CHANGE THROUGH UNUSUAL ZEAL

READ: NUMBERS 25:6-13

Serving God requires zeal. This refers to your level of interest, concern, dedication and commitment to the service of God. Zeal has varying degrees and the level of it in each believer will determine the extent to which such a believer can accomplish for God.
Zeal towards God can be negative or positive. Today, we find several million people engrossed in world religion. In Paul's day it was also so. He attested to the zeal of Israelites towards God, which was misdirected (Romans 10:1-2). He, too, had great zeal to serve  God much earlier in life. But because this zeal was also misdirected, he ended up fighting against the God he thought he was fighting for. To be effective, zeal should be backed by sound knowledge of God's Word. Jesus Christ had great zeal. In fact, Scripture says that he was consumed by zeal towards God. He channelled his zeal correctly. He said: 'I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.' He said working for God was his food. We ought to learn from his zeal.
When zeal is properly channelled to glorify God, it can be contagious and highly rewarding. From our text, Barak failed to subdue Israel through a curse. But he succeeded later when the people started  to commit fornication and idolatry with the beautiful ladies of Moab. As a result God instructed that these culprit be killed. Right in the middle of this, with great sorrow in the Israeli camp, a man walked into their midst with one of the forbidden ladies, disregarding even Moses. He passed by his front. A  Levite named Phinehas saw this and was filled with holy zeal against sin. He took a javelin, went after the couple and killed them.
The judgement he executed as a servant of God on the culprits spared the whole nation the widespread judgement that was imminent. His zeal earned him a covenant of everlasting peace and priesthood. How zealous are you for God? How do you channel that zeal today? If you demonstrate unusual zeal towards God, and do what none has ever done for him, you could earn a breakthrough that will affect several generations after you for good.

MEMORIZE: PSALM 69:9 -Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.

HEARER OR DOER?

READ: JAMES 1:19-25

There are two classes of Bible users, the 'hearers only' and the 'doers'. You belong to one of them. Most of us spend time listening to tapes, songs, videos, direct messages in church and personal time reading or studying the Bible. This is very good. However this is not the ultimate. When Joshua was appointed to follow Moses, God gave him the secret to making a success of his assignment to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. His predecessor Moses had failed God in not being able to accomplish that task. This simply tells us that unless we walk in total obedience and submission to God, there is no guarantee that we will complete the assignment we have been commissioned to carry out.
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. ” (Joshua 1:8).
When you hear or read the Scriptures, it stays in your head. If left there for a while without taking further steps, the birds of the air will come and steal it. If you desire that Word to make a meaningful impact on you, then you must the extra effort to transfer it from your head into your mind – your spirit man. The Word in your spirit man can bring about changes, even though slowly (Romans 12:2).
From our text, one of the further steps to be taken is to fill your heart and actively occupy it with the Word, so that when tempted to speak evil words, the World of God will spill out: “... for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” The Psalmist says:”Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”
Give valuable time to meditating on the Word you have heard. You will find it easy and very compelling to obey the Word after you have meditated on it. Thinking upon the Word has a way of leading you on a journey into further revelations. When you put what you have heard or read into practice, success results. Decide today that no command of God will go unpractised. Cultivate the habit of succeeding through obeying God's Word.

MEMORIZE: ROMANS 2:13 -For not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God but the doers of the law will be justified.

RANSOM FOR THE RIGHTEOUS

READ: ISAIAH 43:1-4

A ransom is something that is offered in place of something else. The death we were supposed to die as sinners, Jesus died. That means Jesus became a ransom for us (Matthew 20:28). It does not end there. From our text, for those who are God's beloveds, blood-washed and precious in God's sight, God takes personal steps to ensure that as many times as the wicked ones plan evil for his own, God will ransom them with others.
“Since you were precious in My sight, you have been honored and I loved you; therefore I will give men for you and people for your life.” (Isaiah 43:4). 
The devil is very wicked. Just to get one righteous man, he does not mind destroying many people. But no matter how hard he tries to get you, as long as you are on God's side, he will fail. In Exodus 1, the devil through Pharaoh tried to kill Moses, so as to scuttle God's plan to redeem Israel from bondage. He destroyed so many lives, but he could not reach his target. Similarly the devil through King Herod carefully plotted the death of Jesus when he was born. Thousands of innocent children died in the process, but these became a ransom for Jesus.
You are important to God and he has a plan for your life. So, every plan of any Pharaoh or Herod against your life will fail.
For you to continue enjoying this privilege, you must position yourself in line with the destiny God has planned for you. Keep a distance from anything capable of defiling your garment of righteousness. Live daily in complete obedience and submission to God's revealed word. Do things that will always make God proud of you. Always keep your telephone line to heaven busy. Then you can be sure that whatever evil or trap or arrow is planned against you, some other person will be the victim – your ransom. Nothing can kill you until you complete your assignment.

