Unless

otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of
the Bible.
Copyright © 2009 Dag Heward-Mills
First published 2009 by Lux Verbi.BM (Pty) Ltd.
PO Box 5, Wellington 7654, South Africa
Tel +27 21 864 8200
www.luxverbi-bm.com
Reg no 1953/000037/07
1st Printing 2009
E mail Dag Heward-Mills :
bishop@daghewardmills.org
evangelist@daghewardmills.org
Find out more about Dag Heward-Mills at:
www.daghewardmills.org
www.lighthousechapel.org
www.healingjesuscrusade.org
Write to:
Dag Heward-Mills
P.O. Box 114
Korle-Bu
Accra
Ghana
ISBN 13: 978-0-7963-1086-3
All rights reserved under international copyright law. Written permission must be secured
from the publisher to use or reproduce any part of this book, except for brief quotations in
critical reviews or articles.
How to Be Born Again
What must I do? If you want to be born again, you must do two important things. First,
you must believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God…
1John 5:1
Secondly, you must ask Him to come into your heart or your life. The Spirit of God will
come upon you, and into your heart. Then the inner part of you will be born or produced
again. God gives you a new heart and spirit altogether!
With your new spirit, you become a new man or a new creature, and are ready to live a
new life. This new life is possible because you are actually a new person with a new heart.
To be born again is as simple as that. People want to do complicated things but becoming
born again is very simple!
Believe in Jesus. Ask Him into your heart. Confess Him as Lord. And you will be born
again.
Being born of the Spirit . . .that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (John 3:6).
Having been regenerated . . .he saved us, by washing of regeneration. . (Titus 3:5).
Being born of God . Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin. . (1John 3:9).
A child of God. . .to them gave he power to become the sons of God. . (John 1:12).
Having been saved. For by grace are ye saved through faith. .
(Ephesians 2:8).
A Christian. . . And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch (Acts 11:26).
3
A saint. . . called to be saints with all that. .call upon the name of Jesus Christ. .
(1Corinthians 1:2).
A believer. And believers were the more added to the Lord. . (Acts 5:14).
A disciple. . . And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch (Acts 11:26).
Believe in Jesus. Ask Him into your heart. Confess Him as Lord and you will be born
again!
Seven Steps to an Effective Quiet Time
Step #1 - Pray to Begin Your Quiet Time
It’s time to give the Lord praise and worship for His goodness. Pray thanking the Lord for
another day. Thank Him for who He is, what He has done and what He can and will do.
Now ask God to speak to you.
And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God,
merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping
mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no
means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and
upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. And Moses
made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.
Exodus 34:6-8
Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
Psalm 119:18
Step #2 - Read A Passage From The Bible Expecting God To Speak To You
Read the passage for the day expecting God to speak to you 4
from it. There are several ways of choosing your daily Bible reading passage.
How to Choose Your Daily Bible Reading Passage 1. Choose a book from the Bible of
which you read a few verses every day.
You must always remember where you ended so you can continue from the same place on
the next day. In the New Testament, I have had wonderful quiet times as I have read
through the books of Luke and Ephesians. In the Old Testament, I have also had
wonderful quiet times as I have read through the books of Genesis and 1st and 2nd
Samuel.
2. Choose a personality from the Bible whose life story you follow.
A few verses from passages about Moses will give you much revelation for your life. You
must always remember where you end your reading so that you can start the next day from
that point.
3. Take the passage suggested in your daily reading guide.
When I first became a Christian, I depended on Our Daily Bread for my quiet time.
Step #3 - Meditate (Think Through and Soberly Reflect on What You Have Read)
If you do not think about what you are reading you will lose a major blessing of the Word
of God. Paul told Timothy to think about the Word of God.
Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.
2 Timothy 2:7
5
Seven Keys to Effective Meditation
1. Read the passage slowly.
2. Do not read a very long passage unless it is necessary.
3. Stop at any verse that strikes you and think about it. God’s Word is so powerful that
only a single word in a verse is enough to change your life. Each quiet time should be a
search for that single word that can change your life.
4. Think about the meanings of the words that you are reading.
5. Think about how the Scripture applies to life in your generation.
6. Whisper to the Holy Spirit. Say, “Help me Holy Spirit to understand your Word. Father,
give me the Spirit of wisdom and revelation.” I have prayed for many years that God
should give me the Spirit of wisdom and revelation of His Word.
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the
spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Ephesians 1:17
7. Decide on a practical way to implement the Scriptures that you have learnt. Without
thinking of a way to apply the Scripture directly, you will often not benefit from your quiet
time.
Step #4 - Move into Deeper Bible Study and Make Further References to Things
That Strike You
during Your Quiet Time
There are times that you will need to have a longer quiet time. God may minister to you
about something. You must be prepared to study further. This is why it is important to
have a good reference Bible.
6
Look through the passage again for as many of the following as possible:
1. What does the passage teach me about the nature of God: the Father, the Son, or the
Holy Spirit?
2. Is there a promise for me to believe and to claim, taking careful note of any conditions
attached?
3. Is there a command for me to obey, or a good example for me to follow?
4. Is there a warning for me to heed or a bad example for me to avoid?
5. Is there a prayer for me to pray or remember?
Step #5 - Use Your Bible Reading Guide
You may refer to your daily Bible reading guide. These Bible reading guides are very
helpful in developing a regular quiet time habit. You will benefit from anointed teachers
whose ministry will help you to grow.
Step #6 - Write Down Whatever The Lord Tells You It is important to develop the habit
of writing the things that God speaks to you about.
The very fact that you have acquired a notebook shows that you have faith in an invisible
God. You believe that He has spoken to you and you have written down His words. You
have taken a great step of faith. Without faith it is not possible to please God.
Step #7 - Now Spend Time Praying to The Lord. Listen to the Voice of The Holy
Spirit
The last step in your quiet time is to pray. At times you will pray for a short time, but there
are other times you will pray 7
for a long time. As you have your quiet time regularly, this prayer time will become longer
and longer. You will soon desire longer hours with the Lord.
During the prayer time, God will speak to you through His Spirit. There are things God
needs to tell you directly through His Spirit. The Holy Spirit is real and you must believe
in Him as well.
8
Day 1
Abraham’s faith in God was
considered as an act of right-
eousness. Abraham believed that El’
Shaddai was able to give him a child
Father
in his old age. God was very pleased
abraham with Abraham because he had faith in His commandments. Maybe by
your standards, Abraham would
READ:
Romans 4:13-25
have been disqualified. But he was a
great man in God’s sight. His
And he believed in the
greatness was as a result of his faith.
LORD;
and
he
counted it to him for
Dear Christian friend, God is
righteousness.
happy, impressed and pleased when
Genesis 15:6
you believe in Him. When you
believe that God will heal you, you
make God happy! When you believe
that your breakthrough is on the
way, God is so pleased with you. When you have faith that you will live long, God is
provoked to extend your life. When you believe that God will give you increase and
abundance, you excite the deep parts of El’ Shaddai. You make Him pour out the milk of
His blessings into your life.
From today, never doubt any part of God’s Word. Accept that you are the champion He is
speaking about. Flow with the message of prosperity, healing and abundance. Always
remember that God is happy when you believe in Him.
God did not bring you to Christ in order to demote and disgrace you. He brought you to
Christ to lift and establish you in an abundant life. I see you walking in the great blessings
of Jehovah! I see you free from sickness and disease! I see the power of curses broken in
your life! I see that God is pleased with you because you believe in Him!
9
Day 2
Some people are very principled
and will not cheat you, even if
they have the opportunity to do so.
I had a friend in school like that who
New birth would just look at me with an ex-pressionless face whenever I talked
to him about Christ. I have found it
READ:
more difficult to bring to Christ,
John 3:1-21
someone who is principled and has
Repent ye therefore,
good morals! Being principled is not
and be converted, that
the same as being born again.
your sins may be blot-
ted out…
Hard-core sinners are more
aware that they need God. A young
Acts 3:19
man told me, “Pastor, I can’t live
without prostitutes! I must visit the
prostitutes at least twice a day.”
Such a person is more likely to think
that he needs to be born again. On the other hand, a very principled person sees no reason
why he must be saved. His excuse is often, “Why should I change? I am a good person.”
Having good morals is not the same as being born again. I once spoke to an unbeliever,
who belonged to an occult group.
He told me he had been married for 17 years but had never been unfaithful to his wife,
even though she could not have a child. This is a test many born-again Christians may not
be able to pass. You would find that men would commonly divorce their barren wives in
order to have a child. But listen, being such a moralist does not mean you are born again.
I congratulate you for your morality, but I must still inform you that you must be born
again! Nicodemus was a moralist, which is why he was so surprised when Jesus told him
that he needed to be born again.
10
Day 3
Perhaps someone has offended
you deeply, and you are having
difficulty forgiving that person. Let
me help you. There is the need to
PardoN
analyse the offender very well, that
is, the person who did whatever to
READ:
hurt you. Luke 23:34 gives an exam-
Luke 23:32-43
ple of Jesus analysing the offenders.
He said, “Father, forgive them; for
Then said Jesus, Fa-
ther, forgive them; for
they know not what they do. .”
they know not what
Jesus was not just forgiving them
they do. And they
Himself. He had gone a step further,
parted his raiment,
and was asking God to forgive them
and cast lots.
for the evil that they had done to
Luke 23:34
Him. The Son of God explained
why they needed to be forgiven: be-
cause “they know not what they do”.
If you analyse the offender, you will realize that although he is doing evil, he may not be
fully aware of the implications of his action. As soon as you analyse it this way, it will
help you relate well with whoever offends you.
Let me share with you a personal experience. Once, one of my junior pastors was
extremely rude to me. This pastor spoke in a way he should never have spoken - least of
all, to me. As he shouted and threatened me, I looked at him and I said to myself, “I am
very sure he doesn’t know what he is doing.
Maybe he is confused or disturbed.”
The excuse I made for him that he did not know what he was doing, helped me to relate
with him. Learn to make excuses for people. Jesus made excuses for His murderers!
Perhaps your offender is sick, ignorant or confused. You will find that you have the
capacity within you to forgive.
