GOSPEL: THE CURE FOR MAN’S PROBLEM

“And this gospel of the kingdom must be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” Matthew 24:4

LIGHT FOR THE NOW: Wherever you find the gospel, you must find miracles following.

The gospel is called the Good news. In the Old Testament, it was called the glad tiding which was coded. Everything about the Old Testament is coded. Isaiah in his prophecy as found in Isaiah 61:1 says, “The spirit of the Lord is upon me for he has anointed me to preach good tidings”. Glad tidings mean Good news. Jesus himself in Luke 4:18 confirmed this prophecy.  Therefore, Gospel simply means good news. Solomon in Proverbs 25:25 described the gospel as water that quenches the thirst of a man, “as cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is goodnews from a far country”. The far country here refers to heaven or the spirit realm. This glad tidings is from the spirit realm manifesting here in the physical. Jesus came from heaven and is solving our problems. This is what Jesus preached all through his ministry here on earth (Matthew 4:23; Matthew 9:35). Wherever you find the gospel, you must find miracles. Before any miracle, the gospel must first be taught or preached. It is also important to note that as Jesus was about ascending, He commanded His disciples to continue from where He stopped. The Gospel must therefore be the message of the church (Mark 16:15). Unfortunately, the church has been distracted from the command of Jesus which was on the teaching of the gospel and focused on miracles.

The gospel is not emotional good news. It is not a Good News that makes you happy for a moment. It is not about temporary happiness. The Gospel is the message of Christ. It is the message of the entire Bible. Inside the gospel, there is power, healing, prosperity and miracles. The power of God is not about people falling down. The power of God is not an event. The power of God is a person. Whenever we talk about the power of God, we are referring to the person of Christ. It is about the salvation, redemption and forgiveness of sins. The gospel is so important that God Himself had to preach the gospel to Abraham. The reason we are traced to Abraham is because Abraham, received, accepted and believed the gospel (Galatians 3:8).  For the news to be good, it must be relevant to hearer’s condition.  It must be for all if the news must be good. It is not all that are poor, sick or in need of help but it is on record that all have sinned (Romans 3:23). This is why the gospel is for all. The gospel is about the remission of sins.

INSTRUCTION: Stay on the Gospel of Christ.

PRAYER: Lord, let the message of Christ be evident in my life, in Jesus name.

QUOTE: The Gospel dispels negativity.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: John 5; EVENING: Job CHAPTER 5

YOU ARE SAVED BY FAITH IN THE GOSPEL

“Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, forseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, in thee shall all nations be blessed” Galatians 3:6-8.

LIGHT FOR THE NOW: Jesus is everything we need.

According to today’s text, Abraham released faith in the gospel and he was saved. The only thing that saves a man is faith in the gospel. The gospel was given as a promise by God through the prophets and the prophets wrote them down in the scriptures. The promise was then fulfilled on the day of resurrection. Romans 1:1-5 says, “PAUL, a servant of Jesus Christ called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (which he had promised afore by his prophets in the Holy scriptures) concerning his son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead”. The resurrection of Jesus is proof that the promise has been fulfilled. Apostle Paul also explained that Christ was raised from the dead so we can be free (justified), discharged and acquitted (Romans 4:25; Romans 8:32).

Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”. The word, ‘Peace’ in Greek word is translated as ‘being united’ or engrafted in Christ. Gospel brings you into faith in Christ. Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Faith in Christ is faith in the gospel of Christ. It is faith in the resurrection. It is the same faith for salvation. The gospel is the reason we gather in church. Motivational messages cannot save. It is only the gospel that can save. Paul spoke about Jesus being declared the son of God with power by resurrection from the dead. This is the message that was promised in the gospel. The power of God is the gospel. If it is not the gospel, then it’s not the power of God. Where you find the gospel, you find power.

INSTRUCTION: Believe in the gospel of Christ.

PRAYER:. Amen

QUOTE: The resurrection of Jesus is a proof of the Gospel.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: JOHN 4; EVENING: JOB CHAPTER 4

THE UNIQUENESS OF THE GOSPEL

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature”  Mark 16:15

LIGHT FOR THE NOW: You come into Christ by believing the Gospel.

To be saved is to believe the gospel and to be condemned is to reject the gospel. Wherever you find the gospel, you will see a firm commitment given by God to everyone who believes. Being born again is a call to service and responsibility. You come into Christ by believing the Gospel. The Gospel is a message of reconciliation because man did not look for God, but God came to man via His son. God offered to help us (Romans 5:1). It is God’s outstretched hand to man.  The gospel is the promise fulfilled to every man.Jesus died and was in the grave for three days and three nights just to bring man back to God. Being saved from sin is different from confessing sin. We were not there when God confessed the sins of the world on Jesus. Romans 5:8 says, “But God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”. Christ died from the foundation of the world. Therefore, our sins were already forgiven even before we were born. Nobody can be saved by confessing sins. You are only saved when you confess Christ as your Lord and Saviour.

