vessel to the assignment at hand. So also, the man that God will use for any assignment must be found suitable for kingdom assignment. God is always in the business of searching for suitable resources that He can use to fulfil His purpose here on earth. Whenever He locates one, He proceeds with the preparation and training of the chosen for the assignment. Incidentally, the divine equipment usually employed for the preparation and training of the man that God will use is the cross. Many Christians are not fulfilling their purpose in life and ministry because they have consistently refused the required training for their assignments, and because they are not found to be suitable yet, their commissioning remains pending. May the Lord wake you up to the reality of your situation today, so that you can take your rightful place in the programme of heaven in Jesus’ name.

The man that God will use becomes completely transformed by going through the preparation process of God. The relationship that follows guarantees that the person’s mind, heart, will, and life now belongs to Jesus Christ, alone, he becomes reoriented with God and God’s kingdom. He is convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that he or she was created to please God and would begin to pursue godly purposes with all determination.


In the life of the man God uses, the words of 2nd Corinthians 9:8 come to play;
“God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work”

Therefore, the man God uses is the person who has absolute trust, reliance, and faith in God. He relies on God as the source of all things; he is a man through whom God can do all things. He is fully aware of God’s agenda in the world, and he lives with a clear, God-given sense of direction toward fulfilling God’s purpose. The presence of God is with him always and he is always careful to keep his character and integrity in line with the Word of God.

The man God uses is able to bring incredible changes and blessings into the life of anyone that comes in contact with him, through him, people with broken spirits, unstable families, the poor, those with health challenges, the demon possessed, and the disenfranchised, can all find peace and prosperity with God. This is the whole essence of Christianity, and all it requires is our total submission to the preparation and training process. May the Lord give you the grace to pay the price for greatness in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
Father: please give me the grace to depend totally on you and completely submit myself to Your training in Jesus’ name.

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Philippians 4:13

You’re running the race set before you, moving full-speed ahead with God’s blessing overtaking you at every step. Then suddenly, wham! You hit the wall. It may be a wall of sickness or financial trouble, of spiritual failure or family problems. But, regardless of the form it takes, the effect of “the wall” is always the same. It stops you cold.

The question is, once you hit a wall like that, what will you do? You’ll be tempted to quit, to turn back in defeat. But don’t do it. Because God will enable you to break through that wall and keep right on going.

I’m not going to tell you it’s easy. The truth is, it’s tough. But you have to push on through the tough times if you’re ever going to have a breakthrough.

Ask any athlete. He’ll tell you that! Because if he’s a winner, he’s been there. He’s pushed his body to what seems to be the maximum. His side has hurt. His lungs have ached. He’s had cramps in his legs and thighs. And just when he felt like he couldn’t go on, he’s heard some coach yell, “Come on! Move it!”

Athletes call that “hitting the wall.” It’s a time when the body says, “That’s it. That’s all I can do. I can’t go any farther. I can’t go any faster. I quit.”

But the seasoned athlete knows that “the wall” isn’t the end. It’s a signal that he’s on the verge of a breakthrough. If he’ll toughen up and push himself a little more, he’ll get a second wind. Suddenly, he’ll go faster than before. He’ll reach a level of excellence he couldn’t have reached any other way.

When you feel the worst, when failure is breathing down your neck, press in to the Word as never before. You may meditate on a particular scripture for days and even weeks sometimes, trying to get a revelation of it, seemingly without success. Then suddenly, like the dawn of the morning, light will come pouring in. You’ll see the way to break through. All you have to do is punch one little hole in that wall of problems, dig one tiny hole in it with your faith and with the Word of God.

Then keep tearing away at that hole. Don’t quit! And, before long, the forces of God will come bursting through, demolishing every obstacle in their path!

Once that happens you’ll never be the same again. You’ll be hooked. It will only take one breakthrough like that to make a never-dying, never-quitting champion out of you.

Scripture Reading:
1 Corinthians 9:24-27

“Surely your … unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life” (Psalm 23:6a NLT, second edition).

Like goodness, God’s unfailing love follows us in life.

King David says it pursues us! Picture a parent following a little kid around and picking up after the child. When we’re struggling with hurts, habits, and hang-ups, God comes right alongside us, helping to pick up our messes and telling us that his unfailing love is always there.


This means that, rather than entering the future with a question mark, you can do it with an exclamation point! God will be with you no matter what happens. He will help you out: “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6 NLT, second edition).

Goodness is the fact that God gives us good things in life that we don’t deserve. Mercy means God holds back the condemnation we deserve.

Remember this:

God’s goodness will provide and protect.
God’s mercy (unfailing love) will pardon and forgive.
God’s goodness will supply.
God’s mercy will soothe.
God’s goodness will help.
God’s mercy and love will heal.
You can count on it!