11
Day 4
The Word of God is God Him-
self, so when you place value on
things according to God’s Word,
then you will be acting in the will of
beyoNd
God. God is wiser than we are, and
Price
He can tell us what is important.
For instance, the Bible tells us what
is more valuable than money: A
READ:
good name (Proverbs 22:1). It is
Jeremiah 42:1-6
through experience that I have
For ever, O LORD, thy
learnt that a good name is better
word is settled in
than riches. You cannot flourish in
heaven.
the atmosphere created by a bad
name.
Psalm 119:89
My Bible also tells me that the
souls of men are more important
than their physical bodies. Why
would I give up my profession as a medical doctor to become a minister of the Word? I do
think that it is important to attend to the physical bodies of people. However, I have
biblical reasons for the things I am doing. It is the Bible, which must guide us and tell us
what to do. Jesus also said, “It is written. .”
when He faced the devil. Jesus knew why He did the things He did, and said the things He
said. Remember, my friend, Heaven and Earth shall pass away but the Word of God will
never pass away. The Word of God is reliable; it will never change.
Obey the Word of God no matter what it says (Jeremiah 42:6). It may be difficult, but at
the end of the day, you will see the results of obedience to the voice of the Lord. The Word
of God gives life, light and direction. God expects the Christian to seek what He says
concerning any situation.
12
Day 5
Every normal marriage has prob-
lems and challenges. It is in the
interest of married couples to do all
they can to prevent problems in their
challeNges marriages. Preventive measures are always better than curative solutions
READ:
to problems. However, the reality of
1 Peter 3:1-13
the marital relationship is that no
Finally, be ye all of
matter what you do, issues crop up
one mind, having
that lead to problems.
compassion one of an-
If problems arise, your approach
other,
love
as
to solving them must be this:
brethren, be pitiful, be
courteous:
(a) Pray about the situation.
1 Peter 3:8
(b) Be positive that there is a solu-
tion.
(c) Bring up the issue (in the spirit
of meekness - do not be confrontational).
(d) Identify the causes (sincerely). Get to the root, not the tip of the problem.
(e) If necessary, consult your pastors.
When solving problems, be ready to compromise. There is no winner or loser in marriage;
you are one flesh. When there is a clear disagreement, the husband’s decision must stand
and the wife must support it even if he turns out to be wrong.
However, the man must not be domineering; he must not be a dictator in his house.
Forgiveness is very essential for the survival of the marriage. Be prepared to talk frankly
about the offending issue.
The offended person must be willing to open up and share in love rather than nag, shout or
bury things. The other party must be humble, willing to accept fault and to apologise. Do
not let any problem colour your future actions.
13
1
Day 6
Atruly loyal person will save you
by telling you what is going on
behind your back. When your clos-
est aides fail to do this, your demise
lessoN
is imminent. Your vision for a great
From
business often ends at the feet of
disloyal people; sometimes with
caesar
bankruptcy. If your associates and
trusted friends turn against you in
ministry, your dreams of expansion
READ:
often end as the church splits.
Matthew 27:1-10
Consider the story of Julius Cae-
But if ye refuse and
sar by English author William
rebel, ye shall be de-
Shakespeare. Caesar, Rome’s most
voured…
successful General, was appointed to
Isaiah 1:20
restore order to the Republic of
Rome. He did not know that his
closest aides were plotting his death. But his greatest surprise was when he found Brutus
to be part of the conspiracy. Then, he knew that all was lost. He said those famous words,
which meant that it was all over: “Then fall, Caesar!”
However, the story doesn’t end there! We must now observe the end of all rebels. Mark
Antony is allowed to deliver a funeral oration. His speech, which is loyal to the fallen
Caesar, turns the hearts of the Roman populace against the treacherous murderers. You
will notice how the expected outcome of gaining power does not materialize! Finally, the
combined forces of Antony and Caesar’s heir, Octavian, defeated Brutus and Cassius.
Brutus and Cassius committed suicide.
Dear friend, Antony chose to be loyal; he paid the price and received the reward. Brutus,
the close friend of Caesar, chose the way of unfaithfulness and treachery. He ended up just
like Judas!
14
Day 7
Ibelieve that the mind is one of the
most wonderful gifts that God has
given to every man. It is a gift that
you are expected to use.
braiNs
When deciding whether to marry
someone or not, you must first use
your mind. Ask yourself, “What is
READ:
James 1:17
the background (family, education,
etc.) of this person? How old is he
A man’s gift maketh
or she? What language does he or
room for him, and
she speak?”
bringeth him before
great men.
When I have to take decisions in
Proverbs 18:16
the ministry, I do not just pray about
them. I think about them! I analyse
things! God gave me a mind and I
intend to use it on a daily basis.
The human being has a more developed brain; a mind with a great thinking capability. It is
the use of the mind, which has made human beings rule, and control animals; including
those that are wild and dangerous. We capture animals like elephants that are a hundred
times the size of a man. We keep them in cages and observe them at our pleasure. What
gives us this power? It is the use of a superior mind.
Those humans who have encouraged the use of the mind have ended up ruling those that
have not used their minds much. The educated (developed minds) are ruling the
uneducated. They have higher salaries and are better looked after.
It takes more use of the mind to develop machines and complicated equipment used to
convert raw materials into final products. Simply speaking, the world is divided into two:
those who have used their God-given gift of a super mind and those who have not!
15
Day 8
Jesus was called upon when there
was a problem. It was raining and
everyone was drowning. When
Jesus was called, He took charge.
iN charge
I remember my first night alone
as the doctor-in-charge of the Korle-
READ:
Bu Hospital emergency room. It
Luke 8:22-25
was a frightening experience for me.
…Be strong and coura-
I was a new doctor and I was ex-
geous. Do not be ter-
pected to lead the way and to know
rified…discouraged,
what to do in each case. Throughout
for …God will be with
the night, people were brought in
you…
unconscious, sick and some even
Joshua 1:9
dead. But I rose to the occasion and
New International
became the leader in the emergency
Version
room. How did I do it? I just did
what I thought was right from the
training that I had received. As time went by it became easier.
When Saul became a new leader, Samuel gave him this very instruction, “Do what you
think is right and the Lord will be with you.”
And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for
God is with thee.
1 Samuel 10:7
What is the key to taking charge as a leader? The key to taking charge is to simply take
charge. Just rise up and speak confidently! Do what you think is best and God will be with
you.
16
Day 9
If you want to be successful in this
life, decide to be a blessing to oth-
ers. This will unlock gates for bless-
ings to flow into your life. The most
goodwill successful people in the world have often played a vital role in someone
else’s life. Perhaps they were doctors
READ:
who saved the sick. Maybe they
1 Samuel 16:14-23
were pastors who ministered to the
Seest thou a man dili-
needs of the people. Perhaps they
gent in his business?
produced something that benefitted
he shall stand before
millions of people.
kings; He shall not
stand before mean
David’s value rapidly increased
men.
after he helped Saul in his time of
Proverbs 22:29
demonic affliction. Whenever evil
spirits came to torment Saul, David
refreshed him by playing the harp
and singing unto the Lord. He suddenly became useful to Saul and his kingdom. Are you
useful to anyone? Your value rises with your usefulness!
There are some Christians who just say, “Give me, give me, and give me.” When are you
going to start giving something?
When are you going to be a blessing to somebody? Jesus is so valuable to all of us
because he saved our souls by giving His life.
Take up your opportunity of counselling people and sharing the Word of God. I notice
how people shy away from doing God’s work. They feel it will keep them away from
succeeding in their secular field. What a mistake! They don’t realize that as they help
others, they become more valuable to society. The more valuable you are, the more
important you will be.
17
Day 10
Many excuses cannot be sub-
stantiated. A good minister
must learn to see through the empti-
ness of excuses.
PassioN
I spoke to one friend, inviting him
to church. He in turn spoke about
how the time was not convenient and
READ:
Luke 14:16-24
how he had quite a distance to travel.
I said to him, “You are a success-
If ye be willing and
ful businessman. Everything you
obedient, ye shall eat
the good of the land:
want to do, you do. How come you
have no time for God?”
Isaiah1:19
I told him, “If you really want to
do something you can do it.”
Again, some people do not pay
their tithes because they claim they
have no money. Watch how much money they spend on other things. You will realize that
the problem is not a lack of money, but the spirit of greed.
Many husbands blame the inadequacies of their spiritual relationships on their wives and
vice versa. I remember once, one of my pastors did fundraising in a branch church. During
the fundraising, the pastor asked for those who would like to give some money for the
purchase of church instruments. A husband who happened to be a foreigner was prepared
to give a donation. Just as his hand was going up, the pastor saw his wife pull his hand
down. After the service, the lady approached the pastor and said, “You know, the reason
why we didn’t give any money is because my foreign husband is so stingy.”
That was an outright lie. It was actually her husband who wanted to donate something. His
wife prevented him.
18
Day 11
Isaac experienced unbeatable pros-
perity. Genesis chapter 26 de-
scribes the attempt of eternal
circumstances to destroy God’s
blessiNg blessings on his life. Firstly, there was a famine in the land. A famine
READ:
of those days is equivalent to a bad
Genesis 26:1-14
economy of today. The economic
environment was adverse to his
The LORD bless thee,
and keep thee: …and
prosperity. He needed unbeatable
be gracious unto
prosperity that comes from God.
thee…
People are affected by the adverse
Numbers 6:24-26
conditions round about them. Most
of us who live in Africa can feel the
frustration of unstable governments,
wars and endemic poverty. The cli-
mate is sometimes hostile to the
blossoming of anything successful and prosperous.
Whereas some communities publish the hundred richest people in the nation, others harass
and intimidate the hundred richest people. In such an environment, you need unbeatable
prosperity; prosperity that is not destroyed by the circumstances: a blessing that cannot be
erased by man, woman or beast.
Trust God for His great blessing, in spite of bad economic conditions. Be like Isaac: As
you continue to sow seeds of tithes and offerings into God’s house, believe God for a
hundredfold harvest!
19
Day 12
One of the wisest things on
earth is to carefully manage
your relationship with fathers.
tread
When young people fall in love,
they often forget the importance of
cautiously honouring and obeying their parents. Some time ago, I did not rec-
ognize this principle to its fullest.
