ONLY ONE NIGHT

READ: 2 KINGS 19:32-36

God’s actions are swift and decisive. It doesn’t take God a long time to deal with your enemies. He can silence all those who have vowed to be a stumbling block on your pathway. God can wipe off, in one breath, every enemy you ever had since you were born. You might have thought that it could take several years to fight and conquer all the satanic agents who have made up their minds to hinder your journey to the heavenly city, but with God, a million demons can be paralysed in one split second. When God decides to help you, it takes Him only one day to empty the camp of your enemies. When you go through the Scriptures, you will find out that when God decides to fight for any nation, or to fight for any person, He does it in one day and, the next day; there would be no enemy left. A very good example is found in 2 Kings 19:32-36. There was a very powerful king called Senacherub, with a mighty army. He sent word to Hezekiah not to put his trust in God but to surrender to him. When Hezekiah got the king’s letter, he spread it before God for divine intervention. God replied by sending an angel to destroy all the soldiers of Senacherub in one night. We need to note, therefore, that it is very dangerous to be in the camp of the enemy. It is a wonderful to be in the camp of the Lord. Whoever is against the people of God runs a very great risk because it will take God only one night to finish the person. In Psalm 34:21, the word of God states it clearly: “Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.” The fate of your enemies is already sealed. You can only pray to God to have mercy on them. When you are on the side of God, anyone who seeks to work against you can be likened to someone who attempts to break a coconut with his head. Such a person will not partake of it. With God on your side, you are more than a conqueror.

MEMORIZE: GENESIS32:28 –And he said , Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.

REACH OUT

READ: GENESIS32:24-28

The days of playing the waiting game are over. God expects you to stretch forth your hands to receive from Him. The man who stretches forth his hands is the one who receives a miracle. It is not just enough for you to stretch forth your hands; you must grab your miracles. In 1 Timothy 6:12, the Bible says: “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life...” In Matthew 11:12, the Bible says: “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” For example, when the woman with the issue of blood saw Jesus, she moved into the crowd and touched the helm of His garment with full determination. She grabbed her miracle. There is an interesting story in our text. It is the story of Jacob who wrestled with the angel of the Lord. The angel wanted to go but Jacob would not let him until he received his blessing from the angel. As Jacob wrestled with God, things became new for him. For example, he got a new name: Israel. You too will have a new name when the Holy Spirit touches you. Your name will change from “the pauper” to “the rich”. You will move from ill health to sound health. You will change name from being called “the barren one” to “the fruitful one”. Abraham had his name changed from Abram to Abraham; from “the barren one” to “father of nations”. Sarah also had a name change from “the childless” to “the princess”. Jacob’s name changed from “the supplanter” to “the Prince of God”. You, too, will get a new name when you have an encounter with Christ; you will be brought from the rear to the front and you will move from darkness to light. When the Holy Spirit touches your life, you will get a transformation from death into life. A new future emerges as you move from being useless to being useful, and your future becomes brighter. Without Christ, you have no future, but with the touch of the Holy Spirit, your tomorrow will be allright.

MEMORIZE: COLOSSIANS1:27–To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

GLORIOUS SONGS

READ: ACTS4:9-23

There are songs and there are songs. God appreciates songs that glorify His name. Praise inspires God and activates your miracles. The Bible teaches us that God dwells in the midst of the praise of His people (Psalm 22:3). Songs are powerful instruments. You must learn how to offer a sacrifice of praise. Worship was the brain behind the vibrancy and the power of the early church. They were preoccupied with praise and worship. They were praising God not only when the going was smooth, but also when persecution came. Read this: “So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.”(Acts 5:41). They rejoiced for suffering shame! In other words, regardless of what happened to them, they still praised God. I recall, with lots of nostalgic feelings the good old days when the modern-day songs, which do not focus on Jesus Christ. In those days, our songs were focused on Jesus Christ. Every song centred on Jesus and not on us. In those days we used to sing songs like, “Only Jesus can save…”, “God, you are so good.”…These songs talk about Jesus. We sang songs like, “O Lord, my God, how excellent is your name”. Today, we have beautiful lyrics but no Christ-centred message. When you take the focus away from the Bridegroom and put it on the bride you will miss it. The marriage supper we are waiting for is the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The Bridegroom is the focus because He is all in all. To get back to the old paths, we need to get back to those things that are centred on Him. Let your worship or praise be Christ-centred. He told us that the Holy Spirit would do nothing but glorify Him. If He has given you the Holy Spirit, it is to enable you glorify Him.

MEMORIZE: 1PETER2:21 –For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.