Talk It Over

What big dream would you pursue if you fully believed God’s goodness and love were pursuing you every day of your life?
What does it mean to you to enter the future with an exclamation point?
How can you share with others about God’s goodness to you and his same offer to them?

“Surely your goodness … will pursue me all the days of my life” (Psalm 23:6a NLT, second edition).

Even in the middle of your hurts, habits, and hang-ups, God is watching over you.



When King David says, “Surely your goodness will pursue me,” he’s not saying, “Surely only good things are going to happen to me!” He knew as well as anyone that bad things happen to good people.

David’s point is that God’s goodness will follow after, or pursue, him. No matter how bad or evil or difficult something seems, God will work it out for good.

It’s one of God’s great promises that he’s given to believers: We know that in everything that happens to us, God is working for our good — if we love God and are fitting into his plans (Romans 8:28). If you’re a believer, the Bible says all things are working together for good — not that all things are good — but working together for good.

There is no difficulty, dilemma, defeat, or disaster in the life of a believer that God can’t ultimately turn toward his purpose.

Talk It Over

What difficulty, dilemma, or defeat have you been looking at as impossible to face?
How do you think God wants you to respond if you believe Romans 8:28?
Think of a time when God turned something bad in your life into something good. Why is it important to remember God’s faithfulness to you in the past?

But the end and culmination of all things has now come near; keep sound minded and self-restrained and alert therefore for [the practice of] prayer (1 Peter 4:7 AMP).

Many people live as though this world is all there is. Life on earth is short. Whether you’re a politician, an entrepreneur, civil servant, whoever you are, and whatever activities you’re involved in, the end of all things is at hand. Therefore, live purposefully; serve God with your life. Live for His glory. Refuse to allow anything take your attention away from Him.


There’s so much wickedness and lawlessness, a superfluity of waywardness, in today’s world. As a result, the love of many has gone cold. Many aren’t as passionate and fervent for the Lord as they should: "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold" (Matthew 24:12). Don’t let that happen to you. Remain excited about Jesus. Be excited about the Holy Spirit, about the Word of God, and about going to Church. Be excited to praise Him, irrespective of the challenges you might be facing, and the difficulties in today’s world. Be fervent in soul winning.

The Bible says he that endures to the end, the same shall be saved (Read Matthew 10:22). To "endure" means to go through certain difficulties and yet not give up. No wonder Paul said, "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24). He’s saying, "Come what may, I’m going to keep serving the Lord, fulfilling His ministry and calling for my life!"

Live for the Lord. The Bible says "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" (2 Corinthians 5:15). Let your love and commitment to Him be revealed in the way you talk, the things you do, and in your character. Love Him with all your heart, and express it lavishly by doing His Word.

Confession

Precious Jesus, you’re the Lord of my life, and I live for your glory. You’ve made me a light to my world; therefore, I shine ever so brightly, leading others to righteousness. You’re my life and my joy; in you I live, and move, and have my being. You’re the glory of my life, and I love you with all my heart!

further study: Deuteronomy 10:12; John 9:4; 2 Timothy. 3:1-5

: Samuel 7-8 Luke 23:50-24:1-12

: 1 Corinthians 1:22-31 Psalm 141-142

Hebrews 6:20
...Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Jesus is our High Priest forever. This “forever” aspect changes the way we are blessed and how we receive our blessings from God. As our High Priest, Jesus represents us before God. Since His priesthood is after the order of Melchizedek, which is one of righteousness, His righteousness becomes our righteousness forever. This means that we are forever righteous in God’s eyes!


And because He will never die, but continue as our High Priest forever, we have an everlasting righteousness, not merely a here-today-gone-tomorrow righteousness based on our works. No, we have a perpetual and everlasting righteousness because Jesus is our High Priest forever.

This also means that blessings are perpetually on your head because the Bible says that blessings are on the head of the righteous (Proverbs 10:6), and you are righteous forever!

Unlike the priesthood according to the Levitical order, which blesses as well as curses, the priesthood of Jesus according to the Melchizedek order only blesses. There is no cursing, only blessing—always and forever!

And because Jesus is our High Priest forever, the blessings do not come to us in intermittent drips, but stream into our lives in a never-ending flow. Because He is our High Priest forever, we can never stop His blessings.

By being our High Priest forever, Jesus also touches the blessings that He gives us with a forever effect. He touches our lives and we have eternal life. He touches our ministry and its impact becomes eternal. And the more we see His priesthood as having a forever effect, the more permanent our blessings will be.

Truly, there is nothing temporal about what Jesus our High Priest does. It is not a case of blessed today, cursed tomorrow. The blessings we receive are sure and steadfast because Jesus is our High Priest today, tomorrow and forever.

So rejoice because Jesus your High Priest changes how you are blessed forever!

