Bible In One Year- Day 26 (Saturday, January 26, 2014)

There is no one on earth qualified to die for the salvation of man but Jesus, the Lamb without blemish or spot (Exod12:5/1Pet1:19) and bones not broken (Exod12:46/John19:33&36). He was given as God’s firstborn, Heb1:2, to redeem us. Through faith in Him and His blood we became a joint heir, i.e. God’s own, Rom4:13. Not because you are good or bad but you are saved by grace through His blood. There is power in His blood. God told the Israelites to mark their door posts with the blood and stay indoors. Those who obeyed (not minding any justification of good work) were saved, Exod12:13.

Exodus 12:13 “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.”

In essence, the only satisfying factor for salvation was the blood of a lamb and this is an aspect of justification in Christ Jesus. This is the state of the great deal of believers we have now in the Christendom. Once you believe, you are justified, i.e. when God passes by or see you, He sees the Blood of Jesus (Col1:14). However, the work of Christ Jesus is not complete without the next step which is eating of the flesh, Exod12:8-9. Now, the way and manner are clearly stipulated; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. These have their various meanings and significances. Eating the flesh is letting it to be digested and assimilated into the body (mix with the blood which is life). Jesus loaded the disciples with the word before His ascension, but told them to tarry in Jerusalem for the working fire that would prepare them. The fire came and made the word mix with their lives and a new tongue was given to them. The first sermon Peter preached without sitting down to prepare it, won thousands of souls just because of the fire. The implication is that you let the word (i.e. the ‘flesh’ of Jesus as a Lamb) of God mix up with your spirit, soul and body through the help of the Holy Ghost, His baptism. And as your life (i.e. spirit, soul and body) takes after the word of God, sanctification is at work which is the second aspect of Jesus’ work. The sure evidence is that the things you used to do, you do them no more. Your life preaches to people better than what you say. There is character transformation; no more bitterness, envy, lying, jealousy, slander, backbiting, hatred or prejudice etc. Passover was to get them ready for the journey to the Promised Land. You must give your life fully to Jesus before deliverance can be accomplished; deliverance is the children’s food according to Jesus. And without deliverance, you can’t worship God in a pleasing way. For you to have a satisfying life, the word of God must mix with your spirit, soul and body. Exod14 is the record of the great deliverance that was announced all over the world and the fear of the Israelites came on all nations. The cohorts of Pharaoh had fallen apart and surrendered to God JEHOVAH. The last person was Pharaoh, the strong man of bondage. God gained honor over him as he sank in the Red Sea. That same God shall gain honor over the strong man that will not let your family, marriage, career, wellbeing, finances go in the name of Jesus. The Israelites did not know that there was a song they had to sing on the other side of the Red Sea because of fear of the pursuing Egyptians. Meanwhile, Moses, who was holding his rod on the side of faith declare Exod14:13-14 to them because he was seeing them sing on the other side. When you look at your plight from God’s point of view, you will realize that there is a song already written for you to sing on the other side of the red sea. MOVE FORWARD BY FIRE!!! The Egyptians ran without any hesitation into their own grave. The problem posing as threat to you will soon expire. Exod11:7 says that the difference between the Egyptians and the Israelites was that there won’t be death and that was why the angel acted in Exod14:19.

Exodus 11:7 “But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.”

Exodus 14:19-20 “And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.”

The battle may be fearful; there is no death because there is a song you must sing at the other side of the Sea. The God that spoke in Isaiah44:24-27 was the same God who gave His people songs to sing in Exod15 and supplied all their needs in Ex16. Praise the Lord!!! Your Red Sea must part. Prayer: let all creations agree with my victory in the name of Jesus. The next mile in the trip is Exod17-19. Keep the fire burning and Spread the gospel

Bible In One Year- Day 25 (January 25, 2015)

Battle of the gods!!! Exo7-13 is the true picture of Jesus’ word in Matt12:29.

Matthew 12:29 “Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and seize his goods, except he shall first bind the strong man? and then he will plunder his house.”