The ministry of reconciliation is not a ministry of condemnation (2Corinthians 5:19). The message of reconciliation is the heartbeat of the gospel. As believers, God has given us the responsibility of reconciling the world back to Him (2Corinthians 5:19).If there is anything the unbeliever wants to hear, it is the love of God towards him. You do not condemn a sinner to save him. God is no longer angry with us because he has already punished Jesus for our sake. The high point of the gospel is that Christ paid for the sins of the world. Nobody goes to hell because of sin. The only things that can take people to hell is refusing to believe in the finished work of Christ on the cross which is the gospel. Your belief in Christ makes you walk in victory.

INSTRUCTION: Believe in the Gospel..                                                            

PRAYER: Lord, I believe the Gospel. I am what the Word says I am, I have what the Word says I have, in Jesus name.

QUOTE: Salvation is free and cheap.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: JOHN 3; EVENING: JOB CHAPTER 3

THE ESSENCE OF FOREKNOWLEDGE

“Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory”   1Corinthians2:8

LIGHT FOR THE NOW: The end you know is the peace you have.

When you know the future, you will not panic at the present. What made Jesus Christ so unique was the knowledge He had before He came to the earth. For instance, Jesus knew that He will not die on the water, but on the cross. This foreknowledge made Him to sleep on a pillow even in the midst of the storm (Mark 4:38-41). On the contrary, His disciples panicked in fear, for the raging storm almost sank the boat – hence they cried out ‘Carest thou not that we perish? They deemed Jesus to be insensitive to their plight. But this was not the case. Jesus knew who He was. He knew when, how, where and why He will die. So He was not perturbed about the storm because He knew the events that would lead to His death. The foreknowledge you have about yourself gives you an edge over any dire circumstances surrounding you. The end you know is the peace you have.

By foreknowledge, Jesus refused to struggle the kingdom of the world with Satan when He was tempted by the devil.  At His trial leading to the cross, He told Pilate in clear terms that His kingdom is not of this world. By foreknowledge, God did not refrain from sacrificing His only begotten Son. He knew that upon resurrecting Jesus Christ, He would reap many sons to Himself. Today, the sons of God are located round the globe. And these sons have accomplished far greater works in comparison to what Jesus did while on earth! Foreknowledge prevents you from engaging in unnecessary battles and debates. Your ability to identify who you are in Christ stops you from all time-wasting and unprofitable engagements!

INSTRUCTION: You need to know that a born again child of God does not need deliverance.

PRAYER: Father, may I not go through life without the revealed knowledge of you, in Jesus name.

QUOTE: Foreknowledge prevents you from being a victim in life.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: JOHN 2; EVENING: JOB CHAPTER 2

THE GOSPEL OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith”   Romans 1:16-17

LIGHT FOR THE NOW:  The righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel of Christ.

The Gospel of Christ is the unveiling of God’s righteousness. Until one accepts the Gospel of Christ, he or she will not be able to live a righteous life or know the righteousness of God. The righteousness of God is revealed only in the Gospel of Christ. Righteousness is the nature of God that gives a believer the ability to stand in His presence without condemnation, guilt, fear or inferiority complex. It’s the ability to stand in fellowship and rightness with God. There is no other way to come into this extraordinary life of righteousness and oneness with God except through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is why we cannot afford to be quiet about the Gospel. It’s the answer to man’s problem. There are no options to the Gospel. There is no other way for men to learn of, receive, or understand the righteousness of God outside the Gospel of Christ.

The gospel is not emotional good news. It is not a Good News that makes you happy for a moment. It is not about temporary happiness. The Gospel is the message of Christ. It is the message of the entire Bible. Inside the gospel, there is power, healing, prosperity and miracles. The power of God is not about people falling down. The power of God is not an event. The power of God is a person. Whenever we talk about the power of God, we are referring to the person of Christ. It is about the salvation, redemption and forgiveness of sins. The gospel is so important that God Himself had to preach the gospel to Abraham. The reason we are traced to Abraham is because Abraham, received, accepted and believed the gospel (Galatians 3:8).  For the news to be good, it must be relevant to hearer’s condition.  It must be for all if the news must be good. It is not all that are poor, sick or in need of help but it is on record that all have sinned (Romans 3:23). This is why the gospel is for all. The gospel is about the remission of sins.

INSTRUCTION: Don’t be quiet in your locality about the Gospel; preach it with boldness.

PRAYER: Father, I receive eternal life and I have life in abundance, in Jesus name.

QUOTE: The Gospel is the answer to man’s problem.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: JOHN 1; EVENING: JOB CHAPTER 1

HE LIVES IN YOU

“But Jehoshapat said, is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may enquire of the LORD by him? And one of the King of Israel’s servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah” 2Kings 3:11.

LIGHT FOR THE NOW: The entire message of the Prophets in the Old Testament was about Christ. 

In the Old Testament, nobody could know the future without a prophet. Prophets were known as seers. According to today’s anchor scripture, the Kings of Israel, Judah and Edom were about going for a war with the king of Moab but did not know their fate. So, Jehosaphat asked if there was no prophet of the Lord that they may enquire of the LORD by him. And one of the king of Israel’s servants referred them to Elisha. If those kings had the spirit of God in them, they would not have had to ask for a prophet to tell them the mind of God. The prophets were actually inspired per time to declare the mind of God. People in the Old Testament did not have the Holy Ghost dwelling in them. The prophets of old could not do anything until the Holy Ghost came on them. They needed minstrels to minister so that the Holy Ghost could come on them.

