THE CRY HAS SOUNDED

Scripture: Matthew 25:1-12

“And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom
cometh; go ye out to meet him”. Matthew 25:6KJV

From this parable, it is clear that all the ten virgins represent followers of Christ, who are waiting for his return. Another thing that is clear is that the ten virgins were required to separate themselves from the rest of the world and keep watch with their lamps burning. However, in order to keep separate from the world, sufficient oil for the lamp is required. This represents a life of prayer, study of the word, obedience/service to God and fellowship with other believers.

The call of Christianity is a call to leave the lusts and traditions of the world and follow Jesus Christ no matter the reproach (Heb. 13:13). However, this is a difficult task to accomplish by our own power. The pressures of temptations, persecutions and pride are strong and pull many Christians back into the world, who try to live Godly lives without maintaining a close walk with Jesus. (Gal 5:16-17). Yes all the virgins fell asleep while the bridegroom tarried, but when the cry was sounded, the wise virgins still had oil, and were able to reactivate their walk with God and they finished strong. The foolish virgins were unable to. They had stayed too long without oil and light that when the cry came, they lacked the power and support that comes from fellowship with God and other believers to change.

The cry has sounded, Jesus is coming. Are you still sleeping? Wake up! You have to finish strong! Lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees. Don’t be held back by pleasures or persecutions. Return to your first love.

PRAYER: Lord help me to stay ready for your return in Jesus Name.

FAITH BYTE: My Lord is coming to take me home, I shall be ready for His return.

THOMAS KIND OF FAITH

Scripture: John 20:24-29

“Therefore, I say to you, whatever thing you ask, when you pray,
believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”
Mark 11:24 (NKJV)

Feedback: Share how continuously giving God thanks has impacted your life.

The initial proof of faith is confession. The final proof of faith is action. Many people complain, groan, sigh and whine for good things to happen to them. They want to detect that every symptom of their condition is gone from their bodies before they start believing God.

HEART OR HEAD FAITH

Scripture: Mark 11:20-26

‘Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and
certain of what we do not see’
Hebrew 11:1 (NIV)

God did not suggest to the believers to live by faith. He gave a command “the righteous shall live by faith” the word “shall” is a mandate. Victory in the life of a believer results from the faith lifestyle. Faith believes with the heart.

KEY TO VICTORIOUS LIVING

Scripture: Roman 10:5-18

“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in
your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved”
Romans 10:9 (NIV)

Victorious living is impossible without faith. Succeeding extraordinarily in life is guaranteed by faith. God has told us how to get faith. If we don’t excel in life. God is not to blame; a lack of faith is the reason. To lack or have faith is our responsibility since God has placed in our hands the means whereby faith can be produced.

BEFRIENDING GOD IN PRAYER

Scripture: Exodus 33:7-14

“And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face,
as a man speaketh unto his friend.” Exodus 33:11a

Developing a strong relationship with God through prayer does not happen overnight. It develops with you giving it time and commitment. It is a friendship kind of thing. Aristotle said, “Wishing to be a friend is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit”.

This is time for the fruit of your prayer life to ripen.

YOUR MIND AND PRAYER

Scripture: James 5:13-20

“Therefore confess you sins to each other and pray for each other
so that you may be healed. The prayer of righteous man is
powerful and effective” James 5:16 (NIV)

As we study productive prayer further, may I encourage you to do your best to put what we are learning to practice.

The mind is very important when it comes to prayers. It is true that we can circumvent it by praying in tongues but it is also true that when God relates back to us, in answer to prayers, we need our mind to decode the information that flows from him in the spirit to us in the physical.

PRODUCTIVE PRAYER

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-20

“……. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective”
James 5:16b (NIV)

One of the greatest things that can happen to you is learning the practical skill to make the best of your prayer time. Yesterday we saw some physical steps to ensure that you are really praying and not overtaken by other businesses. Acknowledge the one to whom you are praying to, be focused and precise. Matthew 6:6,7

For many people, the biggest distraction to prayer comes as they think about all things they need to do that day. To solve this problem, keep a jotter or notebook and a pen and write down each item as it comes to your mind. This will help you off load it and forget it until later. Sometimes your environment can also be a distraction to your prayer.

When thoughts of something continues to bother you, coming up again and again as you pray, it mostly means that God wants you to take it to him in prayer. Intruding thoughts in prayers are either distractions or instructions. For distractions, write them down for attention later, or switch to praying in tongues (Romans 8:26) but if it comes as an instruction take action by taking them to God in prayers immediately.

PRAYER: Lord, help me to take the best of my time with you in prayer.

FAITH BYTE: : I pray according to God’s will. I receive answers that turn my life around for good.