READ:
But I appreciated it when two young
2 Samuel 15:7-15;
18:14,15,33
ladies died in the midst of their
years after marrying against their
Ye shall fear every
parents’ wishes.
man his mother, and
his father…
One husband described how his
Leviticus 19:3
wife’s family was totally against his
marriage. With time, the young lady
developed a strange form of paraly-
sis. When she died, she left behind little children for her husband to take care of.
I remember sitting on the hospital bed of a dying twenty-five year old girl. Her father was
against her getting married but she had gone ahead and married without her father’s
knowledge. She had a rare and terrible cancer, which had spread all over. The disease was
so strange that it was only diagnosed fully at her post-mortem. She died in a horrible and
frightening way, which I have never forgotten. Throughout the ordeal, my mind was
constantly on how she had gone against her father’s wishes.
Truly, the curse of the father must be avoided at all costs.
Obey and flow in peace towards the fathers that God gives to you. They are given for your
good.
20
Day 13
Many Christians carry on doing
wrong things although we are
genuinely born again in our hearts.
That is why we need the Word of
reNewal God to renew our minds (Romans
12:2).
READ:
For instance, many Christians do
Ezekiel 36:25-28
not tithe simply because their minds
are polluted with wrong ideas. Some
The law of the LORD
think the pastors are using the offer-
is perfect, converting
the soul…making wise
ings for their extravagant lifestyles.
the simple.
However, every Christian who has
Psalm 19:7
his mind renewed will find himself
being transformed in the area of his
finances.
The real change we look for in
Christians comes through a renewal of the mind in the Word of God. It is actually the
renewing of our minds that brings about a visible transformation. If you read the Bible,
your mind will be renewed and your attitude will change. Transformation comes when the
mind is renewed. See your mind as a computer, which has to be programmed. Whatever
you feed into the mind is what will come out. Your mind will be cleaned and rid of the old
thoughts and ideas, as you receive the Word (John 15:3).
Your mind is also renewed by joining the right church and learning the right things. As
you receive the Word through your pastor, you will gradually experience a change in your
mind. That is why it is so important that you choose the right church to attend.
It is the renewed mind that will make you live out the new life. When people see the new
life, they will know that something real has happened to you!
21
Day 14
Aquiet time will show you that
there are two kinds of wisdom:
human cleverness and the wisdom
of God. A quiet time will also show
Quiet time you that human cleverness is a poor substitute for the wisdom of God. A
READ:
quiet time makes you move progres-
James 3:13-18
sively away from human cleverness
For the wisdom of
and towards the wisdom of God.
this world is foolish-
A quiet time introduces you to
ness with God. …He
real wisdom because you begin to
taketh the wise in
fear, respect and obey God (Psalm
their own craftiness.
111:10).
1 Corinthians 3:19
The quiet time is the key to God’s
wisdom and therefore to your pro-
motion. By having a quiet time you
exalt wisdom in your life and therefore bring yourself to honour: Proverbs 4:7, 8.
A quiet time is your key to wisdom and therefore your key to victory: Ecclesiastes 9:18.
A quiet time is your key to becoming wealthy because you have access to the wisdom of
God.
Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness.
That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.
Proverbs 8:18, 21
Have a daily quiet time and reap all these benefits!
22
Day 15
Aloyal person does not seek to
impress people. One dangerous
trait for leaders to have is a desire to
impress people.
right
This character trait a dangerous
aPProval thing because you cannot please everyone; you will end up hurting
some and pleasing the others. Min-
isters who cannot take hard deci-
READ:
John 5:31-47
sions because they want to make
everybody happy, end up destroying
…for if I yet pleased
their own churches.
men, I should not be
the servant of Christ.
Years ago, I had an assistant who
Galatians 1:10
was a very nice person. In the
course of time, some external min-
isters began to be inimical towards
my ministry. This pleasant brother tried to balance his loyalties between myself and the
external ministers. However, you cannot please everyone! There comes a time when you
must stand up for your conviction. A time came when I realised that his heart was not with
me. He could not please those other ministers and me. A time came when we had to go our
separate ways. You are not safe with a leader who tries to impress everyone.
A loyal person seeks only the approval of his leader. A loyal person knows that it is what
his father says that really matters.
Men may disapprove of you, but with God’s approval, you are going places. Every
minister must realize that it is God who opens certain doors and closes others. Seek the
approval of the One who really matters.
Human beings may rant and rave about you. They may say all sorts of evil things, but if
you have the approval of your Father, man, you are covered.
23
Day 16
The word “sacrifice” brings to us,
terrifying images of suffering
and loss. In fact, our human analysis
would rate sacrifice above obedience
obey
any day. On the contrary, God
makes it clear that “to obey is better
READ:
than to sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22).
Genesis 11:26-32;
12:1-9
The word “better” means
“greater, to be preferred, an im-
By faith Abraham
proved version, superior, enhanced,
…obeyed; and he went
more acceptable, more favourable,
out, not knowing
higher quality, augmented and more
whither he went.
desirable! The following reasons
Hebrews 11:8
will explain why obedience is a
greater thing compared to sacrifice.
It is greater to obey without fully
understanding, than it is to sacrifice. It is often not easy to understand the implications of
what you are doing. The reason why we do not understand is due to our stage of maturity
in the Lord. I believe we will never fully understand what God has asked us to do until we
begin to do it. Notice the Scripture, John 7:17. It shows us that it is when you do the will
of God that you know His will.
It is better to obey a command that you would not naturally do, than it is to sacrifice.
When the Lord directed me into the healing ministry, I did not fully understand the effect
that it would have on my ministry. Until then, I had operated mostly as a teacher and
preacher. Naturally speaking, I am a more calculating and logical person. It was not
natural for me to move by the Spirit or minister things that are spiritual. It is one of the
most difficult things I have ever done and I am ever grateful for people who helped me
cross that barrier.
24
Day 17
People who are Christians and yet
live different lifestyles in secret
are guilty of duality: A double stan-
dard life. It is the art of having two
two
personalities or two natures embod-
Faces
ied in one person.
A person manifests duality when
he has one lifestyle displayed in
READ:
public, and another one shown in
Romans 2:1-11
private. He exhibits one behaviour
…purify your hearts,
pattern in public to impress the
ye double minded.
people around. He shows another
James 4:8
behaviour secretly. For those who
claim to be Christians, one lifestyle
is displayed in church, and the other,
outside of church.
Duality encourages the spirit of hypocrisy, the spirit of lies and the spirit of self-deception.
There are some who are very nice in public, but extremely nasty at home. Their spouses
and children know them to be very impatient and abusive, but those outside the home see
them as the sweetest people on earth.
Many husbands have complained to me that they cannot help but notice the humility and
gentleness, which their wives reserve for their pastors and outsiders. This makes them feel
that their spouses respect and love their pastors more than their own husbands.
Such a wife or husband has a dual life. They have two different natures: the nasty nature,
which they display in private (usually those close to them have to endure it), and the nice
nature, which they display openly.
25
Day 18
The madman of Gadara was led
by demons to roam through
lonely mountains and graveyards.
This frightening scenario made the
Free From poor man cry constantly. You can Fear
see from this that demons love to
frighten their victims. Fear is a per-
vading sign of the presence of
READ:
demons (Mark 5:5).
Hebrews 2:14-18
In my opinion, the commonest
For God hath not
sign of demon activity is fear. The
given us the spirit of
pervading presence of demons is
fear; but of power, and
most easily noticed by the presence
of love, and of a
of fear. Most kinds of fear are of
sound mind.
demonic origin! Through fear, Satan
2 Timothy 1:7
is able to keep most people in
bondage.
When fear gets a hold of you, you become immobilized and unable to do the things God
tells you to do. Fear takes away strength! “What about if it doesn’t work? What about if
she dies? What about if he gets cancer? What about if she is barren?” There are many
things to fear. These fears paralyze you and make you unable to do the will of God. Go in
the opposite direction to where fear is leading you. That is how to overcome fear. Do the
opposite of your fears. I know that fear is an evil spirit. I must not be controlled by evil
spirits!
Traditionally, fear has not been labelled as a very evil thing.
It is seen more as a weakness that some are prone to. Do not be deceived dear friend; fear
is one of the highest kinds of demonic attacks anyone can experience. Fear has the power
to change completely the course of your life if you allow it. May the power of God set you
free from every evil spirit of fear!
26
Day 19
The word “husband” comes from
some Anglo-Saxon words,
which mean “house band”. This im-
plies a strip of metal (or rope) used
husbaNds to bind the house together. A husband therefore binds the home to-
gether in terms of its organisation
READ:
and control.
Ephesians 5:22-33
He is the head of the family
Likewise
ye
hus-
(1 Corinthians 11:3). As head of the
bands…giving honour
family, he is to exercise authority in
unto the wife, as unto
the weaker vessel …
bringing up the children. He must
show leadership by providing direc-
1 Peter 3:7
tion and guidance. Again, he ought
to show responsibility in decision-
making. He should not shirk it, so
that he can blame another when
things backfire. The man must rule his home spiritually, financially and socially. The man
is held responsible for anything that goes wrong in the home, e.g. divorce, rebellious
children, unhappy wife etc. When Adam and Eve sinned against God and He entered the
garden, He first called Adam and asked,
“Where are you?”
A husband ought to love his wife. He should give himself to her sacrificially, present her
back to himself; nourish, and cherish her (with the Word of God and physical things). It is
for his own good to nourish, cherish and beautify his wife. In that way, the man is
presenting the woman back to himself. He should let her feel loved, wanted and accepted -
make her feel happy at home (Ecclesiastes 9:9). He should also protect her, seeing she is a
weaker vessel.
27
2
Day 20
Divine healing is the healing that
comes from God. Many people
do not appreciate the complex prob-
lems of the human race, which need
touch oF the touch of God.
god
Jesus’ healing ministry specifi-
cally mentioned the healing of the
broken-hearted. To have a broken
READ:
heart is to suffer from deep disap-
Luke 4:14 -19
pointment; to have a devastating ex-
He healeth the broken
perience that leaves a person without
in heart, and bindeth
hope, faith or love. The Greek word
up their wounds.
for broken heart is santribo and it Psalm 147:3
means, “to be shattered”. Christ came into the world to save men
from their shattered dreams and
aspirations.