In the New Testament, although the Spirit is the same, things have changed. This is because the prophecies of old were talking about Jesus and now, He is here with us. Luke 24:25-27 says, “Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself”. Every prophecy is a promise. Jesus is the fulfilment of all the promises of God. 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, “For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding ‘Yes’! And through Christ, our ‘Amen’ (which means Yes) ascends to God for his glory”. Therefore, every believer in Christ is a fulfilment of all the promises. The Old Testament prophets only prophesied about the end but could not see the end. A believer in Christ Jesus is better than the prophets of old because the Spirit of God dwells inside of him primarily to provide divine guidance.

The regime of hearing from God only through a prophet has ended. The Spirit of God now dwells inside of us. This is why a believer in Christ Jesus cannot be possessed because he is a son of God and has the in-dwelling spirit of the Holy Ghost in him and the nature of God is at work in him. Demons and the spirit of God cannot co-exist in a believer. 

INSTRUCTION: Exercise your new nature in Christ.

PRAYER: Lord, let your Spirit guide me through life, in Jesus Name. Amen

QUOTE: A believer in Christ is not a product of circumstance but a product of resurrection.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNIN: LUKE CHAPTER 24; EVENING: ESTHER CHAPTER 10

JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH

“Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” Romans 5:1.

LIGHT FOR THE NOW: Freedom is connected to the truth you know.

Before the arrival of Jesus, sin had been the god of this world. A perfect understanding of why Jesus came would give you freedom from the strongholds of religion. For you to win and rule, there is a need to know. Freedom is connected to the truth you know. Enough knowledge is what you need to succeed in life. A perfect understanding of the finished work on the cross will put you on the fast lane of life where no works of the enemies can slow you down. You need to know that Jesus took care of your sins once and for all. Hebrews 1:3 says, “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high”. Jesus sat down on the right hand of the Father because He was done with sin. He is God’s anointed and appointed. His triumph over sin was our freedom from death (Galatians 2:20). What produced Jesus is the Word (John 1:14). Your feelings can neither condemn nor save you. It is what you believe that either condemns or saves you. God is not emotional.  As believers, we must wake up into our rights in Christ Jesus. The devil only takes advantage of our ignorance of what Jesus has done for us.

Destiny is not fulfilled in feelings but in enough knowledge. You have no sin as recorded in Romans 8:3 which says, “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own son in the likeness of the sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh”. Everything God provided through Christ is eternal. Christ solved the problem of sin once and for all because it takes only a sinless life to solve the problem of sin. There is no end for a man who knows what Jesus did for him at the cross. He does not live in anxiety neither is he moved by present circumstances because he believes that his saviour lives in eternity controlling space, time and seasons. He is confident that where Christ is, he is also there. Ephesians 2:6 says, ‘And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus’. Having reconciled man through redemption by Christ, God desires that all men be reconciled to Him. “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him”. You must of a necessity focus on the finished work of Christ on the cross for you.

INSTRUCTION: Meditate on the finished work of Christ on the cross.

PRAYER: Lord, by your sacrifice, I silence powers questioning my freedom, in Jesus Name.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: LUKE 23; EVENING: ESTHER CHAPTER 9

THE SAVING FAITH

“Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, in thee shall all nations be blessed” Galatians 3:6-8.

LIGHT FOR THE NOW: Jesus is everything we need but it takes faith in Him to be saved.

According to today’s text, Abraham released faith in the gospel and he was saved. The only thing that saves a man is faith in the gospel. The gospel was given as a promise by God through the prophets and the prophets wrote them down in the scriptures. The promise was then fulfilled on the day of resurrection. Romans 1:1-5 says, “PAUL, a servant of Jesus Christ called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (which he had promised afore by his prophets in the Holy scriptures) concerning his son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead”. The resurrection of Jesus is proof that the promise has been fulfilled. Paul also explained that Christ was raised from the dead so we can be free (justified), discharged and acquitted (Romans 4:25; Romans 8:32). To be saved you need to believe the gospel

One gospel message preached and received by faith guarantees victory to the saving of souls. Romans5:1 says, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”The gospel brings you into faith in Christ. Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Faith in Christ is faith in the gospel of Christ and it is also faith in the resurrection. It is the same faith for salvation. The gospel is the reason we gather in church. It is only the gospel that can save. Paul spoke about Jesus being declared the son of God with power by resurrection from the dead. The power of God is the gospel. If it is not the gospel, then it’s not the power of God. Where you find the gospel, you find power. The saving faith is you believing in the finished work of Christ at the cross.

INSTRUCTION: Believe in the gospel of Christ.

PRAYER:  Lord, I am saved and I remain saved, in Jesus name!

QUOTE: The resurrection of Christ is the proof of the gospel.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: LUKE 22; EVENING: ESTHER CHAPTER 8

GOD’S WORD: A MIRROR FOR THE NEW CREATION

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” 2Corinthians 3:18.

LIGHT FOR THE NOW: The Word of God reflects the true nature, identity, origin and heritage of a new creation in Christ.

