CONFRONT YOUR FEAR

READ: MARK 11:22-24

The city of Samaria was under siege by the Syrian army, which brought about untold hardship. Nobody was bold enough to approach the city gate, which was under the control of the enemy. Not even the king or his army! They were so afraid of their enemies that they did not dare. Fear can be a very terrible thing! Four lepers who were banished from the community realised that their death was inevitable, whether they stayed in camp without access to the other Israelites or whether they went into the enemy territory. Finally they ventured into the camp of the enemy, only to find no one there!
Some things that cause us to fear never take place. All they do is threaten to happen. Other events occur differently to how we thought they would be. While they are programmed spiritually to happen in a particular way, Jesus has empowered us to change and redesign or redirect them, which means they may even end up as the opposite of what we thought. In other cases, God’s grace is released to enable us to bear what happens. So why worry unnecessarily? Those who live infear of man, the devil and negative events are tormented. They need deliverance.
In Samaria, the people concluded their fate before anything had happened – whereas they were not actually going to meet with even one enemy!
“The wicked flee when no pursues, but the righteous are bold as lion.” (Proverbs 28:1). Child of God, are you running from imaginary enemies? Who told you; you would fail if you attempted that exam again? Who told you, you could not make it in life? Do not write your obituary before you die.
Arise, hand over your fears to the Lord and receive boldness to confront those fears. Jesus says if you do not love him to the point of dying, you are not yet ready to serve him. That means your service is only lip service: any day a threat comes to you on an account of the Word, you will deny him like Peter. Repent today and put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Go out and confront your fear and you are most likely to find it gone before you get there.

MEMORIZE: 2 TIMOTHY 1:7 –For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and sound mind. 

RIDING DEATH

READ: 2 KINGS 20:1-7

Some sicknesses are fatal and some not. Those not ‘unto death’ usually have a purpose and the Name of the Lord is magnified. According to mark 5:21-42, Jarius’ daughter was sick and died. “When Jesus heard that, He said, ‘This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’” (John 11:4). The purpose of her sickness was to bring her father to Christ. The sickness of one of my children led to Christ. The sickness of Lazarus was not unto death but for certain reasons: to glorify God and also that Jesus could prove to the world that he was indeed who he said he was – the Resurrection and the Life. Jesus always stood by his word and lived up to his names and titles.
To prove he is the Bread of Life, he fed about 5000 people with just five loaves of bread and two fishes, yet the leftovers were more than what he started with. As the light of the World, Jesus saw a man who was blind from birth and gave him sight. To prove he is the Way, he ensures that no devil is able to block your path by making a way for you out of the woods. Jesus is dependable. In which situation do you need his touch today? Call on him and it will change. Moreover certain sicknesses are unto death. This, according to Hebrews 9:27, is by divine appointment. That is how I know I cannot die before your appointment with God. In fact, as he told Peter shortly before his death (2 Peter 1:13-14), the Lord will tell you of your appointment before the time. Then you will choose whether you are ready for it or want it deferred (Philippians 1:23-24).
Hezekiah was told when his appointment would be but he was not ready, so he appealed to the Court of Heaven and was awarded an additional 15 years. Do not waste your time thinking about death. You will not die before your time. Whether you live or die, all things are yours (1 Corinthians 3:21-23). Some will ride death as a horse into glory. Those who have to go before the rapture will be attending the bachelor’s party before the Great Wedding, while others will go at rapture. Decide, and prepare for your exit into eternity.

MEMORIZE: JOHN 11:4 –When Jesus heard that, He said, ‘This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’