Many ladies are devastated by the twists and turns of unfaithful and lying men. God is
healing any disappointment you have. He is repairing your heart.
Sometimes you are just about to get a new job but for some reason you were not selected.
If you allow God to heal your disappointment, you will look back one day and thank God
for taking you through that trial.
He is also healing the hearts of all those who have lost their positions in life. When you
lose a position in life, this may affect your finances, your comforts and the quality of your
family life. God is healing the hearts of all such people.
Sin has an effect on our spiritual well-being. There are some people who can’t sleep
because of their sins. God also brings healing for all your mistakes (Psalm 41:4).
Divine healing covers all the aspects of healing.
28
Day 21
Observe from today’s Scripture,
that Hell has become the per-
manent address of many chief ones
and kings of the nations. This refers
doN’t go to kings, emperors, presidents, there!
statesmen, film stars, business ty-
coons - the high and mighty in the
society; the wealthy and the influen-
READ:
tial, the great leaders in history.
2 Peter 2:4-22
The well-known disregard for the
Hell…stirreth up the
things of God by many rich people,
dead for thee, even all
has over the centuries populated Hell
the chief ones of the
with them. This is not to say, of
earth…the kings of
the nations.
course, that there are no poor people
there. While the Bible makes it clear
Isaiah 14:9
that the poor are generally rich in
faith, not many noble people have
chosen the way to salvation. With all the comforts of affluence, the rich and powerful see
no need for God. No wonder Jesus said the rich would find it hard to get to Heaven,
because of the deceitfulness of riches.
And, while we hold state funerals for them and erect mon-uments in their honour, the old-
timers of Hell will be saying to the newcomers: “Art thou become like unto us?” (Isaiah
14:10).
I have to say this, that those who are far from God in this life, will still be far from God
after death. Unfortunately, our glowing tributes will not change their destination. Neither
can their wealth or their achievements buy them a place in Heaven.
It should not be surprising then, that Hell’s roll call will sound like a “Who’s Who” of the
rich and famous. A “big shot” society indeed!
29
Day 22
This Scripture (Matthew 25:21)
outlines two important bless-
ings that follow loyal or faithful peo-
ple.
rewards
The first blessing of faithfulness
oF loyalty is growth. Loyal people receive an increase (many things) from the
Lord. As you pray for growth in
READ:
your church and ministry, remember
Matthew 24:45-51
that loyalty is the master key to ex-
…Well done, thou
pansion. Loyalty makes you persist
good and faithful ser-
in the same thing until it bears fruit.
vant: thou hast been
A closer look will reveal that
faithful over a few
things…
there are some common denomina-
Matthew 25:21
tors in every large church. Almost
all large churches are led by pastors
who have remained faithful to the same church for a long time.
When pastors move around every few years, they do not experience consistent growth.
Ask God for the privilege of investing your entire life in one location.
I am in the ministry for the rest of my life. My commitment to the people around me is a
lifetime commitment and vice versa. I am loyal to them and I pray that they will be loyal
to me. The blessing of largeness is reserved for faithful and loyal people.
The second blessing of faithfulness is entering the joy of the Lord. Loyal people
experience the favour of God. When the favour of God is upon you, your enemies will not
flourish around you (Psalm 41:11). Be a loyal person so that you can have great growth in
your business or ministry. Be a loyal person so that you can have God’s favour over all
that you set your hand to do.
30
Day 23
You must be fully convinced in
your heart about anything in
which you are involved. To be a
committed member of a ministry
coNvictioN team requires what I call full persua-READ:
sion. If you are going to be loyal to
Acts 24:5-16
me, you will have to be sure about
me. Am I somebody you can trust?
…for I know whom I
Am I somebody who is what he
have believed, and am
claims to be?
persuaded that he is
able to keep that
In Acts 24:5, Paul was accused of
which I have commit-
being: “…a ringleader of the sect. .”
ted unto him…
(King James Version), “…a source of
2 Timothy 1:12
mischief. .” (New Testament in Mod-
ern Speech), “…a veritable plague. .”
(Berkeley Version of the New Tes-
tament), “. .a public pest. .” (Twenti-
eth Century New Testament), “…a disturber of the peace. .”
(Weymouth translation).
Anyone working with Paul would have to be fully persuaded about his character. Was
there any truth in any of these terrible accusations? The answer is no. It is important to
establish in your heart all the facts about the ministry or person with whom you’re
working. Be fully persuaded so that when the accusations, trials and tests come, you will
be able to remain faithful.
Find out the truth behind every rumour. You see, in the normal experience of ministry
there will be numerous accusations and rumours about every man of God. If you have
many questions in your mind, you will not be a loyal member of a ministry. Answer the
questions for yourself or leave.
31
Day 24
Jesus is saying here that you and I
cannot bear fruit, except we abide
in Him. This means, to stay, to be
planted, to be resident; to remain in
remaiN
Christ and to continue in the things
rooted
of God.
You see, you have to abide in the
Read:
same place for some time in order to
Psalm 92:12-15
become productive in that very place.
After all, every tree has to be nur-
…He that abideth in
tured over a period until it can bear
me, and I in him, the
same bringeth forth
fruits on its own. No mango tree can
much fruit: for with-
bear fruits after just one year.
out me ye can do
For example, many of the pastors
nothing.
and elders in our church have been
John 15:5
abiding here for a long time - abiding
Christians who have developed into fruitful leaders. It is only by staying here to be
watered and tended, that they have grown to become useful in this very place. However,
many Christians do not allow themselves to get to this point, because whenever they are
planted, they uproot themselves. A tree that is often transplanted will never, ever grow to
its full, fruit-bearing potential.
Are you having problems trying to affect your peers? Just keep at it. Continue in the good
work. With time, they will begin to respond. This is because you get stronger and stronger
as you abide.
Dear Christian, God wants you to have a restful spirit. Be stable in church. Be permanent,
abide. Make a quality decision to be planted in a Spirit-filled, Bible-believing church.
Then decide to remain rooted until your fruits begin to show.
32
Day 25
It is important not to go to the top
alone. If you go up there alone
you will become isolated. You will
be the only one who has prospered
shariNg and has tasted the fruits of success.
Here are three reasons why you
READ:
must take everyone to the top with
Acts 4:32-35
you:
Let us therefore fol-
First, to avoid isolation. When
low after the …things
you are isolated, you are lonely and
wherewith one may
have no one with whom to share
edify another.
your joys. Joy shared is double joy
Romans 14:19
and sorrow shared is half-sorrow. I
am glad I have people to share my
nice things with. I can speak freely
about God’s blessings on my life be-
cause I am not the only one who is
blessed. The people around me can relate to those blessings because they experience them
as well.
Jesus took His disciples to nice places like weddings (John 2:2). He didn’t just take them
to the synagogues, prayer meetings, the garden of Gethsemane or Great Commission staff
meetings.
The second reason is to avoid becoming an easy target.
When you are isolated at the top, you become an easy target.
You are easy to spot because you are the only one who has certain benefits.
The third reason to consider is this: When you are the only one at the top, you are
surrounded by desperate people. Desperate people are dangerous and could harm you at
any time.
They will try to pull you down to their level of frustration.
However, if you are all at the top, they can only pull you side-ways and not downwards.
33
Day 26
If your eyes were opened spiritu-
ally, you would suddenly see mil-
lions of people in spiritual captivity.
They are captive to demon powers
liberty that are loose on this earth.
Our duty as Ministers is to
weaken the grip of these demonic
READ:
Revelation 20:1-10
powers over the souls on this earth.
At best, our spiritual warfare can dis-
(for the weapons of
lodge, displace or temporarily relo-
our warfare are not
cate demonic forces so that God’s
carnal, but mighty
kingdom can gain ascendancy for a
through God…
season. Satan has a lease period that
2 Corinthians 10:4
he is exploiting to the fullest. He re-
minded Jesus that he had a lease and
a right to be around. He reminded
Jesus that it was not yet time to be
put out of the earth: Matthew 8:29.
A time will come when Satan will be permanently removed from the earth. That job will
be done by a mighty angel from Heaven. Our duty is just to weaken the stronghold so that
some captives can escape. We can weaken the stronghold of the devil by prayer. When this
grip is weakened, the captives will walk away in freedom. Our greatest weapon is prayer.
That is why nothing happens when there is no prayer. That is why a lot happens when
people pray! That is why the devil is doing everything to prevent you from praying.
Because the devil knows that we have no weapons in the natural, he often tries to keep us
operating in the natural realm.
What a mistake it is to function mainly in the natural; a realm where we are unarmed and
“weaponless”! May the Lord open your eyes to understand this revelation of prayer!
34
Day 27
God is trying to show you that
you need the anointing. It is
only when you are anointed that
your ministry will begin to make a
a giFt
difference to the lost masses of hu-
manity.
READ:
The prophet Ezekiel experienced
Ezekiel 2:1-5;
22-24
the anointing entering his life one
day. Ezekiel sensed that the power
While Peter yet spake
and the anointing of the Spirit had
these words, the Holy
entered into him whilst he was lis-
Ghost fell on all them
tening to the Word.
which heard the word.
Acts 10:44
And the spirit entered into me when he
spake unto me…
Ezekiel 2:2
Ezekiel said very clearly in this
Scripture that the Holy Spirit entered into him when he was being spoken to. Peter, the
apostle, also noticed this phenomenon. He noticed that the power of the Holy Spirit fell on
people as he preached. Do you remember when Peter was preaching to the Gentiles? The
Bible says that as he ministered the Word, the Spirit of God fell on the people.
While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
Acts 10:44
If the gift of the Holy Spirit could fall on people whilst Peter was preaching, then surely
the gift of the Holy Spirit can fall on you when any other anointed man of God is
preaching.
This is simple logic.
35
Day 28
Do you want to be a fruitful Chris-
tian? Then you must engage in
the activity that makes you fruitful:
witnessing, teaching, helping and get-
good yield ting active in the things of God!
