March 2020 fourth week
Friday 27 March 2020
Thought of the day
FOCUS ON CHRIST
“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me (Psalm 138:7).”
The Lord Jesus is the Sun of Righteousness, when you focus on Him, you’ll not see the debilitating and crippling influences around you. Too many people focus attention on challenges and problems; they keep thinking about the troubles and hardships in the world when they ought to focus on Christ. Christ is your all. Christ is your life. Christ is the solution to every problem. Hallelujah!
What this means therefore, is that if you’re in Christ, that is, if you’re born again, you have nothing to fear; you need not worry about problems, tests, trials and adversities. That’s because in Christ you’re a victor. The Bible says, count it all joy when you go through diverse tests (James 1:2). Colossians 1:27 says, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” What does this mean? It doesn’t mean that you should hope for glory because Christ is in you; rather, it means you have a guaranty, a certainty that everything in life will produce glory for you, because Christ is in you.
Christ in you is your assurance or certainty. This is the reason you have to be Christ-conscious at all times. Focus on Christ. Romans 8:10 says, “And if Christ is in you, though your body be dead because of sin, the Spirit gives it life because of righteousness.”
It doesn’t matter what happens or has happened to your body, Christ is the answer! Christ in you makes you excellent and sound. Meditate on Christ. Think about who He is to you, who you are in Him and His ministry in you today. 1 John 4:4 says, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” His presence in you makes you an overcomer and more than a conqueror. Hallelujah!
Thursday 26 March 2020
Thought of the day
A SACRED TRUST
“According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust (1 Timothy 1:11).”
The Apostle Paul took personal responsibility for the Gospel. His words in our theme verse show, that to him, the Gospel was a sacred trust. In 1 Corinthians 9:16, he said, “…necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” Again, in 1 Timothy 1:12, he declared, “…I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.”
Your conviction about the Gospel must be absolute. Think about it: the salvation of lost souls is God’s number one passion; it’s all that heaven stands for. Yet, God committed such a great commission and responsibility to you and me. This is something to be hallowed; too sacrosanct to take likely.
In Mark 16:15, Jesus said, “…Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature”; this is the Great Commission. The question is, “Can God trust you to fulfil it?” Are you about His
business, or you’re still busy pursuing your own dreams? Let the Gospel, and its spread around the world, mean more to you than anything else in this world. Be committed to it, irrespective of the oppositions you might face.
Take a cue from Paul; even when the Holy Spirit expressly testified that he’d suffer severe afflictions and be imprisoned if he went to preach in Jerusalem (Acts 20:22-23), he was undaunted. His response was: “… none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God” ( Acts 20:24). Talk about burning your bridges? That’s it!
Be an activist for the Gospel. None of the adversities you face can defeat you if you stand your ground and refuse to quit. Remember that God counted you faithful and committed the Gospel to your trust; He believes in you. So, be an effective witness of the Lord Jesus Christ, and do it passionately with joy. Hallelujah!
Wednesday 25 March
Thought of the day
AN IMPORTANT FACTOR FOR SUCCESS
“Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold (Proverbs 8:10).”
Spiritual instructions may come to you in the most unexpected or unusual way, but be quick to carry them out. Proverbs 4:13 says, “Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.” Sometimes, what you need for your next level isn’t so much a “big idea,” as it is heeding a simple instruction.
Some people would give anything for secondary factors such as money, human connections and uncertain philosophies in their attempt at success. But they ignore the surest measure for guaranteed progress in life: following God’s Word—doing things God’s way. His instructions convey His wisdom, which if followed would lead to success, victory, excellence and glory.
Realise that in life, your victories are, and would be, entirely dependent on divine strategies given to you by God through the Spirit and His Word. Therefore, consciously practise fellowship with the Holy Spirit and the Word. That’s where you receive His instructions and the guidance that put you over circumstances and the adversities of life.
Every instruction of the Spirit is entrenched in the infallible principles of God’s Word. Such instructions may not be spectacular, but they always produce the supernatural. Therefore, always act on the instructions of the Spirit in divine wisdom. When you do, it’ll make no difference the “wall” you’re faced with in your life; it’ll crumble before you. Glory to God!
Tuesday 24 March
Thought of the day
WORDS ARE THE GREATEST ASSETS
“Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips (Hosea 14:2).”
Words are the greatest assets in the world, far more valuable than gold and diamonds. There’s nothing else that could change your life and situation, and give you permanent victory in life, more than words—the right words. Anyone who understands and functions in this truth is made for life. Study the Bible: all the great characters we read about and admire were made with words.
What created or gave rise to a David? Words! What helped David defeat Goliath? You may say, “Five smooth stones,” no; it was words. When he picked the stones, he relied on words; study the account in 1 Samuel 17. He was sure of defeating Goliath because he put his faith on words.
Words are things; they’re latent with spiritual energy. The whole world was created with words. And who is Jesus Himself? The Word! (John 1:1). Jesus is the result of words spoken by God. In the Scriptures, Moses was described as a man mighty in words; so was Jesus likewise described.
Invest your life in words. Much more than you’d look for gold and want to test the quality to be sure it’s the right one, go for words. Fill your heart, your mind and your life with the right quality of words. Don’t store every kind of words in you, for words kill and words make alive. Colossians 3:16 tells you the kind of words to store up in you. It says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…” ; keep them (God’s words) in the midst of your heart (Proverbs 4:21).
Never be too busy to study the Bible to learn and store up God’s Word in you. It’s what you’d need in the day of adversity, and for an extraordinary life of success. Our opening verse says, “Take with you words”; you can’t take with you what isn’t in you. So, keep investing in the greatest asset: words! When you face crisis, don’t cry. Don’t panic. Speak words. Jesus said you shall have what you say (Mark 11:23); so, speak and effect a change. Hallelujah!
Monday 23 March 2020
Thought of the day
SANCTIFIED CONVEYOR OF BLESSINGS
“And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing (Genesis 12:2).”
As a Christian, you must have the consciousness of a blessed person. Affirm always that you’re blessed and highly favoured everywhere, at all times and in every situation. When you have this consciousness, even if you applied for something or went somewhere and were rejected, you’ll be unperturbed. That’s because you know who you are, and those who rejected you don’t. If they knew you, they wouldn’t reject you.
Imagine Jesus at the well of Samaria: when He asked the woman for water, she refused. She said, “You’re not supposed to be asking me for water because you’re a Jew, and I’m Samaritan” ( John 4:9). She rejected Jesus! Why? She didn’t know she was addressing the messiah; but, the Master wasn’t offended. He simply said to her, “If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water” ( John 4:10).
Jesus knew who He was; so, He wasn’t moved by that rejection. A child of God can be rejected, if his true nature in Christ is unknown. He too may not even know himself. But when you discover that you’re an heir of God, a sanctified conveyor of divine verities, things will change. You’ll go everywhere with boldness, and if they turn you down anywhere, it’ll mean nothing to you.
Being denied a job offer or business contract doesn’t make you a loser; far from it! Your life style, work or business is an opportunity for you to bless your world; your door to the world, to express yourself and the perfections that God has put within your system. Hallelujah!