Thought For The Day
God’s blessings are sure and steadfast because Jesus is our High Priest today, tomorrow and forever.

Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own, You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body.
—1 Corinthians 6:19-20


The word stress was originally an engineering term used to refer to the amount of force a beam or other physical support could bear without collapsing under strain.

In our time, the word has been expanded to refer not only to physical pressure but also to mental and emotional tension. As human beings, you and I are built to handle a normal amount of stress. God has created us to withstand a certain amount of pressure and tension. The problem comes when we push ourselves beyond our limitations, beyond what we were intended to bear without permanent damage. But like so many people, because I have things to do, I just keep pushing myself even though it is causing me physical damage.

Of course, when sickness tries to come on Dave or me, we immediately pray for healing. But if you become sick as a result of running your body down by pushing it beyond the limits God set for you to operate in good health, you need rest as well as prayer to restore your health. The boundaries He has set for us are for our own good.

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Have you ever attended a professional sports event? Thousands upon thousands of people scream and cheer loudly, as if their shouts were actually willing their side to victory. People certainly get excited about their favorite sports teams.


How many believers do you know who put that same passion and intensity into their faith? How often do you proclaim the saving truth of Jesus Christ as loudly as a football fan proclaims his or her allegiance?

In his letter to the church at Thessalonica, the apostle Paul rejoices in the young congregation’s passion for telling the world about Christ. Because the city was a busy seaport, he knew that the church there had the ear of the entire world. Travelers would hear the gospel and then take it back and share it with their own communities.

Paul praised the Thessalonians because “the word of the Lord … sounded forth” from them (1 Thess. 1:8). Our heavenly Father wants the same to be true of His children today. Before there were any microphones or loudspeakers, a long, curved device known as a sounding board was used to amplify a public speaker’s voice. We can think of the Thessalonians as living amplifiers who proclaimed Jesus Christ to the world. And we should emulate them.

If you’re a “fan” of Jesus, then you have the responsibility of sharing with the world who He is and what He has done for you. Shout it from the rooftops! Fill entire stadiums with the thunder of your praise! Don’t just show the people around you who your favorite sports team is. Make sure they know who your Savior is as well.

Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 24-25

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (Romans 8:37 NKJV)

A conqueror is one who has entered the ring, who has fought and won, and has gained the title or trophy. Someone who is described as “more than a conqueror” is one who has been handed the title and trophy without doing a thing.


Jesus is the one who fought the enemy and won, but He gave the title and trophy to you. He has already made you more than a conqueror; you just need to believe it and receive it personally.

You may say, “But, Brother Jerry, how can I be more than a conqueror when I feel like such a loser?” The answer is simple: make the decision to no longer see yourself as a loser. Once you’ve made this decision, stop saying things like “this won’t work for me; I can’t win because of where I come from; I can’t win because of what happened to me in the past.”

When you are in Christ, none of these things make a difference. If you’ve made Jesus your Lord, then the Bible declares that you are more than a conqueror!

When you have this revelation in your heart, you will think, walk, and talk like the winner you are. Defeat will be a thing of the past, all bondage will be broken, and failure will never again be an option because you are more than a conqueror.

Confession: Thank You, Father, that I am more than a conqueror because Jesus loves me. I choose to honor Your Word and think like a conqueror from this day forward. I choose to see every situation through the eyes of a conqueror.

"The secret things belong unto the Lord our God..."
Deuteronomy 29:29, AMP

TODAY'S WORD:
Serving God means we’re going to have some unanswered questions sometimes. You may never understand why a relationship ended sooner than you would have liked. You may never understand why you lost a loved one. You may never understand why you went through something difficult or why your prayers didn’t get answered.


But at some point, you have to decide to put your questions aside and go on with God. We have to decide to trust His character even when our circumstances don’t make sense. The Bible tells us that adversity will come, but God is the one who promises to lead us into victory. He has promised that He’s going to turn that difficulty around and use it for your advantage. He is faithful to His Word, and you can be sure that He will fulfill every promise He’s made to you.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:
"Father, I choose to trust You with my unanswered questions. I release any doubt and confusion to You. Help me to focus on Your Word which is truth that sets me free. Thank You for Your goodness and for the blessings You have in store for me in Jesus’ name. Amen."

Memorise: 
And he said the LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer. 2nd Samuel 22:2

Read: Psalms 91:1-8, 
91 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.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.


Bible in one year: 
1st Kings 12-13,
Proverbs 17:15-28

Message:
The experience of David concerning divine protection is worthy of study. In our memory verse for today, he said: “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer”. Whoever experiences these attributes of God in his life can be rightly described as the inheritance of the Lord. The Psalmist further wrote.
“They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.
Psalms 125:1

One point to quickly note is that this Bible verse talks only to those who put their trust in the Lord, not those who have alternatives.