You need a stronger hand to deal with the power behind your predicament and that is Jesus. Moses’ statements in Exo10:29/11:8 are profound and it marks the beginning of the final battle in the war. May I briefly remark that there is a difference between a battle and a war. War is a conflict between two opposing forces which lasts a period of time to achieve a particular goal (i.e. two different goals struggling for survival or dominance), while battles are series of encounters between the opposing parties within the war; i.e. there could be ten battles in a war. On the other hand, we could define battle as a step by step stripping of an opponent of its strengths or powers. Moses stripped Pharaoh of his strengths and powers through series of battles with different plagues in order to win the war of deliverance for the Israelites.  Christians who understand spiritual warfare do not give up after each battle. Each battle might warrant different tactic (plague) from the previous or subsequent battle. You may lose a battle (which just warrants you to retreat for more power), it does not mean the enemy will win the war. Each plague period is a battle while the total period is the war for deliverance. You will win the war in the name of Jesus. The battles before the final battle achieved two very important goals. The goals were to prepare the ground for the fulfillment of Gen15:14 “… they shall come out with great possession”. Secondly, the battles weakened Pharaoh’s strength by shifting the focus of his people to Moses with respect and this is evident in Exod11:3.

Exodus 11:3 “And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants, and in the sight of the people.”

The more you bombard satanic kingdom with prayers, the more you become a terror and threat to the agents and demonic spirits and the more the glory of God is revealed through you, just as Moses declared in Exod11:8 “… all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me …”. God needs such hearts in this end time; hearts that would never take “no” for an answer or compromise in any form. All along, Pharaoh’s lieutenants were the ones reacting to Moses’ plagues; they were all defeated without any gainsay. But after dealing with them, the chief warrior of the Egyptians, Pharaoh, pursued the Israelites through the Red Sea. Unfortunately, it was an error that ended in tragedy in favor of the Israelites. The fear of the Israelites became favor from the Lord and their silence broke forth into singing. Before their eyes, their threats sank in the Red Sea. The final battle in a war is with the strong man of the enemy and not until that is fought, DON’T GIVE UP! Why? So that God’s wonders can be multiplied (Exod11:9) as a living testimony among unbelievers.

Exodus 11:9 “And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.”

The multiplication of a testimony is for it to outlive the generation that witnessed it. For us to be reading about the testimony of the Israelites is because of the multiplication factor. I pray that your testimony shall go from generation to generation in the name of Jesus. This month shall be the beginning of testimonies for you (12:2) in the name of Jesus. Beloved, the way to the Promised Land is near, but the wilderness experience is needful to strengthen and build faith in you so that when you face the powers occupying your promised land, you don’t turn back to Egypt, Exod13:17-18.

Exodus 13:17-18 “And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.”

The prophetic banner of purpose was Joseph’s bones in the coffin. For as long as that was there, the Promised Land was sure. In Exod13:21, we could see that God became the first GPS and compass known to man.

Exodus 13:21 “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:”

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel will be your God in your journey through life. It is His promise in Isaiah42:16.

Isaiah 42:16 “And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.”

Jesus is our Passover Lamb. His blood safeguards us from all evils that operate day and night. We are redeemed by His blood and through the same shedding of the blood we have life eternal. When you secure your life in Him, then you have insurance with a policy as stated in Psalm91. Prayer: Let the mark of the blood of Jesus of divine favor and protection be upon me and family, in the name of Jesus (prayer adopted from the book PRAYER RAIN, by Dr. D. K. Olukoya). The next mile in the trip is Exodus14-16. Keep the fire burning and alive. Spread the gospel and tell somebody about Jesus today!!!

Bible In One Year –Day 24 (January 24, 2014)

In Ex5:2, Pharaoh asked, out of ignorance, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice …” Pharaoh was enjoying his inflictions on the Israelis. He thought he was the most powerful king on earth and that for Moses to come in and demand for the freedom of the Israelis was an insult on him. If the Israelis had a God, why were they in bondage? That particular Pharaoh grew to know Israelis as slaves, instrument of hard labor, inferior persons and so there was not any reason for their freedom. To Pharaoh, the Israelis were not human beings because he loved and respected animals more than them. He preferred the death of 10 Israelis to the death of one of his cattle. That was why Moses said if they had to kill an animal for sacrifice in the land of Egypt, they would be stoned. People looked at pharaoh as a god. From chapter7, God started introducing Himself to Pharaoh. The magicians were the first to recognize God’s act, Ex8:19.