PRAY ALWAYS

Scripture: Psalms 5:1-12

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that
they should always pray and not give up”
Luke 18:1 (NIV)

Prayer is an act of communication to God your maker, a time where you make your request, appeal, entreaty, supplication or petition to the almighty. Two of the most common problems that can keep us (our hearts) occupied or busy from praying are one: wandering of the mind and two: falling asleep.

A FRUITFUL LIFE

Scripture: Mark 4:3-20

“Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees;
then I will keep them to the end”
Psalm 119:33 (NIV)

Feedback: Share how you overcame old habit(s) that made you uncomfortable.

A young man I once knew got saved. Then he steadily responded to discipleship and grew for about eighteen months until he saw a girl he was attracted to and then he went into an ungodly relationship and sinned with her. In no time he crashed from the faith much faster than it took him to grow.

BE A SPIRITUAL MULTIPLIER

Scripture: Isaiah 66:1-6

“You did not choose me, but I chose you an appointed you to go
And bear fruit – fruit that will last”
John 15:16 (NIV)

Recently, I read an interesting statistical process which is similar to the progression, showing we are in the master plan program. In it the writer said the reason the kingdom is not growing in population as it should, contrary to the rapidly increasing world population is because we are adding souls to the kingdom instead of multiplying.

For example, if you were to lead one person to Christ daily for the next thirty-two years, by the end of that period, there would be 11,680 people in God’s Kingdom. If, however you lead one person to Christ and train him or her to be a disciple, by the end of the first year, there will be two of you. By the second year, there would be four of you. If this process continued with no broken link in the chain at the end of the same thirty-two years, there would be 4,294,967,296 (four billion, two hundred and ninety-four million, nine hundred and sixty-seven thousand, two hundred and ninety-six) of you.

You may not have great organizational skills, the oracle of words to speak before a crowd to convince them or possess world- class leadership ability; the key is to humble yourself and join the plan that the Lord has given for getting the job done. One soul at a time. It is the master’s plan to reach mankind.

REMEMBER TO ATTEND: MAP Meeting (Home Fellowship) tomorrow.

PRAYER: Lord help me to humble myself enough to obey your instruction to make disciples and not speak personal exaltation.

FAITH BYTE: I shall humble myself and run with the Lords plan for making disciples,
I receive grace to be committed to it.

PROFITABLE CONFESSION

Scripture: Hebrew 10:19-23 (NAS)

“Therefore holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling
Consider Jesus, the Apostle and High priest of our confession.”
Hebrew 3:1 (NAS)

The right use of our tongue links us to the Priesthood of Jesus. This is Jesus’ eternal ministry that goes on continually in heaven. He is forever representing us before God in the heavenly temple.

SETTLING YOUR DESTINY

Scripture: Numbers 14:20-38 (KJV)

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue:
and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”
Proverbs 18:21(KJV)

The Bible in the book of James uses four particular pictures to represent the tongue; namely the rudder in the ship, the bit in the horse’s mouth, a spark that starts a forest fire and a source of poison that corrupts the river of life.

The rudder determines the course and the destiny of the entire ship. If it is misused, it will lead to certain shipwreck but proper use leads to safe arrival at the harbour.

CONTAMINATING RELATIONSHIPS

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 26:15-23 (KJV)

“In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the
Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up…”
Isaiah 6:1a (KJV)

Your relationship will either mar or make you. No matter how anointed you are, if you keep relationships with wrong people, you will be corrupted in some way to your own undoing.

King Uzziah was one of the most successful kings of Israel. He enjoyed great help from God. Later in his reign, after about fifty-two years, he erred and was smitten with leprosy. God did not speak to Isaiah and Israel again until his death, which removed the contaminating relationship.

No matter how close you are to anybody, don’t ever let them be more important than God. Not your Job, business, spouse, children or even your pastor. God must be pre-eminent. Jesus must be first above all. Isaiah saw the Lord only when King Uzziah died. Do not delay your destiny by keeping the wrong relationships.

REMEMBER TO ATTEND: Leadership/Communion Service tomorrow, 5:30PM.

PRAYER: Lord, I give my heart to you. I yield my ears, eyes and soul to you. You will always be first above all.

FAITH BYTE: I obey the Lord above all. I will neither keep nor nurture any relationship that will not glorify God in my life.

GOD’S DARLING

Scripture: Hebrew 11:1-6 (KJV)

“…. And without faith, it is impossible to please God...”
Hebrew 11:6 (KJV)

How possible is it for you to please me by doing the very thing I hate? You know as well as I that it is practically impossible. The same thing applies in our relationship with God. It takes faith to please God. Without faith, God is displeased.