David trusted totally in the Lord and he was never disappointed, that’s why he made such statements as this;
“As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.
Psalms 125:2

In other words, the Lord builds walls of protection round about his people. This is ‘food for thought’ for double-minded people who are still in doubt of God’s ability to totally protect. Some people are even afraid of prosperity, because they feel they will be prone to attacks from their enemies if they get rich. They obviously do not know that the Almighty God that prospers is the One that protects as well.
“Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence…. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day.”
Psalms 91:3, 5

One is thrilled by the assurance with which the Psalmist tells us about the Lord’s protection over His people. David’s experiences, first with the lion and the bear, and later with Goliath, are testimonies that should make a doubter believe that our God is indeed Jehovah-Nissi.

I assure you that if you put your trust in the Lord, your protection is guaranteed. Our Lord never fails, He watches over his elect so that His name will not be blasphemed. Also, He fights on behalf of His elect so that they may not be discouraged by the battles of life.

My prayer is that the Rock of Ages will continue to protect you and your loved ones in the name of Jesus. However, ensure that you have no other god beside the Almighty God.

Action Point
Father, please deliver from the nets of the fowlers in Jesus’ name.

Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (that is, He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, “prompt to do it”) giver.... And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance.

2 Corinthians 9:7-8, The Amplified Bible


Some people say you need to “give till it hurts.” Don’t you believe it. God doesn’t want gifts given in pain. He wants gifts given in joy! In fact, those are the only kinds of gifts that please Him.

That’s why He tacked His promise of abundance onto His command about cheerful giving. The two are connected.

Cheerful, full of faith, even hilarious giving—that is the key that unlocks the treasure house of God. Have you ever seen a group of people give that way? I have. I’ll never forget it. I was at a camp meeting years ago when offering time turned into a spontaneous, supernatural celebration. Ken was singing Bread Upon the Water, and the people were just dancing their way down the aisles to give their money. The joy in that place was glorious. Great healings and miracles were done that night.

But what stood out to me above all was how joyously and hilariously the people brought their offerings to God. The offering wasn’t extracted from them like a dentist extracts teeth. It was brought forth gladly.

The concept of “giving till it hurts” didn’t come from God. He’d rather you give 10 dollars with that kind of joy than 20 dollars grudgingly. In 2 Corinthians 8:11-12, the Apostle Paul urges the church in Corinth to give with eager willingness. Eager willingness. That’s what God looks for!

If you haven’t given that way in the past, make a firm commitment to start. Repent for the times you’ve given grudgingly. Then spend some serious time with God and His Word in your prayer closet, so when you give again, you can give from a willing heart.

Put the “pain” of giving behind. Become “a cheerful, (joyous, ‘prompt to do it’) giver,” and believe me, your blessings will abound!

Scripture Reading:
2 Corinthians 9:6-15

I hear the phrase "Breaking Out." I saw fences around the Body of Christ, the sheep of His pasture. For years these demonic fences of lies and deceit have kept them from enjoying the fullness of their Good Shepherd's green and lush fields of provision.


There was a opening in the fence called Grace. Little by little, the sheep were discovering this opening. One by one, they started going through. The King Shepherd had already gone up before them and broken open the way before them with His own Body. Soon, more and more were seeing the Way out of their desert and following behind Him.

Finally, I see the fences tumbling down and the Sheep running free into all the blessings that their Good Shepherd had already provided. It is a Glorious place of Light and abundant Life. Never forget, Beloved, that you belong to Jesus. It is He who made you and you are His people, the sheep of HIS pasture. Your Father is calling you to run to Him in faith. His Glory and Majesty beckon you to come and feast in the abundance of His house. Because He delights in you, the Lord Himself is walking you out of the wilderness of "Not enough" and is bringing you through to the Glorious land of MORE than enough!

Micah 2:13 The Breaker goes up before them; They break out, pass through the gate and go out by it. So their King goes on before them, And the LORD at their head.

Psalm 18:19 He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because He delighted in me.

Song of Solomon 8:5 Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning on her Beloved?
Psalm 18: 29 For by You I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:3 By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a good and godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the One who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence.

Romans 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

Psalm 95:7 for the LORD is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care. Today, if only you would hear His voice.

Psalm 100:3 Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.

Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise (Hebrews 10:35-36).

The Bible is replete with accounts of men and women who achieved so much by adding patience to their faith; as did Abraham, Sarah, Joseph and Moses. This virtue is further developed through tribulations. "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience" (Romans 5:3).


Many are impatient because they really don’t trust God, so they try to "help" Him bring His Word to pass quickly. Some have erred terribly in this regard, for example, King Saul; he was to wait for Samuel to come offer the sacrifice, in preparation for the war against the Philistines. Offering that sacrifice was exclusively the responsibility of Samuel the prophet; but when Samuel delayed, Saul couldn’t wait. He went ahead and offered the sacrifice.

