GOD’S TEMPLE

Scripture: Matthew 27:45-56

“And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in two
from top to the bottom”.
Matthew 27:51 (NKJV)

Feedback: Share how your complete trust in God produced result this past week.

Until the death of Jesus, the Old Testament temple which had the outer court, inner court (Holy Place) and the inner most court (Holy of Holies) was God’s earthly covenant dwelling place. God had long desired for man to be His dwelling place because of the love he has for man.

Gods purpose for creating man is to commune with man,

BE FAITHFUL ALWAYS

 Scripture: Matthew 13:1-9

 “Preach the word; be instant in season and out of season….”
2 Timothy 4: 2 (KJV)

This parable should encourage spiritual sowers – those that teach, preach or lead others.

In the parable, Jesus sowed good seeds but not all the seeds sprouted or grew, and even the plants that grew had varying yields or results.

DON’T PROCRASTINATE

Scripture: John 4:34b-36

“As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me.
Night is coming, when no one can work.”
John 9: 4 (KJV)

A lot of believers suffer from the habit of perpetual procrastination. This is a habit that causes men and women to postpone things that are supposed to be done immediately & subsequently justifying them with excuses. This is not good in the sight of the Lord,

PAY YOUR DEBTS

Scripture: Proverbs 3:27-33

“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in the power of your hand to do so.”
Proverbs 3: 27 (KJV)

The word 'due' used here means that you owe it. It is a debt. bible is saying here that whenever you owe someone, endeavor to payback that which you owe. This is because it is easy to get into debt but hard to get out of it. Unfortunately, debts owed to a friend can destroy trust and divide even close friendships.

THE FIRST FRUIT

Scripture: Genesis 4:1-7

“Honor the Lord with your wealth with the first fruits
of all your crops;” Proverbs 3: 9 (NIV)

The principle of the “First Fruit” is well substantiated from scripture (Genesis 4:1-6). It is a requirement from God as worship and honour to Him for He is the source of all (Psalm 89:11). It is a tested and proven source of blessing for any that obey (Proverbs 3:9-10).

NIGHT WATCHMAN

Scripture: Psalms 119:145-152

“Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord,
which by night stand in the house of the Lord” Psalm 134:1 KJV.

In any military formation, there are men assigned to stand guard at night and observe the environment around the city with the aim of foiling any surprise attack from the enemy. The Israelite army had 3 watches for this purpose, the beginning watch (lamentations 2:19), the middle watch (Judges7:19) and the morning watch (Exodus14:24; 1Samuel 11:11).

THE LAW OF LIBERTY

Scripture: James 2:1-13

“So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged
by the law of liberty.” James 2:12(KJV))

There may be some confusion about the term ‘ law of liberty'. How does one put the words law and liberty in one phrase. The law sets rules and punishments, while liberty connotes freedom. However in Christ all things are possible. The Lion and the Lamb has brought the law and liberty together.

WITNESS FOR CHRIST

Scripture: Acts 23:1-11

“Be brave; for as you have solemnly & faithfully witnessed
about Me at Jerusalem, so you must also testify at Rome”
Acts 23:11 (AMP)

Feedback: Share how standing on God’s word has helped you.

To witness simply means to testify in order to lend more evidence and veracity to a matter. As a believer, it is your responsibility to witness for Christ. You ought to be a permanent living proof of the message of Christ by the way you live and as you share His word with others daily.

RESCUED BY LOVE

Scripture: Isaiah 43:1-4

“To me, you are very dear, and I love you.
That’s why I gave up nations and people to rescue you.”
Isaiah 43:4 (CEV)

Isn't it wonderful to know that we have a God that is not only loving, but is also willing to save us whenever we are in trouble? God loves you so much that He readily sacrificed His only Son for your sake (John 3:16). Not only that, but He is still ready to make sacrifices to redeem your life from every and any kind of harm.

YOU NEED TO PRAY

Scripture: Luke 22:39-46

“And he said to them, “Why are you sleeping?
Get up and pray that you may not fall into temptation.”
Luke 22:46 (AMP)

Prayer is a means of communicating with God and for every single living believer, consistent prayer is an absolutely necessary way of life (Luke 18:1, 1 Timothy 2:8). It is a command from God that we must adhere to because failure to do so constitutes sin (1 Samuel 12:23).

FRINGE BENEFITS

Scripture: Psalms 103:1-14

“Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us
with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.”
Psalms 68:19 (KJV)

Those who through faith believe in Jesus Christ have been made right with God, Gal 2:16. As believers God releases upon us benefits, some of which are daily benefits. The Webster dictionary defines fringe benefits as:

HIS GUIDING EYE

Scripture: Psalm 32:1-11

“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go:
I will guide thee with mine eye. Psalms32:8 (KJV)

As Christian, sometimes you might be clueless as to the extent that God can go to in order for his will to come to pass in your life. If only we realize that God is interested in every step we take in life to accomplish his purpose for our life,

ENJOY YOUR INHERITANCE

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,
from whence cometh my help.” Psalms 121:1 (KJV)

His elder brothers’ anger and complaint were very legitimate. People should bear the consequences of their decisions and actions. But what the father was doing was showing mercy not justifying and approving the deeds of the prodigal son. This was a difficult pill for me to swallow for some time until I began to submit to how God thinks.

YOUR DREAM WILL NOT DIE

Scripture: Genesis 37:1-21

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD,
thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV)

Right from when Joseph had his first dream, he became a victim of bitterness, anger, rivalry, suspicion and the likes. Whenever you have a dream to accomplish, there will always be opposition.