In Vs. 2 the scripture tells us that by it (Faith) the elders obtained a good report. Most miracles obtained; most tribulation and challenges in life that we overcome; healings of sickness that have defiled medical processes, are all good report as a result of faith exercised that pleased God.

You have in you a measure of faith that God has given you to exercise in order for it to grow but instead we allow it die. If God is not happy with you, how can he help you. Living by faith endears you to God. Decide to live by faith. It is the victory that overcomes the world.

PRAYER: O lord I release my faith in God by believing in his word in Jesus name.

FAITH BYTE: I live by faith, I believe in the word of God. I am not a doubter. I am a believer.

LIFE SAVING FAITH

Scripture: 1 Kings 17:8-16 (KJV)

“…Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof
a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for
thee and for thy son.” I kings 17:13 (KJV)

Elijah demanded of her firmly, “make me a little cake first.” This difficult request was the bridge between life and death for her and her son. If she disobeyed, death would consume her and her son. In times of scarcity, there is the high tendency to walk by what we see, contrary to walking by faith.

Obviously, Elijah was able to demand from the woman because it was also an instruction from God in order to help the woman and her son. There are so many people in the woman’s position these days looking and seeking for help. Although some end up being exploited by Christians and others also neglect the needs of men of God like Elijah through whom God has decided to bless them.

The most difficult time to give is when there is little or nothing left. Yet the truth remains from our text. What you do for a man of God in need, determines what God will do for you in your time of need.

PRAYER: O Lord, position me to be of help to your servants even when it’s not convenient in the name of Jesus.

FAITH BYTE: I give and it is given unto me, good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over.

THE MIRACLE IN THE INSTRUCTION

Scripture: 2 Kings 4:1-7 (KJV)

“Then he said, go borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours
even empty vessels; borrow not a few”
2 kings 4:3(KJV)

Feedback: Share what it feels to give willingly and cheerfully.

This woman was crying that her husband’s creditor would come to enslave her sons as payment for her husband’s debt. Elisha shocked her with an instruction which with the natural eyes it does not make sense, but the woman did as was instructed borrowing not a few but many drums and she got are reward just because she cried out to God for help through Elisha.

At times the miracle we seek is usually hidden in an instruction that is not pleasant. It takes only faith to be obedient at such times. The truth is, God will, with the temptation always create the way of escape. Funny enough the oil stopped flowing when there were no more drums to run into.

What is that instruction that has been given through the man of God concerning that thing you are believing God for? Is anything too big for God? No. Only do not hesitate to execute the instruction that God has given you. Then you can relax and watch the wonders of God being performed in your life.

Reflection: What is it that makes me doubt or argue with divine instructions?

PRAYER: O Lord give me the grace to heed to every instruction that you have given from your altar.

FAITH BYTE: I open my heart to every instruction from God; because His thoughts for me are good.

This Week Walk of Faith: List out 2 habits you really want to discard. Spend this week praying for God to set you free from them.

LABOURERS TOGETHER WITH GOD

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:1-10 (KJV)

“For we are labourers together with God: ye are
God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.”
I Corinthians 3:9 (KJV)

To wait for that moment when you feel like it before pouring your life into your gospel Job is to assume the place of God who pours forth inspiration as he wills.

No, you will not always feel like it. Jesus didn’t always feel like it. You will sometimes, but not all the time. There are” in seasons” when you feel like it. There are also “out of season” when you do not feel like it. The Lord says to the Christian Worker that what is important is that you are the season. The “in” or “out” must be of no importance. Now is the time. Now is always the time to be labourers together with God.

Labouring with God in the Church is a duty. It may not always be convenient to you because the spirit is always willing but not the body. Have you ever conceived of not setting out daily to your vocation, trade or your office because you felt uninspired? You just have to because you have to make profits, same is the Gospel of God. Labouring with God attract rewards with abundant spiritual and material benefits.

REMEMBER TO ATTEND: MAP Meeting (Home Fellowship) tomorrow.

PRAYER: O Lord bring me to the place of total yieldedness to you.

FAITH BYTE: I preach the word, every instant in season and out of season.

STAND! YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20 (KJV)

“…..I am with you always….”
Matthew 28:20 (KJV)

It is a common feeling, that circumstances where you find yourselves alone, you look around and everybody seems to be ignoring you. This usually happens to Christians just when they get born again, and it can be disheartening, especially because you do not know what the future holds. People who used to be your closest friends, pallies and that used to be your source of happiness will flicker out like a burnt-out candle stick.