Interestingly, he was still at it, when Samuel walked in. Samuel then said to him, "Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue…" (1 Samuel 13:13-14). God had made a promise to Saul that his dynasty would be forever, but Saul lost it. His demonstration of impatience cost him and his lineage the kingship.

Many still make similar mistakes today. Some people want to make major decisions, and instead of them to stay on the Word, which is divine counsel, direction, or guidance, they go ahead and do what’s on their minds, saying they prayed about it.

In your walk with the Lord, trust Him, and be patient. If you’re looking to Him for a miracle, trust Him, knowing that He never fails, and His timing is always perfect. James 1:4 says, "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." You need patience for a balanced, successful and stable Christian life.

Prayer

Dear Father, my faith in your Word is unshakeable, and my trust in you is absolute! I’m not moved by circumstances, because I know that come what may, I’ll forever be victorious. Your Word is my guiding light, causing me to make right, and wise decisions, and live right, for your glory, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

further study: Colossians 3:12; James 1:2-4; Isaiah 28:16

: 2 Samuel 4-6 Luke 23:26-49

: 1 Corinthians 1:10-21 Psalm 139-140

And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life?
—Matthew 6:27

Fear and worry are closely related. You might say fear is the parent of every kind of worry because every worry starts as a fear. The Bible clearly teaches that God’s children are not to worry. When we worry, we rotate our minds around and around a problem and come up with no answers. The more we do it, the more anxious we feel. When we worry, we actually torment ourselves with a type of thinking that produces no good fruit. Worry starts with our thoughts, but it affects our moods and even our physical bodies.


A person can worry so much that it makes them feel depressed and sad. Worry places stress on your entire system and causes a lot of physical ailments like headaches, tension in muscles, stomach problems, and many other things. It never helps, and it does not solve our problems.

We can worry about hundreds of different things, from what people think of us to what will happen to us as we age. How long will we be able to work? Who will take care of us when we get old? What happens if the stock market crashes? What if gas prices go up? What if I lose my job? Quite often, worry does not even have a basis or a nugget of truth to it. There is no known reason to even think about the things that worry and then frighten us.

The only answer is to stop worrying by placing your trust in God. He has the future all planned, and He knows the answer to everything. What we worry about frequently never happens anyway, and if it is going to happen, worrying won’t prevent it. God’s Word promises us that He will take care of us if we trust in Him.

Trust in Him: What are you worrying about? Cast your cares on Jesus. He wants you to trust Him with every thought, burden, and worry that you’re carrying because He’s fully capable of taking care of you (see 1 Peter 5:7).

"In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty."
Psalm 37:19, NIV

TODAY'S WORD:
We serve the God of more than enough! It doesn't matter what's happening around you; it doesn't matter what's happening in the economy; it doesn't matter what's happening in the stock market, God is able to provide for you. Notice today's verse doesn't just say He'll help you barely get by; no, it says that in days of famine His people will enjoy plenty.


The key is that we have to get our minds off of this natural, earthly realm and start setting our minds on things above. Remember, there is no recession in heaven, but if you aren't investing in God's economy, you won't see the reward He has for you. Take a step of faith today and sow a seed. Ask God how you can be a blessing to others. Remember, you are a steward over His resources. When you choose to be obedient to Him, you will eat the good of the land. And when you tap into God's economy by obeying His Word, you will have His results—more than enough!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:
"Father, thank You for the resources You have given to me. Thank You for trusting me to be Your representative in the earth and for giving me more than enough. Show me how to handle the blessings You've given me so that I can please You in everything I do in Jesus' name. Amen."

Matthew 2:13
…an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”


God does not play a game of counterattack with the devil—the devil does something bad, then God steps in to bring something good out of it. The truth is, when something bad happens, it is the devil reacting to something good that God has started. The Lord once told me, “Tell My people that if they want to understand what I am doing, just look at what the devil is doing and see it in reverse. That is what I am doing, multiplied many times over.”

I see this truth in the Bible. When Christ was born, soldiers were sent to kill all baby boys under the age of two in Bethlehem. The folks in Bethlehem then would have seen only evil. But there were those like Mary who saw God’s goodness. They knew that God had sent a Savior into the world! The killing of the infants was just the devil’s reaction to the gift of salvation that God had sent.

The Lord showed me that this was how we were to look at the bird flu when it hit our region not too long ago. While I was pondering the significance of birds, the Lord showed me Matthew 6:26: “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

If God takes care of the birds, how much more will He take care of you! So, by attacking the birds with disease, the devil is, in essence, reacting to God’s provision for His people. In other words, he saw that God’s provision had already been released on His people in a big way!