Exodus 8:19 “Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: …”

Reading Isaiah44:24-27, you could see the mightiness of God JEHOVAH. He takes no non-sense from the enemies of His children. He declared “I will beat down his foes before his face, And plague those who hate him”, Ps89:23. I pray for you that any authority standing against your moving to the next level shall be plagued and wiped off by the finger of God Jehovah, in the name of Jesus. A child of God should not give up in any spiritual battle. It could be more dangerous doing so. Ex8:15 says “… Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart ….” Don’t ever give the enemy a breathing space until you get your total deliverance. Many people run into the church when they are faced with problems. Devil being a deceitful foe (Ex8:29) cannot stand the finger of God. What he does is come and speak silently to you “you have been fasting, praying, giving your tithe and attending church all this while, what has it done for you. Get out and forget about prayers. It is not as hard as that …” This is what we call satanic sermon and a weak Christian yields to that. Many are very close to their breakthrough, the enemy takes the burden away temporarily and such leave the presence of God. Whoever read Ex8-11, prayerfully, will know that it is quite dangerous to give up when in battle with the enemy. Is the devil using your spouse, children, career or wellbeing to inflict hardship, don’t give up. Very soon the Lord, who seats in the heavenly places, shall laugh them to scorn. In Ex9:11, the magicians were silenced with torture and in Ex10, Pharaoh’s servants are confronting Pharaoh. Pharaoh’s kingdom was breaking apart gradually. The Israelis became spectators to the gradual destruction of the confidence of their problem. What do you think of Isa30:15, “… in quietness and in strength shall be your strength, …” God was using that to write a testimony for them, their children and the unborn, Ex10:2/Joel1:3. I pray for you that you shall soon share your testimony in the name of Jesus. Moses stood his ground of total (not compromising) deliverance; “… not a hoof shall be left behind. …” Ex10:26.  This should be the heart of a child of God. You should reject every compromising demand and suggestions of the enemy. Anything you leave behind could be a point of contact for the enemy to stage a comeback. Even the profits the enemy made over you should be spoiled in the power of the Holy Ghost and the name of Jesus. Has the enemy taken over your marriage, career, children, finance or health? Don’t give up. Keep the fire of prayer burning and alive. Prayer: Any gain of darkness over my life, I spoil you by the fire in the Blood of Jesus (by this you recover whatever you have lost to the enemy). The next mile in the trip is Exodus11-13. Keep the fire burning and alive. Tell somebody about JESUS today!!!

Bible In One Year-Day 23 (January 23, 2014)

Ex4:30-31 “…Then he did the signs in the sight of the people. So the people believed; …” God sent Moses to two sets of people; The Israelites (His people) and Pharaoh (representing the prince of this world) in Egypt (representing the world). To the Israelites, he told them God wants them out of Egypt because their cry got to Him. To Pharaoh, God only gave him the privilege to know about the mission (whether he liked it or not). For this assignment to be done, Moses must make the people of God believe in the mission, i.e. get their mind prepared and ready for the battle because Pharaoh will not let go easily; also to win their confidence. Those signs made them to believe, just as Jesus declared in John4:48.

John 4:48 “Then said Jesus to him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.”

There is a difference between ‘belief’ and ‘faith’. To believe is to accept or have confidence in the capability of something based on evidence on ground; while still considering fear. Faith, on the other hand, sees beyond the present appearance of any threat, i.e. no fear is considered even if the situation seems fearful or without any supporting evidence for its ability. Faith carries the element of total trust with it. The Israelites failed in their journey because they traveled in belief only (with fear still in them, i.e. without faith despite all evidences) and that was why God was angry with them, “… Children in whom is no faith”, Deut32:20. Many Christians are actually in this state; they pray in fear and not in faith, confess in fear, not in faith. By believing we are justified, but by faith we become the righteousness of God and sanctified. Faith is a gift by the Holy Spirit that purifies the heart (Acts15:8-9) and it is only received by hearing the word of life, John6:63.

Acts 15:8-9 “And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did to us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.”