Some people say, “But Pastor, I’m
READ:
the quiet type, I don’t want any trou-
John 14:10-12
ble. I just prefer to mind my own
business.”
Abide in me, and I in
you. As the branch
With such excuses we remain to-
cannot bear fruit of
tally idle in a vineyard that is ripe for
itself, except it abide
the harvest. So how can we switch
in the vine; no more
from being mere spectators to active
can ye, except ye abide
participants?
in me.
John 15:4
Fallow ground is that which has
been left dormant. Idle! Untouched!
Unused! In Hosea 10:12, the Lord tells us to break up (cultivate) our fallow ground. That
is, to utilize our untapped potential. Today there are a lot of genuine, but dormant
Christians in the Church. They are gifted with talents, which can enable them to perform
even better than those who are already engaged in serving the Lord.
However, they simply do nothing, while a few labourers do their best to fulfil the Great
Commission. I am convinced by the Word that many are called. Every single Christian has
a role to play and until you get involved to the point where you are actually bearing fruit,
you cannot call yourself an active Christian.
Your regular Christian activity will yield results, and your fruits will definitely begin to
show.
Church of God, it is time to grow up! It is time to show by our fruits, that we are mature.
36
Day 29
Be careful how you criticize your
daddy because the devils that
fought your daddy will one day fight
you. They are just waiting for you
dad’s
to grow up. Whether you like it or
devil
not, one day, you will have to fight
“your daddy’s devil”.
One man of God said to me,
READ:
“People want to retire me! They
2 Samuel 1:1-16
want me to be removed from my po-
Judge not, that ye be
sition in this nation. They think I
not judged. For with
have too many problems.” He said
what judgment ye
something I will not easily forget:
judge, ye shall be
“When I am gone, the ‘thing’ that
judged…
was fighting me will begin to fight
Matthew 7:1-2
them.”
Many sons have had to swallow their words as they walked into their father’s footsteps
and made his exact mistakes.
Notice how this happened with Abraham, Isaac, David, Solomon and Amnon.
Daddy Abraham disowned his wife and his son Isaac did the same (Genesis 20:1-2;
Genesis 26:6-7).
Daddy David had problems with women and marriage and so did his sons Absalom,
Solomon and Amnon (2 Samuel 11:2-4; 2 Samuel 16:22; 1 Kings 11:2-3).
This is an eternal principle and you will be wiser if you grow up and understand it quickly.
Refrain from criticizing your fathers, and save yourself.
37
Day 30
At the beginning of Jesus’ min-
istry, He announced that, the
Spirit of the Lord was upon Him to
heal the broken-hearted. This
be healed! proved that He was a healing Jesus: Luke 4:18-19.
READ:
Jesus did not only preach and
Luke 11:14-23
teach. Healing was a major part of
Jesus Christ the same
His activities here on earth.
yesterday, and to day,
. .and healing all that were oppressed of
and for ever.
the devil; for God was with him.
Hebrews 13:8
Acts 10:38
The preaching of the kingdom of
God must always be accompanied by
healing. Healing is the evidence that
a new kingdom has come. When
people asked Jesus about the kingdom, He said that healing was the evidence that God’s
kingdom had come (Luke11:10).
The Bible says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
Being the same comes from doing the same things repeatedly. If Jesus is the same today,
then He cares for women with gynaecological problems today as He cared for them then.
If He was sorry about people dying before their time and was moved with compassion to
raise a woman’s son from the dead, He still has that compassion for such situations today.
Today, He is still moved with compassion to raise up every dead thing in your life. God
still brings you healing through the preaching and teaching of His Word.
He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
Psalm 107:20
38
Day 31
Excellence is the attainment of
the highest level of quality and
perfection. Being excellent means
becoming a person of distinction. A
excelleNce true leader is someone who wants to distinguish himself in his field.
READ:
And the LORD shall make thee the
1 Thessalonians
4:11-12
head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be
above only, and thou shalt not be beneath;
Seest thou a man dili-
if that thou hearken unto the command-
gent in his business?
ments of the LORD thy God, which I
he shall stand before
kings; he shall not
command thee this day, to observe and to
stand before mean
do them:
men.
Deuteronomy 28:13
Proverbs 22:29
God had plans for His people to
attain the highest levels of excel-
lence. That is why He said you would be above only. Excellence is not an accident. It is
something you must strive for.
If you want to work for eight hours a day, you are not likely to achieve distinction in this
life. People who distinguish themselves in this life often work for more than sixty hours a
week.
Excellence in ministry, government or business does not come by osmosis. It comes by
diligence.
To become excellent you must emulate excellent people.
Life is too short to discover everything yourself. Life is too short not to learn from your
fathers and seniors. Excellence in the practice of medicine has been achieved by
constantly building upon what our predecessors have learnt.
Be humble and depend upon the discoveries of others. God does not want you to be
mediocre. Insist on the highest standards. Decide today for excellence. Read the books
that excellent people have written. Listen to the audio recordings.
Excellence is yours for the taking!
39
Day 32
The importance of the Word of
God seems to fade as we carry
on in disobedience. Very soon, that
which is more important than any-
breakiNg thing else becomes despised and ir-rules
relevant.
Today, I minister under the
anointing and many respect me for
READ:
the ministry. But if I had not obeyed
Jeremiah 7:21-28
God when I did, I may have lived out
O that…they would
my life normally as a medical doctor.
fear me, and keep all
Discussions about the call of God
my commandments al-
would have seemed insignificant and
ways…
irrelevant. I would have said to my
Deuteronomy 5:29
friends, ” Did you know that I once
wanted to be a pastor? When we
were younger, we were over-spiritual
and impractical.”
Have you never met grown-ups who said they were origi-nally lined up for priesthood? In
their old age they try to compensate for their disobedience through their children. I know a
man who tried to force one of his children to become a priest.
He said to his son, “God called me to be a priest but I didn’t do it. You become that priest
and I will give you property and money so that you lack nothing.” At the end of their lives
they desperately want to compensate for a life of non-compli-ance and non-cooperation
with God.
Dear friend, I can assure you that the longer you walk in your own ways the more distant
and unrealistic the commands of God will seem. There is good reason for doing first
things first - it saves you from deception. God will take care of you and be with you as
you flow in His will.
40
Day 33
One of the reasons why poverty
is a curse is because the poor
man has few friends or relatives
(Proverbs 14:10).
liberatioN
Another reason why poverty
must be a curse is that poor people
READ:
are dominated and ruled by rich peo-
Ecclesiastes
9:13-18
ple. There is nothing that poor na-
tions dominated by the rich western
Wisdom is the princi-
nations can do, except to complain in
pal thing…she shall
futility.
bring thee to honour,
when thou dost em-
Poverty makes people disregard
brace her.
you. A poor man may have much
Proverbs 4:7, 8
wisdom, but his wisdom is despised.
Although wealth and riches should
not be a yardstick for developing re-
lationships, that is often the case. The rich have no real interest in the poor. The world, and
even the Church, is truly polarized into the rich and the poor.
You can overcome every curse of poverty through the blood of Jesus. The truth of God’s
Word is what will liberate you from every curse and frustration. There is a law of reward
for hard work that teaches that whatsoever a man sows, that shall he reap. If you work
hard, the law will be fulfilled and you will reap the blessings of prosperity.
As you study the Word, God will give you wisdom to escape from the curse of poverty.
Wisdom shall promote and establish you in unbeatable blessings! I see the curse of
poverty breaking in your life right now!
41
Day 34
Jesus told a parable about a certain
noble man who made a vineyard
for some people and when he wanted
fruit from his vineyard, he could not
coNNectiNg get any. His people were all beaten and sent away.
READ:
This is what happens in the
Matthew 21:33-39
church. When God sends people
Take my yoke upon
into our lives, we cannot receive
you, and learn of me;
from them because we are not able to
for I am meek and
humble ourselves. It is only because
lowly in heart: and ye
Jesus humbled Himself before John
shall find rest unto
your souls.
the Baptist that God anointed Him.
That was the hour that the Holy
Matthew 11:29
Ghost descended. That was the
anointing.
The absence of humility is the reason that many of us are not blessed. We’re expecting
somebody to come from somewhere to be a blessing to us. We must humble ourselves to
receive from the people that God sends to us. If you need electricity in your home, you do
not have to go to the dam to tap from the source. People will think you are mad.
That’s what the Lord is asking you. Is there no pastor in your church? Is there no man of
God in your land? Why do you want to come to me directly for the anointing? The
anointing is right there. The socket is right here. Connect and receive your blessing! I see
you becoming connected to power!
God is sending you power. He’s sending you something higher than electric power.
Humble yourself and receive it.
God will raise you up and bless you in the ministry. He will bless you in life when you
learn to humble yourself.
42
Day 35
There are physical manifesta-
tions of the presence of evil
spirits. Some cause an accentuation
of lustful behaviour in people; they
wiles
are trapped in extreme lustful and
immoral behaviour. An unnatural
READ:
desire and practice of sexuality leads
Revelation 18:1-10
them into all kinds of experiences.
Put on the whole ar-
The prophets bewailed Babylon
mour of God, that ye
because she had become the habita-
may be able to stand
tion of evil spirits. As a result, she
against the wiles of
committed fornication, lived deli-
the devil.
ciously, and glorified herself. Baby-
Ephesians 6:10-11
lon is described as a hold for every
unclean bird. It is described as a
woman who has become the habita-
tion of foul spirits.
But how did these evil spirits come into her in the first place? The Bible gives us the
answer: because many people drank from the wine of her fornication. Evil spirits inhabit
men and women who give themselves over to fornication with multiple partners (the
nations). These evil spirits inhabit the individuals and cause them to live deliciously
(immorally) for a season of their lives. Often when these individuals become older and
less sexually active, the evil spirits leave them for younger candidates. Many would never
reveal the depths of depravity to which these lustful spirits have taken them.
Dear Christian friend, evil spirits do have an effect on your physical body. They may
influence you to indulge in fleshly sins or to be violent. Evil spirits may also cause strange
illnesses to fasten themselves onto a believer. The time of ignorance is past. We are no
longer ignorant of the wiles of the devil.