YOU ARE DOING IT FOR JESUS

Scripture: Acts 7:20-24 (KJV)

“And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart
to visit his brethren the children of Israel.”
Acts 7:23 (KJV)

Have you ever been in a situation where you needed someone’s help so urgently? Maybe you were going through very tough and difficult times or feeling so lonely, needing desperately to talk to someone who could encourage you and share your burdens. We’ve all been there, at one time or the other, and sometimes we feel like yielding to defeat at the point where the help is right before us.

VISITING OUR BRETHREN

Scripture: Acts 15:36-41 (KJV)

“And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, let us go again and visit brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they do.” Acts 15:36 (KJV)

In our text, Paul was telling Barnabas, come and let us again visit our brethren. He was referring to their many converts scattered all over the Gentile land. Paul saw it as a necessity to visit those they had brought to the faith, in order to know how they were faring.

THE REAL SOURCE OF YOUR WORDS

Scripture: Matthew 12:33-37

“You brood of Vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good?
For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks”.
Matthew 12:34 (NIV)

The nature of a tree inevitably determines the kind of fruit.The kind of fruit shows the nature of the tree. From our text the tree is the heart and the fruit the mouth. If the heart is good, the words that come out from the mouth will be good vice versa, for the heart overflows through the mouth.

YOUR WORDS CREATE YOUR WORLD

Scripture: James 3:2-18

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue:
and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof”.
Proverbs 18:21 (KJV)

In the entire Bible, our wellbeing is more connected to our mouth and tongue than to any other subject. In fact, James said that in many things we offend all but if anyone can control his/her mouth, such persons have their entire lives in control. Thus, the person is a perfect man, a man of authority, and is the real power broker that is in control. Who really has the power in your life now?

FEAR OF GIVING

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11

“Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread
for your food, and multiplies your seed sown, and increase the
fruits of your righteousness”. 2 Corinthians 9:10(KJV)

Feedback: Share how it feels to win a soul or at least witness to someone.

Most people who fail to give present various excuses for their inaction in giving. The plain simple fact is, they are scared. Scared that they will loose their bird in hand, they are not sure of the two in the bush. As long as you hold unto your seed, you are tying down your future, this is the truth.

SEED BOMB

Scripture: Genesis 1:1-12

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into
the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it dies,
it bringeth forth much fruit”. John 12:24 (KJV)

As long as the earth remains, abundance will respond to seed sowing. Even God has subjected Himself to this law. It was only until He planted His seed, His only begotten son, that He received a huge harvest of many sons and daughters. Your future is dependent on your seed sown.

I heard a young Ghanaian slave who was whisked to the Island of Fernando Po in the Atlantic Ocean in 1870. He laboured tediously over there in a cocoa plantation for twenty years. He then returned to Ghana in 1890 with some cocoa pods. His first stop was a village in Ghana where he decided to settle. He asked for farm to cultivate his cocoa seeds and was graciously offered as much as he wanted. In 1890, he planted his first cocoa seed, harvesting the first fruit in 1895 (it takes cocoa five years to produce, after that, annually). By 1920, only 25years after, Ghana became the world’s leading cocoa producer. Till date, the Ghanaian economy is largely powered by cocoa production, because one man believed in God’s principle of seed sowing.

Remember that as long as your seed remains in your hand, it does not matter how much potential it has, or how beautiful it is. Until you plant it, it cannot produce fruits or harvest. Plant it; sow your time, money, love, smile, favour, etc and receive an abundance that will drive your own family, peace, prosperity and business.

REMEMBER TO ATTEND: MAP Meeting (Home Fellowship) tomorrow.

PRAYER: Help me Lord to appreciate and take advantage of the Law of Sowing and Reaping.

FAITH BYTE: I believe in giving and receiving. I sow much and I reap much.

SEED POWER

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

 “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly
or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver”.
2 Corinthians 9:7 (NKJV)

When God lost humanity in Eden after the Adamic sin, He did something to buy back humanity. He used the strongest weapon in His arsenal; the power of seed. In Genesis 3:15, the Lord told Satan, the seed of the woman will bruise your head. Christ is the divine seed sown by God to reap humanity back to Him.

STAYING HEALED

Scripture: Psalm 105:35-40

“He brought them forth also with silver and gold:
and there was not one feeble person among their tribes”.
Psalm 105:37 (KJV)

This described the healthy state of the Israelites while going out from Egypt to Canaan. A huge Ncontrast to the Corinthian church where there were many weak and sickly members.

The church in the wilderness as the former is called (Acts 7:38; Exodus 12:37), about three million in number, existed under more precarious circumstances, they were under an old covenant based on the blood of animals while the Corinthian church were under the covenant sealed by the blood of the Son of God. Yet there was not one sick or feeble person among the three million living under the Old Testament.