With every new virus that the devil throws at us, you must discern that the devil is trying to pervert and reverse what God is already doing. Then, you will know that something good is going to come out of it. You see, every new strain of virus tells us that God has already released a new anointing of health for His people. And I believe that He releases new levels of increase for His people too. So don’t just see the evil. See the good that God is already doing!

Thought For The Day
Don’t just see the evil around you. See the good that God is already doing!

Psalms 150

The Lord has made us a special people in order that we may fulfill a special purpose. Isaiah 43:21 says, “The people whom I formed for Myself will declare My praise.” An integral part of worshipping the Lord is proclaiming His greatness.


To praise our Father is to applaud Him for who He is and what He has done in our life. This involves the release of our emotions, which frees us to express our unrestrained adoration for the Lord. When someone loves another person, the most natural response is to speak highly about the cherished one. In the same way, those who love Christ find that praise for Him comes easily to their lips.

Praising the Lord is good for us. In our self-centered society, people are primarily interested in getting their own needs met. Sadly, this same attitude has infiltrated some churches. But the Lord doesn’t want us to come to church concerned only about ourselves. Praise lifts our eyes to Jesus Christ and fills our hearts with the contentment that eludes us when we focus exclusively on our own needs and problems.

Praise and worship are usually associated with church services, but they should characterize us wherever we are. Some of the most intimate and precious experiences of worship can happen when we’re alone with the Father.

If you find that your praise lacks vitality, tell the Lord you want to learn to extol Him with your whole heart. The focus of worship is the key. Remember how God has cared for you, and look for daily evidence of His hand on your life. Then tell Him how great He is.

Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 21-23

For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. (Deuteronomy 7:6
You are somebody special to God. Why? Because the blood of Jesus has dealt with every sin and failure that you ever committed and experienced, or that you ever will commit and experience.

Religion doesn’t teach that you are special. Religion wants you to remain “sin conscious,” meaning you are acutely aware of your shortcomings before a holy God. While it’s true that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, this is the very reason Jesus had to come.

The blood of Jesus washed away every bit of sin and failure in your life—past, preset, and future. As far as God is concerned, you are now holy, blameless, and above reproach in His sight. You are God’s special treasure, whether you feel like it or not.

Religion causes you to focus on your inadequacy and failure, when you should be focusing on the blood of Jesus and all that He did for you. If you have received Jesus as your Savior, you are not a worthless sinner. If you were, then the blood of Jesus didn’t work. I would never dare say the blood of Jesus didn’t work, because it did work!

Confession: Because the blood of Jesus cleansed me of my sin, I am holy and righteous in Your sight, Father God. Thank You that I am Your special treasure.

Memorise: 
Submit yourself therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

Read: James 4:7-10, 
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you
Bible in one year: 
1st Kings 10-11,
Proverbs 17:1-14

Message:
Submitting to the perfect will of God is a great weapon against trials and temptations. It is wisdom for us to submit to the One who is our present help in time of trouble. Jesus Christ is our closest ally in the battle of life. This is why those who do not have Him as their personal Lord and Saviour are vulnerably disposed to sorrow, frustration and death.

For us to enjoy the support and the defence of our great Ally, Jesus Christ, Apostle James wrote to say that we should submit ourselves to God, resist the devil and then he will flee from us (James 4:7).

The Bible says that pride goes before a fall. Many people fall into temptation because of pride. This is why the scripture enjoins us to live soberly as we fight the good fight of faith.
“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think;


but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”
Romans 13:3

Humility and sobriety are great instruments of defence in the face of temptation. We are encouraged to humble ourselves in the sight of God so that He can lift us up. Once we are lifted up above principalities and powers, no temptation can floor us, because the Almighty is our Ally. People easily fall prey to trials and temptations because of their failure to live soberly. Over two thousand years ago. Apostle James gave us a key to solving this problem. He wrote:

“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished bringeth forth death.”
James 1:14-5

To overcome trials and temptations, we must run to Jesus afresh today with sober hearts and humility. He will come to our aids, just on time.

Action Point
Examine your life; see where and how you have exposed yourself to trials and temptations and make amends with the blood of Jesus Christ.

When [the devil] speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

John 8:44

Some people find it difficult to believe God’s promises because they’ve seen so many things in the natural world that seem to contradict them. They’ve seen faithful tithers go broke. They’ve seen sick Christians fail to receive their healing.


In reality, it would be more accurate to say that they think they’ve seen those things. Because, you see, there’s a deceiver at work in the world. A deceiver who’s busily doing the same thing he’s been doing ever since the Garden of Eden: tricking mankind into believing God’s Word isn’t true.