43
Day 36
Women do not have to live a life
of unhappiness, depression
and misery just because of the desire
for a husband. It is not true that
gaiN
women are hopelessly condemned to
coNtrol a state of unhappiness because of the Adamic curse.
Yes, it is true that the curse ex-
READ:
plains a lot to us. Nevertheless, there
Proverbs 1:2-7
is hope! The good news is that a
…Behold, the fear of
woman with direction can gain the
the Lord, that is wis-
mastery over the frustrations she
dom; and to depart
finds in this world. There are two
from evil is under-
keys that make a woman gain the
standing.
mastery over these difficulties: the
Job 28:28
power of God and the wisdom of
God (1 Corinthians 1:24).
How does one get wisdom? First, by praying for it: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him
ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him”
(James 1:5). Secondly, by studying the Word. The closer you get to God, the more wisdom
you will have: “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians
2:3).
Again, how does one receive the power of God? The power of God is the grace of God.
God’s grace is sufficient for every situation. God will lift you up by His power. There are
some things that God wants to do for you, but how can you get this grace that you need?
The answer is, through humility. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift
you up.
…for God. .giveth grace to the humble.
1 Peter 5:5
44
Day 37
Remember that it was no other
person than Judas Iscariot who
criticized the woman with the al-
abaster box.
aNti-
This woman poured out her ex-
sacriFice pensive perfume on Jesus. It was the most valuable thing she had.
Women know what their hair means
READ:
to them. A woman’s hair symbolizes
John 12:1-8
her beauty. Mary sacrificed her
I beseech you there-
beauty and her valuable things for
fore…present
your
Jesus.
bodies a living sacri-
fice, holy, acceptable
It is true that this woman had
unto God…
been living in sin. However, she
Romans 12:1
gave what was most precious to her
- her hair, her perfume and her tears
to Jesus. But Judas Iscariot, the honourable treasurer of the team (your treasurer is usually
the most trusted person in the organization) didn’t like it. Even though it wasn’t his
alabaster box, his life or his hair that were being sacrificed, he was against it.
The appearances of people, who are antichrist or anti-sacrifice, can be very deceptive. The
anti-sacrifice, anti-give-up-everything, anti-do-a-lot, anti-give-a-lot spirit is the spirit of
the Antichrist. These people often present themselves as being very decent, very logical,
very organized, and dignified. But it is still the spirit of the Antichrist.
45
Day 38
Asurvivor must continue to exist
or function in spite of adverse
conditions. We are in a battle with a
real enemy. The conditions are not
survival good. Satan is the god of this world and in a sense, we are on his turf.
READ:
Every survivor must come through
Hebrews 10:32-38
and pull through.
We are troubled on
Every survivor must carry on and
every side, yet not dis-
carry through. Every survivor must
tressed;…perplexed,
continue. I also have been through
but not in despair;
a lot. After I had preached in one
Persecuted, but not
forsaken; cast down,
church, the pastor told me, “It seems
but not destroyed;
you have been through hell.” Cer-
2 Corinthians 4:8-9
tainly, but I am still around; I have
survived!
Real leaders often come under extreme and varied pressures because they are in the front
line of the battle with the enemy.
They receive all the blows and face constant pressure. Some people break down under
pressure. If you cannot stand pressure, then you cannot be a leader. Develop a hard
forehead. Do not go mad. God told Ezekiel not to be afraid of the people’s faces. Be
harder than everything that comes against you.
Confess boldly, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Say aloud, “I am
able, more than able, to prevail and to win this battle. Though a thousand fall at my side
and ten thousand at my left hand, I shall survive. I am a survivor in the name of Jesus.
God will strengthen and keep me in all my ways!”
46
Day 39
Aim for your followers to do well
spiritually. Your desire should
be for the people you lead to prosper
spiritually (3 John 4).
others
Aim for your followers to do well
financially. I have a strong desire for
READ:
the people who follow me to do well
Galatians 6:1-10
financially. It is my vision that
Iron sharpeneth iron;
everyone who works in my organi-
so a man sharpeneth
zation should have his own house,
the countenance of
more cars than they need and
his friend.
enough money. This vision is
Proverbs 27:17
steadily coming to pass. A leader is
someone who thinks about others.
Jesus thought about the financial
state of His followers. He wanted
them to have houses, lands and
enough money. Many people don’t know that Jesus actually promised that His followers
would have these things (Mark 10:29, 30).
Aim for your followers to be physically, socially and maritally healthy (John 16:23,24).
As a good leader, Jesus wanted the joy of His followers to be full. He wanted them to be
happy in every aspect of their lives.
Aim for your followers to fulfil their Ministry (2 Timothy 4:5). My greatest passion is to
see the ones I have raised up fulfilling their ministries. Every father wants his sons and
daughters to fulfil their ministry.
If you are a leader, your vision and passion is not for yourself but for the ones you lead.
47
Day 40
This Scripture tells us the types
of prayers we must pray, and
whom we must pray for. It tells us
to pray for all men and specifically
Pray
for leaders: Heads of State and any-
one who has some form of authority
READ:
over our lives. This prayer formula
1 Timothy 2:1-8
does not teach us to curse our lead-
If my people…shall
ers or to wish them evil.
humble themselves,
There are four types of prayers
and pray…then will I
we are to offer for each person who
hearfrom heaven, and
is in authority: supplications,
will forgive their sin,
and will heal their
prayers, intercessions and giving of
land.
thanks. We are to take each leader
2 Chronicles 7:1
and pray that God would supply
their needs. We are to thank God for
their lives. We are to pray generally
for them. Finally, we are to intercede for them.
Anyone who prays this “Timothian” prayer will experience four blessings from the Lord.
You will experience a quiet life, a peaceful life, a godly life and an honest life. Whoever
you are, this prayer formula can apply to you. There is someone, who has some form of
authority over your life.
There are three main reasons why we need to pray for those in authority. First, we have to
pray that the decisions of the nation will not be based on selfish and political desires only.
The second reason is that the nature of all men is to grab and take as much as they can. We
have to pray against corruption.
When a leader loves the nation, he will build the nation and not his personal wealth.
Thirdly, we must pray for peace and freedom so that we may go about our Christian duties
without any hindrance.
48
Day 41
Under the ministry of Jesus, sev-
eral people experienced per-
sonal breakthroughs. Why did they
receive these miracles?
Faith
Ten lepers were healed and only
PeoPle
one came back to say “thank you”.
Jesus said these same words to him:
“Arise, go thy way: Thy faith hath
READ:
made thee whole” (Luke 17:19).
Luke 17:11-19
Blind Bartimaeus received his
Hitherto have ye
sight miraculously. He was a noisy
asked nothing in my
fellow who disturbed the “service”.
name: ask, and ye shall
receive, that your joy
But Jesus took notice of him and
may be full.
healed him. His secret was faith in
John 16:24
God (Mark 10:52)!
The sinful woman who poured an
alabaster box of ointment on Jesus’ feet also received a miracle of forgiveness. Jesus said
to the woman: “…thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace” (Luke 7:50).
Two blind men came to Jesus and asked for the mercy of God. Jesus touched them and
healed them. His words to these two men were: “…According to your faith be it unto you”
(Matthew 9:29).
The people’s faith impressed Jesus, and brought the breakthrough. That is why the Bible
says that without faith it is impossible to please God. When you believe that you have
received, you please God. Many Christians just beg and cry in a spirit of hopelessness.
God is not against crying. But He is against faithless weeping.
From today, I want you to believe that you have received what you are asking for. Trust
God, He wants to give you the desires of your heart.
49
Day 42
The Bible is the written Word of
God. It is a specific revelation
to man. It reveals the nature of God
to man. It explains the origin of
bible Facts man. It gives meaning to man’s existence on earth. It reveals the fu-
READ:
ture destiny of all creation. Above
Deuteronomy
all, it reveals God’s merciful plan of
17:15-20
redemption to us (Hebrews 1:1, 2).
For…holy men of God
The Gospel is the good news of
spake as they were
Christ’s saving power for us. The
moved by the Holy
Ghost.
Bible is the only book that shows
how man can be saved (Romans
2 Peter 1:21
1:16).
The Bible is authoritative and
final. The Bible is not a discussion
of ideas and theories. It is an authoritative declaration of the facts. The truths that are
expounded are awesome and non-negotiable. The aura surrounding the Bible is partly due
to its authoritative and irrevocable truths (Hebrews 2:1-4).
The Word of God is inspired divinely. This is what differ-entiates the Bible from every
other book. The Bible claims to have inspiration and motivation from God. In other words,
it was virtually written by God through the hands of mortal men (2 Timothy 3:16).
The Word of God is powerful and searching. How true this is! Thousands of people are
converted when the simple truths of the Bible are shared. I was changed by the Word of
God when I encountered it (Hebrews 4:12).
The Word of God is God’s method for man’s prosperity and abundant life. God’s method
for prosperity is not by clever ideas and human tricks. It is through His Word (Joshua 1:8).
50
Day 43
The healing ministry is a “sign”
ministry. A sign indicates or
shows the presence of something.
Healing is the sign that the kingdom
a sigN
of Heaven has come. Jesus dealt
with everything of the old regime.
He dealt with demons, epilepsy and
READ:
incurable diseases. He raised the
Mark 5:22-42
dead three times to demonstrate that
And these signs shall
the old regime was gone and a new
follow them that be-
one had come!
lieve; In my name shall
they cast out devils;
Jesus performed three miracles of
they shall speak with
the kingdom of God in today’s
new tongues…
Scripture passage.
Mark 16:17-18
i. He used the gift of faith to
command the spirit of Jairus’ daugh-
ter to come back from the dead.
God can take you from irreversible circumstances and bring you back to a place of
blessing. The things people said would never work will work in your life in Jesus’ name!
ii. He used the gift of the working of miracles.
Every decomposed tissue in the girl’s body was miraculously re-composed in this miracle.
What a marvelous kingdom we belong to!
iii. He used the gift of healing.
Her heart started to work again. Her blood, which was clot-ting, started to flow normally;
her brain cells were revived and she was cured of whatever disease had killed her!
All these three miracles are available for you today if you believe in the Lord Jesus. Your
life will never be the same again, because a new regime has come!