DESTINY DETERMINANTS

READ: JEREMIAH 1:4-5

King Joash paid homage to Elisha during his indisposition. Elisha asked him to take a bow and arrow. Then Elisha laid hands on king Joash and asked him to shoot. As he shot, Elisha made a prophetic statement, saying: “The arrow of the LORD’S deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria” (2 Kings 13:14-17). We can learn certain lessons from this encounter. The first is that a man’s future is determined by three people, namely God’s, God’s representative in authority over him, and he himself. Before you were created, God designed a plan for your life (Jeremiah 1:4-5). Your future is not in the hands of any witch, boss or lecturer. Your future is not with those who hate you. They may try to tamper, but it is not in their hands. Your future is in the hands of the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.
The psalmist David said that because God was his refuge and strength and ever with him, he had nothing to fear (Psalm 46:1-3). God is faithful. He will bring his plan concerning you to pass. Your future is not dictated by what is in the newspapers or in the national budget. It does not matter what the specialists had said about your case. If God says it is well with you, all opposing statements should be thrown into the trash bin. God’s representative also occupies a major place in fulfilling your destiny. Elisha was God’s representative in the life of king Joash. The one God has placed as his representative in your life can affect you in seven ways: he can equip you for the future, as Elijah did for Elisha (2 Kings 2:9-15). He can establish you, as Nathan did for Solomon (1 Kings 1:11-53). He can deposit treasure into your life, like Moses did for Joshua (Deuteronomy 34:9).
God’s representative can also transform your life by anointing you (1 Samuel 16:11-13). He can counsel you (2 Kings 4:8-17), curse you (1 Samuel 15:24-29) or speak blessings into your future (2 Kings 4:8-17). Finally, however, you affect your own future by your decisions, choices and your manner of life. If you do what will attract blessings, blessings will come. If you do the opposite, curses will come. Be careful in dealing with all the parties involved in determining your future, so that it will be well with you.

MEMORIZE: DEUTERONOMY 6:23 –Then He brought us from there, that He might bring us in, to give us the land of which He swore to our fathers. 

RELOCATE

READ: 1 SAMUEL 2:7-8

The four lepers at the gate of Samaria asked themselves why they had to die. This led to their changing their location. God is saying to you today: change your location. The lepers did not receive their breakthrough until they had changed their location. They advanced from the camp of seclusion where they had been for so many years. Before you can enter into your breakthrough, you have to relocate. Are you located in secret sinning? It is true that nobody sees you doing those things, but God does. Isaiah 59:1-2 says those sins are responsible for delaying the blessing you are longing for. Change your location to holiness. Are you still at the doubt and unbelief bus stop? James 1:6-8 says you should not expect god to answer that prayer. Relocate to faith.
Take a look at various aspects of your life where you are wrongly located. Have you pitched your tent in Sodom, like Lot? Are you dwelling in grudges and unforgiveness? Are you living in the valley of prayerlessness? Is your body in Zion but your heart in Egypt? Are you still harbouring the Philistines God has long warned you to destroy? In as many areas as you are in need, relocate to where God expects you to be. As long as Jonah lived in disobedience, he was in peril. He could not prosper until he relocated. This is a part you and only you can play. God will not come and separate you from that girlfriend. He will not force you to do what he knows you should. You have to do it yourself.
After you have changed your position, God will throw down his might and relocate you from your present status to a higher, better, desirable and more glorious place. 1 Samuel 2:7-8 says he can relocate you from the dust to sit among princes. I prefer a throne to a dunghill. God can change your location. He changed a witch, Mary Magdalene into a divine treasurer. In Mark 5:1-20, he converted a complete madman into an evangelist. God can relocate you today! First do your part, like the four lepers. Move from grumbling and complaining to praise and worship. Move from disobedience to obedience. Straighten up your life and you will see God move thereafter.

MEMORIZE: PSALM 120:5 –Woe is me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of kedar!    

HEAVENLY WINE

READ: ACTS 2:5-13

When the Holy Ghost descended on the day of Pentecost, the 120 disciples were filled and began to speak in other tongues. Those listeners who came from foreign countries, hearing their native tongues being spoken by the disciples, could have no explanation other than that they were drunk. In a sense they were right. You can be drunk with the wine of the Holy Ghost, and it will become a well inside you. As you continue to drink, it becomes a river flowing out of you. You can be so full of the Holy Ghost that those around you will know something special is happening.
“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18). This heavenly wine does not make you drunk. It empowers you. It enables you to praise God, to pray without ceasing; to heal the sick, to move mountains and to rejoice. It also reminds you that you are a stranger in this world, thereby preparing you for heaven.
“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” (Isaiah 55:1). Before you can be filled with the heavenly wine, you have to thirst for it. The deeper the thirst, the greater the quantity you will be given. The quantity you receive will determine the level of power you will be able to manifest. You can drink of this wine and not be drunk. You can drink of it and not be full. It is what distinguishes the performers from the spectators.
You can desire this Wine today. Do not just sip a little. Drink until you are filled with the Holy Ghost. Drink until you are drunk in the Holy Ghost. At that level, he will begin to move you and anywhere you go, the miraculous and the supernatural will flow. You will become very special and to men, you will be truly outstanding. Your desires should be right. Your life should be free from sin. Begin to hunger and thirst unceasingly for more of the Holy Ghost. Never stop until he so fills you that he becomes the centre of your life.

MEMORIZE; ISAIAH 55:1 –Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.