WALKING IN THE LIGHT

READ: HEBREWS 4:1-7

Believers are frequently exposed to various Bible-based teachings on tapes, videos, newspapers, books, direct pulpit ministrations, etc… By these we amass knowledge of God’s word. This is great because the entrance of God’s word is what produces faith we require to live the spiritual life (Romans 10:17). The problem is, to what extent have we turned such knowledge into wisdom? Wisdom is the right application of knowledge. Knowledge is useless as long as it remains unused. It is only the knowledge that is put into use that can benefit man.
If you know that whenever you take your bath with a particular toilet soap it will result in itching and produce blisters, giving you discomfort for a week or two, to what benefit is this knowledge to you when you continue to use the soap. You know that if you pay your tithe, the Lord will rebuke devourers from attacking you, and open the windows of blessings upon you. If you refuse to be faithful in tithing, are you not evoking the opposite of the blessings He has promised? Do you think by such acts you are smart? No, you are not.
Everyone has received a measure of the light of God’s word. It is the measure of that word that you put into practice, that will determine to what extent situations, circumstances, people and demons, will respond to your dictates. A certain uneducated brother heard from the pulpit that to receive anointing, you must win several souls. He received that word and ran with it. Although he was a young convert then, he began to evangelise from house to house, in buses and the factory where he worked. Some people started to mock him saying he was idle and only busy doing nothing. Before long, the anointing of God upon him increased so much that people from far and wide began to come to him for prayers. He would visit hospitals and miracles will flow. With a little prayer from him pregnant women who could not be delivered, delivered immediately. Soon the same people, who mocked him, were forced to eat their words. They started seeing him regularly for prayers. All because he ran with one word. You cannot imagine how much of your world you can affect if you can walk in the light of the word of God you have received.

MEMORIZE: PROVERBS 11:8 –The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked comes in his stead.

APPROPRIATE COMFORT

READ: PSALM 18:16-21

Children of God face seemingly impossible situations from time to time. God may allow your strong enemies to surround you. They will think your end has come and begin to celebrate. But God will laugh at them because He has promised to deliver you and your children in time of trouble. He is never tired of delivering His children out of troubles according to Psalm 32:17-20.
For as many times as Satan attacks you, God will arise to show that He is your shield, buckler, refuge, fortress and high tower (Psalm 91). He does not allow those enemies to come to you so as to cause fear in you. Those enemies you are seeing around you now are not there to destroy you for God to demonstrate His might on your behalf. They will become the fat for His fire.
God speaks deliverance to the captives according to Isaiah 49:24-26. He will deliver you from spiritual satanic prison in Jesus name. To the sick, the Lord speaks healing. Medical practitioners may say your case is incurable: that is to the best of their knowledge and ability. Do not blame them. it is what they have they can give. If a child whose parents can hardly afford three square meals goes to ask them for a limousine, you know he is asking for the impossible.
But my God is unlimited. The limit of medical science and all other professions is the starting point of God’s ability. In Matthew 8:1-3, He clearly unveils His mind towards you. He says it is His will to heal you. As against the report of the doctors, God’s report says He is able and willing to heal you of any kind of sickness. He has fully paid for your healing at the cross. The receipt is His blood that was poured for you. The evidence of the payments is in His hands, feet, side, bruised body and thorn-pierced head. Go by the strength of His promise and claim what will give true comfort.

MEMORIZE: PSALM 18:19 –He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.

IDEAL TRAINING GROUND

READ: MARK 1:1-8

Many who are preparing for ministry today attend bible colleges and seminaries. This is good, but the place where the patriarchs of old were trained was not in the four walls of a school. It was in the un-walled Bible colleges of the deserts. Their instructor was the Holy Spirit. The subjects were ‘shepherding’, ‘humility’, ‘dependence on God’, etc… These were taught practically.
The Bible College David attended was not in the palace but in a cave. Moses had his training at the backside of a desert rearing cattle (Exodus 3:1). According to 1 Kings 17:1-3, God had to send Elijah to the brook Cherith so as to teach him more spiritual lessons. In Revelation 1:9, we are told that John the beloved who had been very close to the Teacher of teachers for three and a half years was banished in a forsaken island called Patmos for his post graduate studies in the University of Suffering. That island was in the middle of nowhere. His only companions were wild beasts. This was after the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.
Before John the Baptist began his ministry, he spent several years in this same school of the desert (Luke 1:80). In the process, he died to self. What he ate was locust and wild honey. By the time he came back from the wilderness to the civilized world, he found it difficult to eat regular food. Even his clothes were different. He could not wear the same clothes others wore. This lifestyle enables him fulfil his ministry as the voice in the wilderness sent to prepare the way for Jesus.
Are you presently going through the wilderness experience? Are you in a cave or desert now? Thank God for it. It is in the cave that you will be able to hear God clearly (1 Kings 19:12). This is why you need to make out time to retreat to a quiet place to fellowship with God. When God was going to call me into full-time ministry, I was in a bush emptying my bowel. As you pass through the school of suffering, let the school also pass through you. That is, let us see the positive effects of God’s pruning and fire. Let us see humility, brokenness, submission to God. Let us see the fire in you.