51
Day 44
Foolish talking is simply the talk
of a fool. A fool says all that he
is thinking, but wise people learn to
say what is appropriate in every
wise or situation. Foolish speaking can cost Foolish? you your life.
Remember the story of Joseph in
the Bible. He made the mistake of
READ:
blurting out all of the vision and
Ephesians 5:1-4
plan of God at the wrong time, and
But shun profane and
more particularly, to the wrong peo-
vain babblings: for
ple (Genesis 37:5). This foolish talk
they will increase unto
led to his kidnap. There are things
more ungodliness.
God reveals that you must not tell
2 Timothy 2:16
anyone. Keep them in your heart.
At the right time they will come to
pass.
There are other forms of foolish talking. One common type is the endless chitchat of some
ladies. In the multitude of chatting you are likely to say something wrong; you are likely
to speak a wrong word and sin (Ecclesiastes 5:7).
Another form of foolish speaking I want to consider is speaking without giving glory to
God. We must be careful to give glory to God and acknowledge Him in all that we say. I
remember the story of a man who escaped from an earthquake in San Francisco. In a
television interview, he foolishly attributed his narrow escape to his strong will power,
instead of giving glory to God. A week later, he died of a sudden heart attack (Ecclesiastes
8:8).
Let us be careful to give God the glory for the things He does for us. Foolish and empty
talk only reveals our emptiness and ignorance.
52
Day 45
The Bible is replete with in-
stances when the Holy Spirit
became “visible” (shown, demon-
strated, manifested) to believers.
sPecial
The Holy Spirit becomes visible to
teacher the average Christian through the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit.
His principal job is to teach and
READ:
guide the Church. Every time you
2 Peter 1:2-8
are in the presence of the teaching
But…the Holy Ghost,
anointing, you must acknowledge
whom the Father will
the great presence of the Holy
send in my name, he
Spirit. When you read your Bible
shall teach you all
and begin to have deep revelation in
things…
the Word, the Holy Spirit is being
John 14:26
manifest.
The primary way God makes
Himself visible and relevant to us according to the above verse is, “to teach you all
things”. When Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to believers, He was promising a teacher.
You do not know the Holy Spirit if you do not know him as a teacher. The Holy Spirit
brings two essential rewards to you through the teaching of God’s Word. 2 Peter chapter 1,
verse 3 says that God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness.
When the Holy Spirit becomes a teacher to you, first, He will give you all things that
pertain unto life! What are the things that pertain to life? The things that pertain to life are
money, cars, clothes, houses, healing, good jobs, wife, children, health, education, long
life, prosperity, peace, joy in the Holy Ghost, knowledge, wisdom, good pastors, friends,
etc.
The second essential reward of the Holy Spirit when He teaches you the Word of God is
that He gives you all things that pertain unto godliness!
53
Day 46
To be able to make people carry
out your wishes even when you
are not present with them is an art
every leader must master. Without
clues
this ability, you cannot lead many
people. After all, how many people
READ:
are going to remain in your presence
Ephesians 6:5-8
all the time?
But it is good to be
Consider these keys to make peo-
zealously affected al-
ple obey you when you are not pres-
ways in a good thing,
ent.
and not only when I
am present with you.
Teach about the need for loyalty.
Galatians 4:18
When people are loyal to you, they
love you and try to do what you
want, even when you are away from
them. In addition, teach people that
they are dealing with God and not with man. God is everywhere and sees everything we
do. When people are aware of this, they will try to live in the right way.
Teach people that they will be promoted directly by God and not by man. When they
understand that God is the one who will bless them, their attitude will be the same whether
you are in or out of their presence. You must train your staff to understand that promotion
does come from God (Psalm 75:6). They will not need to see you to be motivated. They
know that the eyes of the Lord are everywhere.
As soon as you get a revelation of the fact that you are dealing with God, your life will
change forever. If you want people to follow you and obey you, even when you cannot see
them, teach them this great principle: It is God you are dealing with (Hebrews 4:13).
Become a leader who is obeyed whether seen or not seen.
54
Day 47
There are many references in the
Bible regarding the importance
of money (Ecclesiastes 7:12, Eccle-
siastes 10:19, Haggai 2:8). However,
moNey
the Bible also warns us about covet-
ing after money, which is the root of
READ:
all evil. Money is important for
Philippians 4:11-19
every venture. As long as we live in
For the love of money
this world, it is indispensable.
is the root of all evil:
You need to manage your finances
which while some cov-
properly by budgeting. These areas
eted after, they have
can guide you: Put God first (tithes,
erred from the faith…
offerings); have some savings or in-
1 Timothy 6:10
vestment; address your needs, not
your wants; attend to your liabili-
ties/obligations (debts, bills, remit-
tances, blessing others); keep extra
money for miscellaneous needs to afford for flexibility.
Spouses must mutually agree upon the use of housekeeping money. The husband must be
realistic when disbursing housekeeping money and the wife must not be prodigal in her
spending. Headship of the home extends to finances as well. No matter who earns more,
the man must rule the finances of the home with wisdom and fairness. He must have a
clear vision to better the lot of the family, e.g. plans to own a house some-day. As a
financial head, he must avoid stinginess and irrespon-sibility.
Lack of money must not be a permanent situation in the home. It is important to be
mindful of the potential problems associated with lack of money, such as tension, quarrels,
mistrust and suspicion. Know also the dangers of covetousness and comparison. Do not
compare yourself with any other family. Be realistic.
55
Day 48
Ihave discovered that my church
members become energized when
they get involved in soul winning.
Soul winning leads to church
wiNNiNg growth.
souls
When your church members are
engaged in fruitful activities, they
have no time for petty quarrels that
READ:
bring divisions. Pastors must teach
Ephesians 4:11-13
their church members that a soul is
…and ye shall be wit-
a soul, and is precious to God. When
nesses unto me…
church members are conscious of
Acts 1:8
the souls that need to be won, their
priorities become biblical priorities.
Church splits and divisions are
avoided. When too many Christians
are in one place doing nothing, it
often generates hurts, quarrels and wounds.
Some years ago, I had a vision. In this vision, I saw a human heart covered with blood.
The heart was beating. God impressed upon my heart that day that the heartcry of Jesus
Christ is the harvesting of souls. Jesus did not leave His throne for nothing! He came into
this world to save sinners (Luke 19:10). When you win souls, you generate divine support
for all that you are doing. As you read the Bible, you will discover that soul winning
generates heavenly joy. There is a heavenly response to each soul won for the Lord (Luke
15:7, 10).
Did you know that divine protection is made available for all who take part in doing God’s
will? God says He will keep and protect you because you have set your love on Him
(Psalm 91:14-16). Be a soul-winner today.
56
Day 49
Humanly speaking, if you seek
the financial kingdom, finances
may be added to you. That is not
God’s wisdom. If you want to expe-
buildiNg rience divine provision, you must seek the kingdom of God first and
READ:
things will be supernaturally added
Haggai 1:2-14
to your life.
But seek ye first the
Very few people actually invest in
kingdom of God, and
the kingdom of God. They build
his righteousness; and
their own lives and give God the
all these things shall
pennies and the change. Listen to
be added unto you.
me dear friend. When you build
Matthew 6:33
God’s kingdom, it causes you to have
His hand on your little kingdom.
There are two main ways we can
contribute to building God’s kingdom. You can contribute spiritually. Secondly, you can
actually build the kingdom of God by physical means. Spiritually building the kingdom of
God involves praying, fasting, preaching, counselling and witnessing. Physically building
the kingdom of God involves using your money to construct chapels and other buildings
for the glory of God.
If you study this passage in the book of Haggai, you will notice that the Lord was
concerned about the physical construction of his house. It is true that the church is
essentially a spiritual thing. But without the buildings, we have nowhere to assemble and
to worship. God wants churches to have their own beautiful buildings.
That is why God blesses people who help to build His church. Do you want God’s eyes to
be on you? Then build His kingdom.
57
Day 50
Deception is, believing in some-
thing that is not true.
The deception of Eve reveals
Fight
much about the state of women.
They more easily believe and they
decePtioN! are more easily deceived. The apostle Paul used this point (of the
woman often being deceived) to em-
READ:
phasize why they are not to be in
1 Timothy 2:8-15
leadership. Every woman must
…And the woman said,
humbly accept this fact of being
The serpent beguiled
more easily open to deception.
me, and I did eat.
It is truly amazing that those who
Genesis 3:13
more easily receive and believe are
also more easily deceived. Many
women are more spiritual than their
husbands. They believe in God and flow with the Spirit much more quickly. It is difficult
to see how such spiritual beings could also be open to deception.
Accepting this reality in humility will attract the grace of God to your life. God will save
you from deception and keep you on the path of righteousness.
Satan hates women. The devil is working to destroy the entire human race, but there is a
special hatred he has for women; they are his special targets (Genesis 3:15). This is why
women seem to have more problems than men do. It explains why the plight of women is
often so pathetic. It explains the reason for countless women’s groups and movements.
There is indeed a special onslaught of the enemy on women.
This is why every wise woman will develop herself spiritually. To do this, she must study
the Bible, read Christian books, listen to the Word on tapes, and pray without ceasing.
58
Day 51
As a doctor, I know that some-
times there is very little that
medical science can do in an effort to
cure certain diseases. Many diseases
Jesus
still cannot be healed. They are just
heals
controlled and managed.
There were doctors in Jesus’ time.
The Bible says that this woman had
READ:
been to see so many doctors but she
Mark 5:25-34
could not be healed. One day, she
And he put forth his
heard that Jesus was passing by her
hand, and touched
town. She said to herself, “If I can
him, saying, I will: be
only touch the hem of His garment,
thou clean…
I will be healed.”
Luke 5:13
I want you to know that Jesus can
heal situations that doctors cannot
solve for you. I have seen God do many miracles. One day, a man came to me. He
stammered so badly that he had to hit himself before he could speak a word. Stammering
is something doctors cannot heal. At the miracle service I was having, Jesus touched him
and he was healed of that disease. He began speaking fluently to his own amazement!
Imagine how someone who had to hit himself in order to speak was healed of that
stammering tongue!