TAKE AN ACTION

Scripture: Genesis 30:37-43

“And Jacob took him rods of green poplar…
which was in the rods” Genesis 30:37 (KJV)

Feedback: Share your testimony of God’s goodness over your life.

When the animals were mating, Jacob was seeing the speckled offspring, then; the angels become really busy doing a spiritual painting in the wombs of the animals. And of course when you walk by faith in this dimension, the angels move into action.

KEEP THAT PICTURE INTACT

Scripture: Genesis 30:31-43

“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart,
be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength,
and my redeemer.” Palms 19:14 (KJV)

Jacob new that if the devil was able to steal his picture, then he would have been able to steal his future. He must have determined- I must keep the picture there. I must be able to maintain the vision. My imagination must not be tampered with. He knew if he could keep imagining it,

MAINTAIN YOUR CONFIDENCE

Scripture: Daniel 3:8-17, 28-30

“Cast not away therefore your confidence,
which hath great recompense of reward.”
Hebrews 10:35 (KJV)

One of the biggest challenges of modern day believers is the exercise of faith in God. Faith is confidence in God, confidence that He will do what He promised. Until we really come to know the person and character of God, we continue to doubt him.

BE FIRM

Scripture: Genesis 30:25-31

“Give me my wives and my children…
appoint me thy wages and I will give it”
Genesis 30:26-28 (KJV)

Laban’s flowery speeches were meant to sway Jacob off from his resolve to leave as God instructed. Laban owned up that God had indeed blessed him because of Jacob. He proposed everything from a partnership to a large salary raise. However, Jacob declined because God told him to leave.

FAST PROPERLY?

Scripture: Zechariah 7:1-14

“… when ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month,
even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?”
Zechariah 7:4&5 (KJV)

The essence of fasting is to help us subdue the works of the flesh, so we can become more spiritually sensitive. Fasting consecrates us so we can respond properly to God. For seventy years, the children of Israel fasted but it did not change their life style. They lived a life of sin as recorded in verses 8-10.

THE POWER OF SALVATION

Scripture: Romans 1:8-17

“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.” Romans 1:16 (NKJV)

The word translated “Salvation” in Romans 1:16 is the Greek word “sorteria” which means; rescue, prosperity, deliverance preservation, health, safety. In summary, “sorteria” captures everything that Jesus Christ died to procure for us.

OVERFLOW OR JUDGMENT

Scripture: Galatians 6:1-9

“While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat,
winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease”
Genesis 8:22 (NKJV)

When you sow a seed, there will be a harvest, be it positive or negative. For our study today we shall refer to Judgment as harvest in the negative and to overflow as harvest in the positive. To ensure that you walk in the positive sense of the overflow you must plant the right seed. But some of us need to believe God strongly for mercy to avert judgment because of all the bad seeds we have planted.

MAKE YOUR HEART A FERTILE GROUND

Scripture: Mak 4:10-20

“others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it,
and produce a crop – thirty, sixty or even a hundred times
what was sown”. Mark 4:20 (NIV)

If you want a harvest of crops from your seed, you must sow into a fertile ground. A good farmer wouldn’t sow his seed just anywhere; He’s trained to cultivate the soil so his seed can produce much harvest. The Lord Jesus likened the heart of man to the soil in the parable of the sower. In Mark 4:2-8, in the same vein,

GREAT FAITH

Scripture: Matthew 8:5-13

“Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as
you believed it would.” And his servant was healed
at that very hour.” Matthew 8:13 (NIV)

The word of God prescribes how a believer should live. Habakkuk 2:4 says “the just (the believer) shall live by faith.” The same declaration may be found in Gal 3:11, Romans 1:17 amongst other scriptures.

DECREE A THING

Scripture: Mark 11:12-23

“Where the word of a king is, there is power….”
Ecclesiastes 8:4 (KJV)

Have it ever occurred to you that as a child of God; you are a king. The word of God says, ‘but you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood’ 1 Peter 2:9. You are royalty. Now think, the pronouncement of a king cannot but be carried out. It cannot be stopped by any man in anyway. Unless the king makes another decree, the previous one cannot be changed. Therefore a decree can only be nullified by another decree.

WILES OF THE DEVIL?

Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33

“For we walk by faith, not by sight”
2 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV)

Feedback: Share your testimony of God’s goodness over your life.

If you have unlimited and unmitigated access, you will not seek. You can only seek when you have been denied access, so you begin to look for a way in. Satan is seeking because he cannot walk into your life when he likes. He has to seek entrance, so he keeps weaving his way through by throwing different things;

IT IS WORKING

Scripture: Mark 4:10-20

“God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man,
that he should repent: hath he said and shall he not do it? …”
Numbers 23:19 (KJV)

Let God be true and every man be a liar, including yourself if you doubt the word of God. The scripture cannot be broken. The word is working for you. Stop looking at your circumstances, which is why you think it is not working, look at the scripture; which says: “we look not at the things that are seen but at the things that are not seen because the things that are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 5:7).

THE WORD WORKS

Scripture: 2 Kings 6:24-7:33

“And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a
performance of those things which were told her from the Lord”
Luke 1:45 (KJV)

Elijah said “hear ye the word of the Lord”, he was giving them a word, just a word to settle their problems. You are receiving a word from the Lord now in Jesus name.

Your life, family business etc may have been besieged but I am announcing to you today that the siege is over.