To the new creation, the Word of God is a mirror, and not a compilation of commandments to be obeyed. The Christian is a Word practitioner. Many Christians misunderstand Ephesians 5:3-4 which says, “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be named amongst you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks”. This is not a commandment of what a believer must not do, rather it is showing you who you are; the righteousness of God in Christ. The Word of God reflects the true nature, identity, origin and heritage of a new creation in Christ. The more you look at the Word, the more you see yourself. Being born again and having received the Holy Spirit, the love of God is spread abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us (Romans 5:5). We cannot be commanded to love but we are the offspring of love. Love is our nature. Whenever we read something in the New Testament that sounds like, ‘Don’t do this or don’t do that’, it means we are those who don’t do such things because it is not in our nature to do them.

The Word, particularly the Epistles paints a picture of who a new creation is. As a new creation, we naturally come to abhor what Christ abhors. If Christ abhors fornication, it comes naturally to a new creation to abhor fornication. Whatever God hates, is what a New Creation hates. You cannot love doing what God hates because as a New Creation, you are the expression of the unseen Christ, the brightness of His glory. As Christ is, so are you in this world. You are one with Christ. As you meditate on the scriptures, the Word suddenly comes alive to you and as you discover who you are in the Word, you discover that your beauty and glory increases. This is the make-up of a new creation. The life of a new creation moves from glory to glory through the Word .

INSTRUCTION: Constantly meditate on the Word.

PRAYER: Lord, let your Word take root in my heart and transform my life, in Jesus Name. Amen!

QUOTE: A Worded Christian is a prevailing Christian.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: LUKE CHAPTER 21; EVENING: ESTHER CHAPTER 7

GOD JUSTIFIES YOU

“Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth” Romans 8:33.

LIGHT FOR THE NOW: When you are in Christ, you are justified by God.

It is a monumental ignorance to think that a man in Christ is still in sin: for if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things has passed away and behold all things have become new (2Cor.5:17). Christ is the guarantor for any man who is saved. God justifies the person because of Christ and not because of the person. No matter what happens or what people or even Satan may do, the person cannot be condemned: For there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit (Rom.8:1). When you are justified at new birth, whatever makes life beautiful and meaningful is deposited in you. The reason for your calling is every explicit: Men ought to see the goodness of God in you and desire to be like you. Most believers have a myopic view about Christianity because they do not know who they are in Christ. You are not a believer so that you can own material things. You are not in church so that the church can give you things. The essence of your being a believer in the church is revealed in Ephesians 4:12-13, which says, “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of faith, and of the knowledge of the son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”.

While you are busy getting perfected in your walk with God, whoever does not like your face or your name is not important and cannot stand against your justification. Your condemnation comes from men and Satan but your justification comes from God via your believe in Christ Jesus. This is why our text today asked and answered the question: who shall lay charge against the elect, it is God that justifies. Your life is defined in Christ. There is no other name that can guarantee your salvation apart from the name of Jesus. The whole scriptures talks about Jesus. Jesus testifies of this truth in John 5:39 saying “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are which testifies of me”. It is not in your effort to be justified, it is purely God’s effort. This is why the entire Bible projects the personality of Jesus to show God’s conscious effort towards your justification.

INSTRUCTION: Believe you are God’s choice.

PRAYER:  Lord, I am free from the accusation of the world, in Jesus name!

QUOTE: When you know God as your justifier, you remain a problem to the devil.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: LUKE 20; EVENING: ESTHER CHAPTER 6

TAKING OVER TO DOMINATE

“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” 1John 5:4

LIGHT FOR THE NOW: A regenerated man lives a higher life.

At new birth, we receive the life of God. This life is called the higher life. It is a spiritual life. It is an error for a new man in Christ to still live an ordinary life or become a victim of life. A regenerated man is not ordinary. He cannot be predicted. Just as no man can predict the wind, a regenerated man is totally unpredictable and unstoppable. He is not in this world as a victim but he tackles situations of life from a victory point of view. The Bible speaking in 2 Corinthians 2:14 says, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place”. This is the life of a new man in Christ. He is victorious everywhere, every day and in all things. A new man in Christ walks in constant victory. It is out of ignorance that believers accept sufferings and disappointments. As believers in Christ Jesus, you are to be victorious in every situations of life. The sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross made you one with God and brought you into this lifestyle of victory.

The Scriptures record that God “raised him (Jesus) from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come” (Ephesians 1:20-21). If we are in Christ Jesus, it means we have also been raised up to have dominion over all the situations of life. Ephesians 2:5-6 says that, “God hath also raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus”. God has also raised us together with Christ. We are seated with Christ in heavenly places far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. You are seated with Christ in the place of His glory and authority and this is the very reason you cannot fail nor be defeated in the battles of life. It is the reason nothing can put you down, for greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world (1John 4:4). It does not matter how long you have suffered, or going round in circles; once you locate the realm of the new creation, light has automatically come to you. The truth has been unveiled. Christ is your new world. He is your strength and your victory. “For in Him you live, move and have your being” (Acts 17:28). If you are in Christ, you are more than a conqueror. You were created to have dominion and live triumphantly here on earth.

INSTRUCTION: Consciously live a life of dominion here on earth.

PRAYER: Father, as a new man in Christ, I enforce my victory over all situations of life, in Jesus name.