If the Israelites had rejected Moses, he wouldn’t have been able to bring them out of Egypt. Christians who stand to pray in fear find testimonies hard to obtain because fear is a stronghold for Satan. In the state of belief, one can waver; when it is tough, God is doubted, but when there is a little relief, ‘God is good’. This was Moses’ trouble with the Israelites after his meeting with Pharaoh. Pharaoh’s action after the meeting with Moses and Aaron is what we call satanic rage in spiritual warfare. This happen when you start praying the correct and target hitting prayer; the kind of prayer that shakes the ground and destabilizes the camp of darkness, Acts4:24-31. The rage of the enemy is just for him to become food for the sword of destruction Jer46:7-10. I love the way it is expressed in Jer46:17; ‘just a noise’. I pray that the satanic noise of the enemy that is giving you concerns be silenced in the name of Jesus. In Ex6, Moses went to meet the Lord to tell Him about his plight. God promised great deliverance, not with the known name, but with a new name for that purpose; JEHOVAH!!! A name that turns the confidence of the enemy against the enemy; what used to be the enemy’s satisfaction is now turned to problem, and the comfort became a concern. In Ex7, the waters in the river was supposed to give Pharaoh the morning comfort, but it became a concern. When you call on that name, what you are saying is that you want God to use what the enemy has, to fight the enemy. JEHOVAH means the God of salvation, Ex6:6/Isaiah12:2.

Isaiah 12:2 “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.”

By this name, He uses everything necessary to rescue His people from satanic bondage. The enemy may be heady, he is just a noise, he might pose to you as a lion in the dream, let him know that you are a child of the Lion of Judah. Anyhow the enemy appears to you, God is always there to raise a standard against him, Isaiah59:19.

Isaiah 59:19 “So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.”

The Apostles, Acts4, prayed the prayer of faith, the earth shook. You must have confidence and faith in the name of the LORD, you must add faith to the calling on the name of the LORD;

Proverbs 18:10 “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.”

Faith in that name makes it work for you according to the meaning of the name you call. Jehovah Jireh is the God that supplies sufficiently, Jehovah Rappha is invoking the power of mysterious healing (Isaiah53:5), Jehovah El-Shaddai is the God that is bigger than all your problems and mountains. Only by faith are you counted as a descendant of Abraham, Gal3:7-9.

Galatians 3:7-9 “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 to Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.”

God appeared to His people in diverse ways in the past and so He is called by the particular action He took in those circumstances. But He has exalted the name of Jesus above every name attributed to Him as a result of His submission to death. While He was walking on earth, the name Jesus was just Jesus; but after death, God exalted that name. There is therefore not any other name that supercedes the name JESUS. You may call Him with those names to magnify Him, only the name JESUS shakes heaven, earth and even hell (i.e. darkness).

Philippians 2:8-11 “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

THERE IS POWER IN THE NAME OF JESUS! When you talk in that name, all attentions are drawn, in heaven, on earth and underneath the earth. However, if the name is not from a genuine heart, Satan may attack such person. This is why you must be part of God’s household by giving your life to Jesus before you can be qualified to use it with result.

Prayer: O God JEHOVAH, arise, and shake the camp of darkness into desolation, in the name of Jesus. Next mile in the trip is Exodus8-10. Keep the fire burning and alive. Tell somebody about JESUS today!!!

Bible In One Year- Day 22 (January 22, 2014)