And, after working on it for thousands of years, he’s a master at it. Think about that the next time he tries to make things look as though God’s Word is not going to work for you, when he makes it look like all hope is lost. Say, “I don’t care about appearances. I believe the Word and I refuse to doubt it.”

Let me show you what I mean. Have you ever seen a magic show where someone crawls inside a box and then is sawn in half? You can see it with your own two eyes. The guy’s feet are sticking out one end of the box and his head is poking out the other, and the box is plainly cut in two. Then the magician slides the two halves back together and the sawed-apart fellow jumps out of the box in one piece.

Now tell me, did you really believe, even for a moment, that fellow was truly cut in half? Of course not! You knew that you’d seen a trick, a deception, something that appeared one way when, in reality, it was a different way altogether. You may not have known how it was done. You may not have been able to explain it. But you knew a person couldn’t be sawn in half, then put back together, so you refused to believe your eyes.

That’s exactly the way you need to be where the Word of God is concerned. You need to learn to trust it and rely on it to such an extent that when Satan shows you something in the natural world that appears to contradict it, you just say, “Well, I saw that, but I’m not going to be gullible enough to believe it. I’m just going to stick with the Word.”

If you’ll do that, the father of lies will never be able to put one over on you.

Scripture Reading:
Psalm 119:89-104

I am your Keeper. There is nothing more you need to do, My Child. For all was accomplished for you at the Cross. You have given me your heart and I hold it tenderly in My Hands. Simply surrender and trust in My finished work. You may feel as if your life is out of control, but I tell you, Beloved, that I am in control.

What you have entrusted to Me, I am well able to keep until the Day of the appearing of your Savior. My thoughts are higher than yours and My Love is deeper and stronger than any evil force working against you. Through My Son, you are blessed and kept and doted upon. My Face is always shining upon you and I am always gracious unto you.


The LIGHT of My smiling countenance is always shining upon you and My Peace rests with you. I am well able to KEEP that which you have entrusted to Me. You are My Beloved and I am yours. I am He who is Faithful unto a thousand generations. I am well able to keep you from falling. dote on or upon: adore, prize, treasure, admire, hold dear, lavish affection

2 Timothy 1:12 For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know Whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to KEEP what I have entrusted to Him until that day.

Numbers 6:24 The LORD bless you, and KEEP you:
25 The LORD make His FACE shine upon you, and be gracious unto you:
26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.
27 And they shall put MY NAME upon the children; and I will bless them.
2 Corinthians 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 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.
Psalm 121

1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence comes my help.
2 My help comes from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer your foot to be moved: He that keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He that keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD is YOUR KEEPER: the LORD is your shade upon your right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD shall preserve you from all evil: He shall preserve your soul.
8 The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Jude 1:24Now unto Him that is able to KEEP YOU from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.



 

“Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”
Isaiah 43:18–19 KJV



God is all about doing new things. Yet we as people, and most especially the Church, easily fall into the trap of doing things as we’ve always done them.

This is a season to embrace the new thing God is about to do in the earth. But to do that, you must position yourself to move in tandem with His Spirit.

As long as you are bound by the commonplace—cultural traditions, the opinions of others, or even your own comfortable patterns and routines, you will miss the new thing God is doing.

If we are to fully embrace the new, it is imperative that we first walk out of the old.

I believe we are in a time of great transition that is bringing incredible shifts and changes—both in the Church as well as in the world at large.

Of course you don’t have to be prophetic to discern the disruptive, climactic changes taking place across the earth both geopolitically and meteorologically.

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
Romans 8:22

Yet as I travel the globe as an ambassador of God’s Kingdom, there is a deeply felt sense that the entire cosmos is in a state of transition.

“Transition” is a word used to describe the most difficult phase of childbirth: the phase of labor just before the pushing stage when contractions become very strong and erratic.

What is particularly notable about this stage are the overwhelming feelings of confusion, uncertainty, and of being unable to cope.

Have you ever felt this way?

The good news is that if you have, you could be about to give birth to greater potential—to the promise of God you’ve been carrying.

How expectant are you?

If you are great with expectation, you know some things will have to change.

You will have to give up some things—old habits, behaviors, and ways of doing things. You may need to act, eat, and dress differently; and you will have to make way for some new things in your environment and schedule.

The trouble I see with many people looking to grow is that they fear change—they lack the confidence to let go of the familiar.

Embracing change takes courage—it takes faith and trust in God, as well as in yourself.

Sometimes in our personal and professional lives, as well as in our ministries, we have to be willing to do some pruning.

Any master gardener will tell you that for a garden to thrive, you must spend as much time—if not more—eradicating pests, eliminating weeds, and cutting away overgrowth as you do watering and fertilizing the soil.

You must also have clear boundaries in place and the means to enforce them.

Get clear on what belongs in your garden and what doesn’t.