QUOTE: The greatest need of the church is not prayers but knowledge.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: LUKE CHAPTER 19; EVENING: ESTHER CHAPTER 5

THE PERSONALITY OF ETERNAL LIFE

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”

John 1:1

LIGHT FOR THE NOW:  The personality of eternal life is the Word of God (Jesus Christ).

Eternal life is real and sure. Eternal life is not an event but it is a person. The personality of eternal life is the Word of God (Jesus Christ). Jesus must take resident inside of you. The devil cannot take the personal encounter you have with the Word of God (Jesus Christ) away from you. It is Jesus that gives eternal life (Matthew 4:4). Nothing can function outside the Word of God. When you are a carrier of the Word of God, the Word of God inside of you produces tangible results. Even in periods of economic meltdown, the Word is still a producing factor.

The word ‘justified’ is a legal word (Romans 8:33). It means to be put right with God. Scripture is Christ centered. The foundation of Christianity is doctrine. We are to know the scriptures otherwise salvation will not benefit us. What you know will always make the difference. It is what you know that distinguishes you from the crowd. Until you know who you are in Christ via the scriptures, you will not be able to exercise the authority and dominion that has been given to you. It is the knowledge that you have about Christ via the scriptures that makes you live a life of dominion here on earth.  God is accessed only through knowledge. When you pray outside the knowledge, you cannot get results. Any prayer based on the standpoint of knowledge is the prayer that brings results. Prayer is taking God’s word back to God for results. When you are not equipped with the knowledge of the word of God, you can’t pray the right prayer and you will never get the required results.

INSTRUCTION: Stay in the knowledge of your new identity

PRAYER:  Lord, thank you for this new identity, in Jesus name!

QUOTE: When you pray outside the knowledge you will be far from result.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: LUKE CHAPTER 18; EVENING: ESTHER CHAPTER 4

CHRIST: A BETTER AND MORE PERFECT TABERNACLE

“But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” Hebrews 9:11-12..

LIGHT FOR THE NOW: Jesus Christ offered himself once as a more perfect sacrifice than the blood of bulls.

In the Old Testament, the temple Solomon built was divided into two parts: outside was the temple court, where the animals for sacrifices were killed. Then, there was the temple itself; the first part of it being the holy place, and only the priest could go in there then. The second part of it was the most holy place, separated from the first tabernacle with a thick veil. While the priest ministered in the holy place, only the high priest could go into the most holy place which is the inner sanctuary and he did that once a year. To go into the most holy place, he had to offer sacrifices to God for himself and for others; he could only go in there with the blood of an animal (Hebrews 9:6-8). Moreover, at the end of one year, that atonement would expire and another would be required. Regardless of the sacrifices performed by the high priest every year, sin was never taken away and the presence of God was still not accessible to the people. Moreso, the altar which the high priest performed the sacrifices had to be sanctified with other sacrifices before the gifts were put on it, including all the utensils in the temple. In other words, the tabernacle that was supposed to be so holy and make things holy, was itself not holy enough.

Then the Bible says that Jesus, being a high priest in the order of Melchisedec came with a greater and more perfect tabernacle, and offered Himself once and for all. Hebrews 10:5 says,”Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me”. His body was the greater and more perfect tabernacle, and through Him, the presence of God is now open to all who believe. Now we have the boldness to  “enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecreated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh” (Hebrews 10:19-20).

INSTRUCTION: Receive the boldness to ask and receive from God.

PRAYER: Father, thank you for the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus, offered once and for all to takeaway my sins, in Jesus Name. Amen!

QUOTE: The one time death of Christ guarantees our victory.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNIN: LUKE CHAPTER 17; EVENING: ESTHER CHAPTER 3

CHRIST: QUALIFIES YOU!

                   

‘Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.’                   – Romans 4:25

LIGHT FOR THE NOW:The devil did not kill Jesus. Jesus willingly gave Himself to redeem man.

Man sinned against God by refusing to believe in Him. By pledging his allegiance to the devil, he sold his right to the devil. This way, man sinned against his creator and consequently he died. By the law of heritage, his descendants were not better than him – they were born sinners. Paul prying into this case observed that ‘… the wages of sin is death’.  He also announced the remediation of man’s deplorable condition ‘but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord’ (Romans 6:23). Right in the grave, Jesus appeared before the Supreme Council of the Almighty because He needed to be judged for the sin of man: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory” (1Timothy3:16). This means that Christ willingly presented Himself to be judged for the sins of men which He never committed. The devil did not kill Jesus. 

Jesus willingly gave Himself to redeem man. Satan and the demons stood as witnesses against Jesus. Christ was discharged and acquitted. Having died for us, He was raised from death. His death made you have a right standing with God. His death brought justification to you. This means complete acquittal because you have been completely set free from the charge of any sin. According to the Message Bible, today’s text infers ‘The sacrifice of Jesus made you fit for God. In other words, the sacrifice of Jesus set you right with God’. His death makes our account balance and absolves us from all guilt before God [AMP].By this knowledge, you can freely approach God with no sin consciousness but with boldness into the throne of His grace (Hebrews 4:16). The righteousness of God comes to us by our faith in Christ Jesus. Everyone who believes in Jesus becomes righteous. The Faith of Jesus implies that Jesus had faith in God to raise Him from death unlike Adam who did not. Adam was created with a touch of sovereignty; hence, he was the god of this world. He had authority over everything and he had power over his choices. He was far above the Angels. In spite of the authority vested upon him, Adam decided not to have faith in God. Jesus did – He had faith in God! By your faith in Christ you are sin-free. Therefore, you are fit for God. Praise God!