MEMORIZE: JEREMIAH 31:11 -For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of one stronger than he.

POTTAGE FOR BIRTHRIGHT

READ: HEBREWS 12:14-17

Making a decision without proper consideration of its immediate or remote consequences, could be a most devastating thing to do. In Scripture, examples abound of people who took just one wrong step and lived thereafter to regret that action. Eve in the Garden of Eden entertained the devil for  a few minutes and that led her and Adam to plunge the entire human race into sin, slavery, sickness and death. Just one act of disobedience altered God's plan for the human race, the consequences of which man is still reaping six thousand years later. The story could have been very different if they had simply obeyed God.
Esau, a hunter, returned one day from his trip without a catch. He was very hungry. He met the younger brother, Jacob, preparing pottage and asked for it. Jacob, who had eyed the double portion of blessings that belonged to Esau as the first-born, requested his birthright in exchange for one plate of pottage. Esau despised his birthright and agreed. Eventually, Esau sought to have his birthright restored. He pleaded. He cried. He repented. But he had lost it forever to one bad decision he made one day he was hungry. Many of us are not any different. Several times, due to impatience, inability to wait one day, one week, one month or more, or refusal to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit called self-control, we have ended up taking a step that will be regretted later.
During that moment of anger, do you allow yourself to lose your senses and destroy lives and property? Or, perhaps it was the temptation to fornicate, which you felt you would secretly repent of, only to find that the singular act of immorality either brought the AIDS scourge or is breaking up your home. Watch what you do. Scripture says: “The adulteress will hunt for the precious life.” The devil knows what he is targeting in your life through those temptations. Look beyond the momentary pleasure and see Satan plotting to steal your soul and afterwards destroy you. Resist him steadfastly and soak yourself in God's Word. Receive grace to overcome.

MEMORIZE: HEBREWS 12:16 -lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.

PLEAD YOUR CASE

READ: 2 KINGS 20:1-7

We serve a wonderful, prayer-answering God. Psalm 65:2 says: ''O You hear prayer, to You all flesh will come.” We are so blessed that we serve the only true and living God. He hears us when we call upon him. And when he has revealed his intention to judge you, he will still listen to your plea. From our text, God sent the prophet Isaiah to tell King Hezekiah that he was bout to die. Hezekiah cried out to God, who prolonged his life by 15 years. But Hezekiah is not the only one who has benefited from God's magnanimity. 
Jabez was tired of a life of sorrow since birth. He had only the crumbs of god's blessing. Sorrow and failure followed him like flies around the tail of a cow. When he could no longer take it, he pleaded his case in Heaven's Court and ended up being more honourable than anyone around him. You can change your life too. When God shows you your enemy's intention to bring evil upon you, through dreams, visions and words of knowledge, do you expect things to change by themselves? If you do nothing about it, God may take it to mean you are content. But if you rise up immediately, and begin to cry to God to cancel that negative dream and reserve it in spiritual realm, where the plan was made, you will change.
Isaiah 41:21 says: “Present your case, says the LORD. Bring forth your strong reasons, says the King of Jacob.” In other words, argue your case, show why the evil plan of your enemies should not stand. For such reasons to be accepted in the Court of Heaven, they must be based on God's written Word, which is forever established in heaven. Having successfully presented your case, there will be a change. Are your enemies planning your death? Take it to Heaven's Court and say 'I shall not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord. I shall not die before my time. I shall not die until I have fulfilled my assignment on earth. All these are written in your Word. Because it is also written, only your counsel will stand, let death return to sender.' Through care and wisdom, prayerfully stand in the gap for others; speak words that edify and build up others and support the vision the Lord has given to your pastor, to make it a reality. This way, you will be a pillar in God's house and will be made to flourish in the courts of God.

MEMORIZE: ISAIAH 41:21 -Present your case, says the LORD. Bring forth your strong reasons, says the King of Jacob.