Our reading through the book of Genesis shows us the fall of man, the plan of God for our salvation and redemption, the choice of Abraham for this plan, the experiences of the vessels for this plan, the fulfillment of signs that shows that God is still committed to His plan (e.g. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph had prophetic signs, each, as points of contact for their faith towards God’s promises) and, finally, the flow of vision and purpose. God’s choice of Abraham in His plan to restore the world started with a special covenant relationship. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob respectively symbolize the personalities of the trinity as we discussed yesterday. Joseph was just a symbol of purpose; as a vessel that needed to be refined and purged and as bones in the coffin. No wonder Jacob claimed his sons in his place, Gen48:5-6, to make up the required number of tribes for a nation. For as long as those bones were there, purpose was sustained. The dry bones you are seeing in your unfavorable situation, to man, it means hopelessness, but to God they are anchors of faithfulness and unusual miracles, Ezek37. Those dry bones, very soon, will grow sinews, muscles and life will enter into them, in the name of Jesus. Don’t give up. The book of Exodus started with Jacob and not Joseph. That is, the chosen people went down to Egypt; they entered the world. They followed vision (Joseph) into Egypt. Vision will always prevail and where there is vision, there people gather. Two laws were working in their lives in Egypt; the law of increase and greatness to make a nation (Gen12:2) and the law of servitude, affliction and death (Gen15:13/Ex1), i.e. bondage, lack of liberty. The first was of God because of His purpose and plan while the second was by the world, because it hates the things of God, James4:4. The hatred Egypt showed towards the Hebrews signifies the hatred the world has towards the things of God, especially vision. In this wise, beloved, don’t expect the world to agree with your vision; you need to pursue it. Don’t expect anybody to agree with your dream, you need to be focused otherwise you will be destracted. I will like to emphasize that the Egyptians then were not in Christ. Also, the Old Testament is a shadow of the New Testament; therefore, the country ‘Egypt’ should not be tagged as bad, neither should we condemn the Egyptians. We are discussing spiritual things and not flesh and blood. There is revival in Egypt and we are still praying for more outpour of God’s Spirit in that land and the world (Amen). For the deliverance and salvation of the Israelites, a vessel was needful. In the midst of blood thirsty swords, Moses was born. Moses, unfortunately, did not know that the staying of the Israelites in Egypt was divinely arranged. Whatever they were going through was prophetic. Due to his ignorance, he wanted to help the Israelites (with bitterness of heart and not in the fear of God). Only God determines what and what happens to a life. If Moses knew God then, he should have asked God what His mind was about the situation on ground and how to go about it. Moses’ heart was not right for the assignment God had for him. His nature of speech was not what God was interested in, but the heart; which is the seat of the Spirit of the assignment we have been talking about. Just as Jacob and Joseph were dealt with, Moses, also, was pruned to suit God’s purpose. This was needful because his life style was that of an Egyptian, Ex2:19;

Exodus 2:19 “And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.”

He needed godly training to be able to lead God’s people in the fear of the Lord. His staying under Jethro changed his life style and prepared him for God’s assignment, ordination and commissioning. He learnt shepherding and accountability under Jethro. His heart was prepared for the job. We could see, afterwards, that at every stage of his leading the people, he was always going to meet God for what to do. This is what God demands of us as believers; to ask for God’s mind. Many believers are not patient enough to be approved before opting to be masters of their own in the vineyard of God. The Spirit of the assignment cannot rest without first graduating from the school of servant hood. You can’t work for God without Him first working in you (consecration) to prepare you in His own way and manner. A bad follower will be a bad leader. When you get to that level to graduate, God himself conducts the graduation. Believers, who cut corners to avoid trials and test of time, don’t get the spirit of accomplishment and testimony is always far from such. God is aware of every step of the training and trials you are going through. Such training, without any contradiction, is to prepare you for the next level. Anyone who wants to be relevant in God’s plan, purpose and vision must submit to God to prepare him or her. The cry and groaning of the Israelites, Ex2:23-25, is the cry of the beloved in the world today. God needs vessels to meet these needs, Matt9:37-38. Moses jumped into delivering an Israelite from the hand of an Egyptian without God’s command, he became a murder. Whatever we do in the flesh will always lead into error;

Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”

1 Peter 1:24 “For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:”

Without the word of God for us, we are just like the grass; His word changes and make us spiritual (John6:63). A person of the flesh will only inflict more pains and torment. That was why Jesus told the disciples to tarry in Jerusalem for the baptism of the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of the assignment) before they go out to meet the need, Luke24:46-49/Acts2:2-3. Moses learnt patience in the wilderness and God decorated him in Ex3&4. The rod which was in his hand, signifying his acquired skill, became the rod of God, Ex4:20. Though he used it skillfully to shepherd Jethro’s flock, God still had to teach him how to handle and use it profitably to shepherd His people; “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail” (v4), “that they may believe…” (v5). He was holding it in the place of fear, but God told him to pick it from the side of faith. You need to look at things from God’s angle (i.e. faith and not fear) for miracles to happen. What is the talent, skill or ability in you? It must be submitted to the Holy Spirit; it is no more yours once you give your life to Jesus. Jesus taught Peter who was skillful in fishing how to fish profitably. He further said that He would make him a fisher of men; he was to be re-branded for purpose. One could be highly talented and skillful, yet lack purpose. Whatever you learn from your mentor is just to be skillful, only God reveals purpose and empowers one for same. Let God use what you have and you will become relevant in life. The first thing to submit before any other thing is your life, John 15:5. Prayer: Lord Jesus, take my life and let it be consecrated for you. The next mile in the trip is Exodus5-7 Keep the fire burning and alive. Tell somebody about JESUS today!!!