INSTRUCTION: Let your spirit-man be convinced that Christ died for you.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank you for having set me right with you, in Jesus name

QUOTE: The more sin-conscious you are, the more sinful you become.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: LUKE CHAPTER 16; EVENING:  ESTHER CHAPTER 2

GO AFTER THE NEEDFUL

“And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou are careful and trouble about many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary had chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.’’ Luke 10:41-42.

LIGHT FOR THE NOW: when you locate the needful, do the needful to avoid being wasteful.

Martha in church is those who make the less important to matter even when it does not matter most. Life presents you with much option on what to do but you have to locate the needful and do it. Some see opportunities and close their eyes and pass by engaging themselves with other things that are not important. Martha engaged herself with what she thought was good but abandoned the needful. In church today, we have more Martha than Mary .Martha are full of activities without result. They are engage with issues of this life without paying attention the issues of life to come. You need to know that whatever does not have eternal value will depreciate with time. To Martha, physical food was more important but to Jesus, leaving him like Mary was more valuable. You must come to a point you have to places more value to your spiritual health than your physical outlook. What is the essence of the cloth on the body of he whose soul is Perish eternally? Many things you attach important to may not be needful.

There is only one thing that is important in life and that is Jesus (the Word of God). You have to choose him alone all else. The church is not to meet your needs but to show you the needful (Jesus). Martha tried to meet needs of the moment but Mary chose the needful. Jesus is the needful; the kingdom of God is needful, eternity is needful; your perfection as a saint of God is needful. Desire to go for the needful and your needs shall be met. Scripture said, seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33). You need the needful to get your needs met. When everything about your goals and visions for the year is all about the company you will build, the cars you will drive, the place you will work, the husband or wife you will marry, the school you will attend, the houses you will build, the cloths you will wear and the foods you will eat like Martha without the spiritual level you will attain, then you are not asking for the needful; but you are only concerned about the needs.

INSTRUCTION: Seek first the Kingdom of God; that is the most important thing.

PRAYER:  Lord, help me to know the most important and to go for it, in Jesus name!

QUOTE: You need the needful to get your needs met.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: LUKE CHAPTER 15; EVENING: ESTHER CHAPTER 1

TAKING OVER VIA THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD

“for if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ” Romans 5:17.

LIGHT FOR THE NOW: it is only those who have received the abundance of grace that are permitted to reign in life.

Righteousness is the gift of God to man. It is the nature of God which was imparted to your spirit at new birth. Just as it is a gift, it is not everybody that has received it. A gift is not yours until you receive it. It is only those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness that permitted to reign in life. According to the Amplified Version, they shall reign as kings in life. The word, ‘reign’ is to express authority, dominion, mastery. It is to take charge. Righteousness makes us masters over all situations of life. To be righteousness conscious is to eliminate all sense of guilt, condemnation or inferiority complex from us. It places us ahead and above Satan and his accusations. It also gives us the boldness and confidence to pray to God and expect answers. We are unafraid and unashamed before Him because we have His righteousness.

Without an understanding of righteousness, a Christian cannot live victoriously over the enemy. He will be subject to the elements of this world, not understanding the extent or potency of his authority in Christ. This is why a believer must keep growing in the knowledge of the Word of God. You must be conscious of the fact that you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. There is need to come to the realization of the fact that you are a king and kings reign in righteousness. By virtue of your new life in Christ, and your position as a king and priest, the whole world is subdued before you. You have mastery over Satan and his cohorts of darkness. You have been made a champion. Nothing is permitted to molest you spiritually or physically. 1Corinthians 5:21 says, “for he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus”. This is your new realm. You have been made a champion for life.

INSTRUCTION: You have been made a champion. Behave like one

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for the gift of righteousness which has made me a master over Satan and his cohorts of darkness, in Jesus Name. Amen!

QUOTE: A gift is not yours until you receive it.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: LUKE CHAPTER 14; EVENING: NEHEMIAH CHAPTER 13

BLESSED IN CHRIST

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” Ephesians 1:3.

LIGHT FOR THE NOW: The source of God’s blessings for man is Jesus.

The blessing of God is not in material things like cars, houses, clothes, shoes. The blessing of God is not even when you have money. Jesus is the blessing of God to man. Jesus is the store house of the blessing. You are not blessed because you go to church; you are only blessed when you are in Christ. God’s blessing is unconditional. When God blesses you, you remain blessed for life. God cannot change his mind toward blessing you for the gift of God are without repentance (Romans 11:29). All you have to do is to believe and receive Christ. It is your belief in Christ that guarantees your blessing. If you are in Christ, your blessing has no measure. It is abundant, overflowing and without limits. ‘And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work’ (2Corinthians 9:8).