Likewise, if you are to advance your ministry or business, you must have the courage to cut ties with certain influences and individuals.

You must act with boldness in getting rid of old techniques, programs, or protocols without being afraid of offending some person or group of people.

If you are to grow in any endeavor, there will be people and activities you must be willing to leave behind.

Losing a few people along the way is part of the process of growth.

God may prune people and old methods in order to multiply your influence in the place that He is taking you.

He may require you to put away—as in leave behind—former disappointments, failures, resentments, and hurts once and for all.

This is not a simple process. If it were easy to break free from associations or activities that hold us back—or our past mistakes, traumas, or heartaches that hang us up, everyone would do it.

We must overcome the past if we are ever to move forward.

Overcoming the past requires intentional effort. It not only requires key strategies and techniques, but also the diligence to persevere through the emotional discomfort change brings.

That is why I have written The Rules of Engagement for Overcoming Your Past—to give you tools that will help you break free from old ways of thinking, believing, and acting that are keeping you from walking in the fullness of your potential.

And it is why I have established Kingdom School of Ministry—to equip you with the divine downloads you need to not only break free from limiting paradigms and circumstances, but to break through to the next level of your calling.

“Do not remember the things that have happened before. Do not think about the things of the past.”
Isaiah 43:18

It all begins with leaving the past in the past.

And in regards to certain activities and people currently limiting your present, it means leaving them in the past as well.

Be forward thinking. Be willing to take a candid look at what you know is keeping you from moving forward.

And yet, to forget the old and move confidently into the new, we must address strongholds.

Strongholds are influences that diametrically oppose the Kingdom of God.

Strongholds can be demonic spirits that seek to keep you blind and powerless—or deeply rooted soul ties or emotional attachments that keep you bound in negative thought patterns and limiting beliefs (read Reclaim Your Soul for more on this topic).

You always have the power to expose and expel anything you don’t want working in your life. You alone have the power to command how you experience the present (read Commanding Your Morning for more on this topic).

Michael Miles, author of Thirty Days to Change Your Life, once wrote, “The present is always fresh. There is always a new choice to make, and you are always creating your life again. No matter what has happened in the past—whatever habits you have developed, however deeply ingrained are your patterns of behavior—there is always scope for you to choose a new response.”

You are given the opportunity to change and make changes every single day.

Don’t miss the ever-present opportunity to course correct by redirecting your thinking.

For those who are courageous enough to let go of the people, programs, or paradigms holding them back—or who are willing to release the pain of past rejection, disappointment, or failure—transformation awaits.

God wants to do a new thing in your life—and that begins with dismantling the forces working to suppress your potential in both your present and your past.

I encourage you today to reach for the prize of all God has for you!

“One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:12

Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine… (Ezekiel 18:4).



There’re those who ask if it’s possible for people to sell their souls to the devil. No one can sell his or her soul to the devil; the reason being that all souls belong to God. How can Satan possibly pay for the soul of any human being and with what "currency" exactly? God paid for the soul of every man, woman, boy, and girl, with the precious blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19).

Satan lies to a whole lot of Christians, deceiving them to think he’s in charge of their lives somehow, whereas he doesn’t have such rights. Jesus bought the whole field and paid for everyman. So, you can’t sell your soul to the devil. Even if you stood in front of the devil and said to him, "I sell my soul to you." He couldn’t buy it. Your soul neither belongs to you nor Satan; it belongs to God.

Even when you give your heart to Jesus, you’re not "selling" your heart to Him either. The terminology of "giving your heart to Jesus" doesn’t really apply in the way we think a lot of times, as to "bundling" yourself up and giving yourself to Him. To give Him your heart is to give Him your attention. He said, "My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways" (Proverbs 23:26). So, when we say, "Give your heart to the Lord", we’re saying, "Turn over to Him; yield yourself to do His will."

The reason you can do that is because He gave you the right; He took the right off Satan, gave it to you, and said, "Give me your heart and follow me!" He told the Israelites, "I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life..." (Deuteronomy 30:19). He told them to choose life! Serve God truly, with your life. Love Him with all your heart, for your soul belongs to Him.

It’s important to understand, nonetheless, that there’s such a term as ‘selling oneself to do evil.’ This means willingly yielding oneself to do evil or wickedness. In this way, one could be said to have ‘sold himself’ to the devil or evil. "And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD...But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up" (1 Kings 21:20, 25)

Confession
My life belongs to Jesus Christ. I’ve been crucified with Christ, nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me! God’s purpose is fulfilled in me, and I walk in His perfect will today and always! Hallelujah.

further study: 1 Corinthians 3:23; Isaiah 43:1; Romans 14:7-9

: 2 Samuel 1-3 Luke 22:66-23:1-25

: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 Psalm 137-138