The Old Testament church must have been doing what the Corinthian church failed to do. They understood that as they ate flesh of the lamb, here was a chemical interaction that made it flesh of their flesh, bone of their bone, skin of their skin, and body of their body. It ensured that there was not one feeble among them.

This lamb slain in Egypt is a type of Jesus Christ, God’s son, slain for all. In the communion, by faith, we become members of His body, of His flesh and of His bone (Ephesians 5:30). What three million people ate that gave them physical soundness we eat a superior sort that makes us perpetually whole. Break bread as often as you can and you will enjoy divine health. STAY HEALED.

PRAYER: Thank you Lord for paying the penalty for my sin and sickness.

FAITH BYTE: Because I eat the lamb’s body, His body has become a part of my body, driving away sickness, weakness and feebleness. I am strong, well and healthy.

HEALING AT THE COMMUNION TABLE

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:30-34

“For this cause many are weak and sickly among you,
and many sleep”.
1 Corinthians 11:30 (KJV)

A girl, after serious persuasion by a friend of hers who worships with us attended one of our communion services. Her excuse for not wanting to come was because she had fallen off a motorcycle and had three of her ribs broken. This was confirmed by an x- ray. She could not bend over and was having difficulties breathing. Things were getting worst day after day.

That day, she rededicated her life to God and partook of the body and the blood of Jesus in the service. On her way home, she dropped her handkerchief and to her greatest surprise, she bent over briskly to pick up the handkerchief only to realize that she had been healed. X- Ray has since confirmed the fusion together of the three broken ribs.

There is healing at the communion table.1 Corinthians 11:30 reads “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you (Christians) and many sleep”. What reason? A lack of understanding of the power in the communion makes people under-value and play with it to their own detriment. Don’t succumb to sickness and weakness; there is a meal of meals that will speak from your inside. Do it in faith and that yoke will bow out.

REMEMBER TO ATTEND: Leadership/Communion Service tomorrow, 5:30PM.

PRAYER: Open the eyes of my heart Lord. I want to know you at the communion table.

FAITH BYTE: I agree with what the communion proclaims about me. I am healed, I am strong I am whole I am prosperous!

THE COMMUNION SPEAKS

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:20-26

“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup,
ye do show the Lord's death till he comes”.
1 Corinthians 11:26 (KJV)

The New king James version of the Bible records the word “show” as “Proclaim”. This word means to speak forcefully with authority. The communion speaks forcefully in your favour when you partake of it. Since in the scripture, “speaking” is synonymous with the release of power, it follows that the communion releases the power of the resurrection.

A dear sister once met me after she became born again, following a threat made to her by a white robe church prophet. The man simply said “you will see”. The next day, her teenage son collapsed, writhing in pain, pinning away and foaming at the mouth. This had never happened before. The occurrence deteriorated over the next three weeks. The doctors referred to it as Epileptic Seizures.

I visited the entire family, we worshipped and had communion. After that she had a vision where her teenage boy vomited five parcels. It has been twelve years since and the seizures have never reoccurred. The voice of God breaks the cedars. His voice shatters the rocks. No bondage can resist you at the communion table. The communion is not a mere symbol; it’s a spiritual voice activator that excites God’s voice to roar against your opponents.

PRAYER: Lord, open my eyes to understand the true meaning of Holy Communion.

FAITH BYTE: I enjoy health, strength and wholeness because I partake of the communion in faith believing.

THE TABLE OF WHOLENESS

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

“For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh
damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this
cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep”.
1Corinthians 11:29-30 (KJV)

Millions are physically sick, some are with infirmities for over a long period of time. Unfortunately, many believers fall victim to this satanic oppression. Paul in our text told the Corinthian church that many were weak and sickly among them because they were not discerning the Lord’s body with understanding. The word “discerning”, is from the Greek word “diakrino” which means to sieve. It carries the idea of an analytical process and study which results in proper understanding and comprehension of truth; like tearing a matter apart into smaller bits for the sake of deep understanding.

A young lady had been a victim of tuberculosis. After exhausting her savings on medication, she attended our communion service. Having heard and understood the mission of the body, she partook of it. The darkness of tuberculosis was shattered as she instantly got healed not needing another dose of medication. The medicine of medicines had consumed the affliction.

We are required to comprehend the totality of what the body and the blood of Christ did for us, when we do, such benefits become our experience in the communion.

PRAYER: Open thou my eyes Lord that I may discern your body correctly.

FAITH BYTE: I refuse to be sick or suffer any form of diseases. Jesus my substitute has already borne them for me. I no longer have sickness. I am healed.