Today’s text states that God hath already blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. This means that it is in Christ that we are truly blessed. Every riches outside Christ is not a blessing. Philippians 4:19 says ‘And my God will supply all your needs according to his own riches in glory by Christ Jesus’. The blessing of God is perfect. No other addition is needed to make it perfect. Christ is the perfect gift of God to humanity. No extra thing is required to make him perfect. Christ is the greatest expression of God’s love towards man. John 3:16 says, ‘For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten son….’ It is the “so love” of God that made Christ to die for us. The love of God to us is expressed in the gift of Christ. You see it was out of love that God gave Jesus to die for you even when you were rotten deep in sin. In the love of God there is eternal life for you. In His love, there is wealth and riches for you (2Cor 8:9). In His love, there is healing and perfect health for you (Is. 53:5) everything you need is this life and after this life is found in God’s love (2cor.9:8). All you need is to believe in that love he has provided for you and you will be counted among the saved and then harvest all that is there in the love.

INSTRUCTION: Believe that you are saved.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank you for blessing me sufficiently in Jesus Name.

QUOTE: There is no blessing outside Christ.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: LUKE 13; EVENING: NEHEMIAH CHAPTER 12

JUSTIFIED BY HIS GRACE

“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”

Romans 3:24.

LIGHT FOR THE NOW: Those who are in Christ can never be condemned.

A man who is redeemed is not condemned. Redemption is a death to life experience. It is the guarantee from condemnation. Romans 8:1 say, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit”. Even at the fall of man, God never cursed man because man is redeemable by nature rather, he cursed the ground (Genesis 3:17). Man had the nature of God at work in him. The nature of God is eternal life and eternal life cannot be judged. Eternal life is the life of God in a man. This eternal life was sent in the person of Jesus (John 17:3).

 Eternal life is transferable from Christ only to those who believe in Him. “For whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:17). The confession and belief that Christ was raised up from the dead is what moves a man from death to eternal life. “For if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9). For you to pass from death to life, you need to have an honest belief in the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus. It is in these that you are redeemed and it is this redemption that guarantees your justification.

The work of Grace is possible only because Christ made Himself available. But this work of Grace is only effective and activated when your belief is in place. You cannot be justified by grace until you believe in the capacity of that grace to justify you. The grace to justify is available for all men (Titus 2:11). But it takes only an honest belief in the birth, suffering, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the wonders of that grace to be activated in you. Until your belief system is established in Christ, you cannot be justified by grace.

INSTRUCTION: Stay in the grace that found you.

PRAYER:  Lord, I maximize the grace made available for me in Christ, in Jesus name!

QUOTE: The work of grace is possible only because Christ made Himself available.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: LUKE 12; EVENING: NEHEMIAH CHAPTER 11

RULE YOUR WORLD WITH YOUR WORDS (2)

“But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is the word of faith which we preach” Romans 10:8.

LIGHT FOR THE NOW: Men who speak word of faith in their situation can never sink with that situation in this world

The Word of God is the bedrock for the force of faith. Words are containers of spiritual forces. When you release positive words, situations change for the better. Anytime you want to enter a new level, words are needed to push you there. When you speak faith into any situation, that situation can never remain the same. The way you react to God’s Word matters a lot. If you must overcome the challenges of life, you must learn to always respond in faith to God’s word. You must learn to function in the arena of faith where the only thing that matters is the Word of God. No matter the storms of life, you must always speak positive words for when men say there is a casting down, you shall say there is a lifting up (Job 22:29). As a believer, you must consciously speak life into any situation you find yourself for the words we speak are spirit and they are life (John6:63). Never allow your physical senses (what you see, feel, or hear) determine the circumstances of your existence.  2Corinthians 4:8 says, “While we look not at things that are seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Life exists in the realm of speaking the word. You cannot take anything in the realm of the spirit without your faith. Faith is speakable. Prayer is taking God’s word back to Him for an answer. Thus, faith is the Word of God. You can overcome the battles of life through speaking faith. Therefore, you must hold fast to your confession of faith. Ephesians 6:16 says, “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked” Faith shields you from all evil enchantments. But if you don’t speak it, remain a victim. When you believe right, you speak right and achieve the right results. Never allow the circumstances of life make you confess negatively for your words are the compass of your life. Speak life right now to that dead situation for the word is nigh thy mouth!

INSTRUCTION: Use the word in your mouth.

PRAYER:  Lord, I command situations to change, in Jesus name!

QUOTE: Unspoken word can never manifest the required results.               

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: LUKE 11; EVENING: NEHEMIAH CHAPTER 10

RULE YOUR WORLD WITH YOUR WORDS (1)

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us(and we beheld his glory, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth”  John 1:14.

LIGHT FOR THE NOW: Your words are the most important weapons you need to rule your world.

The Bible in Genesis 1 records that the earth was without form and void. It was via the spoken Word of God that God created and restored order to the earth. In the midst of darkness, He said, “Let there be light” and there was light (genesis 1:3). The Word that gave light to the world became flesh, and dwelt amongst us in the person of Jesus. He walked this earth from Jerusalem to Capernaum, to Galilee as the Word in human form. He lived as the Word and did everything He did with and through the Word. He healed the sick with the Word, raised the dead with the Word, cast out demons with the Word. He only had to speak words, and miracles ensured. He raised Lazarus from the dead, a man who had been dead and buried for four days and who surely must have begun to decompose. When Jesus called out, “Lazarus, come forth”, the man who had been dead for four days came out alive (John 11:43).