MEMORIZE: LUKE 1:80 –And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing to Israel.

THE SPIRITUAL SWORD

READ: EPHESIANS 6:11-18

When you hear a voice asking you to do something, ask yourself: Will this deed glorify God? Does it break any of God’s commandments? Will it enrich or impoverish me spiritually? Is it aimed at gratifying my flesh and vain desires? Does it distort the word of God? Does it question God’s word or paint God as a liar? Is it coming at my weak or strong moments? Is it very forceful and urgent? After going through these, you will be sure of the source. Then ask, what is the likely hidden negative consequences vis-à-vis the supposed promise or benefits?
Having identified the source of the voice, and the likely negative impact, find out exactly how Satan wants you to respond and do the exact opposite. Also, depending on the issue at stake, dig up the word of God in your spirit-man. By the help of the Holy Spirit begin to counter Satan’s beguilement with God’s word. Tell Satan, like the Lord Jesus did, ‘it is written…’ Doing this successfully calls for calls for accurate knowledge of Scripture, or else you get into trouble. Someone once came to me saying, the Bible says ‘Heaven helps those who help themselves.’ I asked him to give me the book, chapter and verse where that could be found, but he was speechless. Some brethren were casting out demons and they said, ‘It is written that in the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow.’ The demon laughed at them and said they did not even know the Bible and that what is written is, ‘At the Name of Jesus, every knee should bow.’ How miserable the brethren would have felt.
If the voice asks you to steal, respond with Scriptures that say you should not. If the voice says you should lie, respond with the Scriptures that say you should not. The word of God is the sword of the Spirit so when you quote it to the devil, you are sending fire to him and piercing him with the sword. If the voice persists, steadfastly resist him until he runs away from you. Sometimes, Satan may organise an ambush for you and say there is no way out, like he did to Joseph. Ask God at that moment for a word of wisdom. And He will give it to you. Like Joseph, you could also take to your heels and run for your life.

MEMORIZE: EPHESIANS 6:17 –And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

SURROUNDED?

READ: LUKE 7:11-15

After Elijah left Ahab the Lord spoke to him. Whenever the Holy Spirit is in operation, God speaks. What does He say? According to Genesis 1:1-3, God speaks light into darkeness, because He is light and He hates darkness with a passion. Every darkness in your life and path will receive the light of Jesus in the mighty name of Jesus. At the beginning in Genesis 1:2, everything was empty and in a state of chaos until the Holy Spirit moved. Then God spoke. Let the Holy Spirit move in your life, so that God will speak every chaos in it. On way of provoking the move of the Holy Spirit is through heart-felt praise and worship.
When God speaks, He imparts courage to the fearful. After exhausting all possible measures without success, and there is genuine reason to be afraid, God will speak ‘fear not’ to you. The Egyptians pursued the Israelites in an attempt to return them into slavery. The children of Israel were besieged. In front of them was the Red sea with no ship or bridge; on their left and right, there was no way. Behind them the overzealous Egyptian army. They legitimate reasons to be afraid (Exodus 14:10-14). But the Lord told them to ‘fear not’, because shortly, their enemies would be extinct.
Are surrounded like the Israelites? Maybe at your office there is a threat of sack; at home a threat of eviction in the family your children are sick and you cannot afford medical bills; in church some sons of belial have ganged up to finish your ministry? You are so confused; you think this may just be your end. The Lord says, ‘Fear not. This is just the beginning.  Soon all invading armies will be extinct. You will look around, but you will not see them again.’ Go before the Lord and worship the Holy Spirit and cause Him to move. When He does, God will speak and all those enemies will be completely swallowed up.

MEMORIZE: PROVERBS 11:8 –The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked comes in his stead.