Jesus lived and triumphed in this world with words. This clearly shows us how to live victoriously in this world. When He needed to feed the multitude, and all that was available was five loaves of bread and two fish, he spoke words (Matthew 14:17-21). He took the loaves of bread, and fish and spake words of multiplication into them and the five loaves of bread and two fish became more than enough to feed five thousand men, women and children not counted, with twelve baskets as leftovers. As believers in Christ Jesus, we have the same power to triumph with words. The Bible records in Mark 

INSTRUCTION: Be involved in a constant study of the Word of God.

PRAYER:  Lord, I receive divine insight into mysteries and secrets in order to rule my world, in Jesus name!

QUOTE: The Holy Spirit is the chief revealer of secrets.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: LUKE 10; EVENING: NEHEMIAH CHAPTER 9

TAKING OVER VIA STUDYING THE WORD OF HIS GRACE

“And that from a child, thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” 2 Timothy 3:15.

LIGHT FOR THE NOW: You can only gain insight to take over when you study the Word of His Grace.

If you are going to live a victorious, prosperous and glorious life, you have to know, understand and live by the Word of God, which is the wisdom of God. In Matthew 22:29, Jesus said to the Jews,”…ye do err, not knowing the scripture…”. Many miss and function in error because they lack the wisdom of God which is only gotten by studying the Word of His Grace. They are therefore ignorant of God’s word. The knowledge of God’s Word inspires the wisdom of God in you to know, say, and do the right thing, at the right time, for God’s purpose. Wisdom is divine insight into realities. It is a force that works in you, causing you to walk with divine insight in God’s perfect will for your life. And it is the Holy Spirit that works in you to produce that force of wisdom in your life. He is the One that fills you with the wisdom of God, for He is the Spirit of wisdom. Acting or talking smart does not make one wise. You are not wise because you are advanced in age and therefore have hindsight. What makes you to be equipped to take over territories is the divine insight into mysteries and secrets, which is only granted you by the Holy Spirit, through constant study of the Word.

Hindsight is wisdom is after the event, but insight is the capacity to understand hidden truths; wisdom for the event and that is what you need to be able to take over territories. This is the kind of wisdom God gave to Solomon. It is practical wisdom and is much more than a mental exercise. It is a special mindset that causes you to see, think, talk and act right. The Bible declares that Christ has been made unto us wisdom from God. It is only through constant study of the Word of His Grace that you will come into this knowledge and affirm same. Then, you will be propelled by the force of wisdom which is the Holy Spirit of God to do the right things, the right way, for God’s glory and purpose.

INSTRUCTION: Be involved in a constant study of the Word of God.

PRAYER:  Lord, I receive divine insight into mysteries and secrets in order to rule my world, in Jesus name!

QUOTE: The Holy Spirit is the chief revealer of secrets.

              

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: LUKE9; EVENING: NEHEMIAH CHAPTER 8

ONE WITH CHRIST

“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the first born from the dead; that in all things he might have preeminence.” Colossians1:18.

LIGHT FOR THE NOW: You and Christ are one; one body one spirit

Christ is the head of the church and you are the church which is His body. So, Christ and His church are one just as the head and the body are one. God sees Christ, the head, as perfect so also you, as His body, is perfect. In other words, you cannot assume that Christ is accepted by God and His body not accepted by Him! The measure of Jesus’ acceptance by God is the measure of your acceptance by God. So, it makes no sense to say that the head is well but the body sick, that the head is rich but the body in lack or that the head is at rest but body full of stress. Friends, what Jesus is before God, that is exactly who you are to the father. As Jesus Christ is, so are you in this world (1John 4:17).Today, God wants you to lay claim on Christ being your head. Start believing that by all His perfection, and the delight and joy that He brings to the Father’s heart, He has set your account – Jesus has put you right with God! And you will begin to realize that as Jesus is the sweet smelling savor to the Father, so are you.

The more you begin to see that you are one with Christ the more you become like Him. If you are sick in your body, Christ your head will impart His healing virtue to you. If you lack wisdom, Christ your head imparts His wisdom to you. If you lack anything, Christ your head will give you His exceeding riches. The Bible says; “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (3John2). Christ as your head is the perfect will of the Father, so are you as His perfect body. In God’s perfect will, there is no sickness, poverty or death. So there should be no sickness, poverty or death traceable to you because you are God’s perfect will. The will of God is not abstract; the will of God in Christ is you. Therefore, if you are in Christ, you are the will of God. In the will of God, nothing gets missing, lacking, broken or spoil. You are one body, one soul and one spirit with Christ. Anyone that sees you sees Christ. You are not separated from Him. You move, live and have your being in Him. Let this rich mind-set and revelation be in you that Christ and you are one. You can never be separated from Christ your head from whom comes all the supply you need.

INSTRUCTION: Declare Christ now and become one with Him!

PRAYER:  Lord, I declare my oneness with Christ, in Jesus name!

QUOTE: The will of God is not abstract; the will of God in Christ is you.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: LUKE 8 EVENING: NEHEMIAH CHAPTER 7