I remember a man who was paralyzed on one side due to a stroke. The power of God was
very strong at this miracle service. He was not even aware that the healing power of God
was working in him. He just realized that he could move his leg and arm again. The power
of God moved his body. I want to tell you that Jesus is alive!
I see God healing you and changing your life. Jesus is healing you right now. He is
touching you. Healing is flowing to you. Receive your healing!
59
Day 52
There is something known as
spiritual inheritance. This spir-
itual inheritance of anointing and
gifts passes naturally from fathers to
heritage sons. It does not pass from father to equals, colleagues and friends. It
READ:
does not even pass from father to
2 Kings 2:1-15
servants. An inheritance will only
…that ye may know
flow from the fathers to their sons
what is the hope of
and daughters. Only when you re-
his calling, and what
ceive your man of God as a father do
the riches of the glory
you receive the benefit of an inheri-
of his inheritance in
tance.
the saints,
You will notice from the story of
Ephesians 1:18
Elisha that he had an earthly father
called Shaphat (2 Kings 3:11). How-
ever, at the time Elijah was being
taken away, Elisha referred to Elijah as his father. He did this effortlessly and naturally.
Why is it important to receive your man of God as a father?
This is because fathers leave behind an inheritance for their children.
A person with an inheritance is very different from someone without it. A person who has
a father receives guidance and direction for his life. I have met countless people who did
not receive guidance for their lives. They threw away their talents and became nonentities
because there was no father to guide them. The situation is even worse for orphans!
Struggles abound for orphans. The future of an orphan is very uncertain.
Inheritance flows naturally from a father to his children. In the ministry, spiritual
inheritance flows naturally from the fathers to the sons.
60
Day 53
Some people wonder how this
world came into existence. Stop
searching and read the Bible. God
made the world through the power
decrees of the spoken Word.
He spoke the world into existence
READ:
by simple and powerful pronounce-
2 Peter 3:5-7
ments. “Let there be light…” and
Through faith we un-
there was light!
derstand that the
God wants us to imitate Him.
worlds were framed by
the word of God…
Ephesians 5:1 tells us to be imitators
of God. That means that we must
Hebrews 11:3
be holy, because God is holy. That
means we must be righteous, because
we are imitating a righteous God. It
also means that we are to frame our
world by making declarations.
Your life is an important and complex thing, but your tongue can control it. Declare that
your blessings are permanent! Claim your promotion in this life, in the name of Jesus!
Openly thank the Lord that no weapon formed against you will prosper! Declare that you
are marching on! I see you marching on and the gates of Hell cannot stop you! I see you
free from the power of sin, shame and disgrace!
Be an imitator of God in this aspect of commanding, claim-ing, announcing and insisting
on your blessings! Begin to imitate your heavenly Father by affirming, declaring,
demanding, maintaining, asserting and pronouncing your breakthrough.
That is the God-kind of faith.
61
Day 54
Though Judas walked and minis-
tered with Jesus for three years,
he eventually betrayed Him for a
small amount of money. Betrayal is
subversioN a part of ministry. It is also a part of life. If you are yet to experience
READ:
betrayal, I can assure you that you
2 Timothy 4:9-18
will. The disturbing thing about
Yea, mine own famil-
betrayal is that it is done by people
iar friend, in whom I
who are supposedly close to you.
trusted, which did eat
I have experienced wickedness
of my bread, hath
from people who have lifted them-
lifted up his heel
against me.
selves up to fight and oppose me.
There are times when my ministry
Psalm 41:9
and very existence have become a
source of work for such wicked indi-
viduals; their work being fighting,
slandering and opposing. Without my existence, I think some people may not even have a
job to do!
If you are not resolute in ministry, you could easily decide to leave these harassments
behind and move on to a more peaceful existence in some secular job.
The fact that someone may one day betray you, may make it very difficult for you to
happily interact and flow with the people. Observe the ministries of great men of God.
You will discover that they have all had their fair share of traitors. All this contributes to
the burden and difficulty of ministry. These experiences are all part of the ministry. It is
burdensome to lead people because they can abandon you at any time.
However, God wants us to share the burden of caring for His people. God wants us to be
shepherds!
62
Day 55
You will notice the phrase “be-
hold that which I have seen”.
King Solomon often spoke about
things that he noticed.
sigNal
Symptoms and signs reveal hid-
den things. They tell you about
READ:
what is not obvious.
2 Samuel 15:12-23
You can detect familiarity by
Behold that which I
noticing little changes in people’s
have seen: it is good
attitude. Their comments, disinter-
and comely for one to
eat and to drink, and
est and yawning at meetings are all
to enjoy the good of
important indicators.
all his labour…
Betrayal is something that does
Ecclesiastes 5:18
not announce itself. You must look
for the signs. If you fail to see the
signs that leaders are supposed to
notice, you will be at the mercy of traitors.
Use symptoms and signs to detect unforgiveness. Many people claim to have forgiven
others. In reality, they are full of bitterness.
I use certain indicators to supervise the people who work for me. Accomplishing targets
within a deadline is the most important indicator for me.
Use symptoms and signs to uncover future leaders. Paul did this. In 1 Timothy 3, he
outlined the signs that Timothy was to look for in potential leaders. I think that the greatest
sign of the call of God is the desire for ministry. I always look out for people who have a
desire to work for God.
Keep your eyes open and see the things that others do not see. Often when I see my church
members, I know when something is wrong. Why is that? As a leader, I use symptoms and
signs.
63
Day 56
Hannah kept her vow. She gave
unto the Lord and the Lord
gave back to her. Is money a prob-
lem to you? Do you find it difficult
cast your to give to Jesus? Loose that money bread
and let it go now! Become a giver of
tithes and a giver of offerings.
Hannah was a woman with direc-
READ:
tion who paid her first and best fruits
1 Samuel
1:20-28;18-21
to the Lord. She made a vow that
she was going to support the min-
Cast thy bread upon
istry and she stuck to her word.
the waters: for thou
shalt find it after
There are many blessings that are
many days.
released when you pay your vows.
Ecclesiastes 11:1
Do you know that when Abraham
gave tithes to the Lord, the blessing
he received was a child? The Bible teaches us that Abraham was very rich; he didn’t need
anymore money. God knows what you need. As you give to Him, God will give you what
you need.
Principles are things that happen whether you want them to or not! There is a principle
about giving. The more you give the more you receive.
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together,
and running over, shall men give into your bosom.
For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Luke 6:38
Hannah gave one son to the Lord; the principle worked!
God gave her five more children in return.
64
Day 57
Look at this amazing Scripture in
Ezekiel! The anointing enters
you as you listen to the Word of
God. The Word is able to impart an
Proximity anointing into your life. The prophet said he could feel the anoint-READ:
ing enter him as the Lord spoke to
2 Kings 2:11-22
him.
And the spirit entered
The Bible also records that Elisha
into me when he spake
soaked in the words of his spiritual
unto me, and set me
father, Elijah. Just like Jesus and the
upon my feet, that I
disciples, Elisha and Elijah engaged
heard him that spake
unto me.
in lots of important conversation.
Elisha walked so closely to Elijah
Ezekiel 2:2
that God had to separate them Him-
self. Do not allow anyone or circum-
stances, to separate you from your
spiritual father. Not many people will have the privilege of interacting personally with
their mentors. So how can anyone catch the anointing on a great man of God? Is it the
pouring of water or the doing of menial jobs that leads to a transfer of anointing? The
answer is no! The physical interaction exposes you to his words. Follow a man of God by
following his words closely.
Jesus told His disciples, that His words are Spirit (anointing) and life (John 6:63). The
anointing is in the words. They took his words seriously because he had told them that the
anointing was in the words. Thank God that today the words of anointed ministers are
available in books, tapes and videos.
Following some men of God through DVDs, CDs and books has greatly blessed my life
and ministry. The fact that you are reading this book is evidence that an anointing I
received some years ago is real.
65
Day 58
People usually become attracted
to something before they go for
it. In the same way, if you approve
of somebody who is doing the
hate evil! wrong thing, then you are likely to want to do the same thing yourself.
READ:
God expects the Christian to dis-
1 Samuel 20:1-23
approve of evil. Although Saul was
Woe unto them that
Jonathan’s father, Jonathan acknowl-
call evil good…
edged that the King, his father, was
Isaiah 5:20
wrong in trying to kill David. David
had done no wrong, but out of
jealousy, Saul attempted to kill him.
Jonathan disassociated himself
from what his father was doing and
associated himself with the right,
which was David. That is what a real Christian must do. You must not approve of what is
wrong. You must be bold and say,
“This is wrong, and that is right! And I stand for what is right.”
From experience, I have noticed that if you praise evil, one day you will also commit the
same evil. You become what you admire. If someone is a rebel and you approve of the
person, one day you may also be a rebel. I watch for people who do not condemn the evil
going on around them. The Christian should never approve of evil.
…Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good …
Malachi 2:17
Watch out for Christians who do not disapprove of evil; they are probably thinking of
doing the same thing one day.
66
Day 59
Whenever you give an offering
in church, it must be received
at two levels. First, your church re-
ceives it. Secondly, God receives it.
oFFeriNgs It is important that your offering is received at both levels.
READ:
I want to cite two examples of
Ecclesiastes
11:1, 4-6
unacceptable offerings from the
Bible. First, blood money is not ac-
Give, and it shall be
cepted in the house of the Lord
given unto you; good
(Matthew 27:6). When Judas at-
measure,
pressed
down, and shaken to-
tempted to return the thirty pieces
gether, and running
of silver to the treasury of the
over…
church, the money was rejected be-
Luke 6:38
cause it was blood money! Modern-
day drug money is actually blood
money. It is money that is earned by
the destruction and killing of many lives through cocaine and related substances. Such
money is not welcome in the church.
Another Scripture tells us that money from prostitution is not accepted in the church:
Deuteronomy 23:18. The fact that the church has received the offering does not mean God
has received the offering. If the Lord does not receive your offering, then you have wasted
your money.
The first condition for having your offering accepted by God is that, it must not come
from a wicked or sinful person. The church may receive it because they don’t know who
you are or what you do. However, God does see and will not accept such an offering
(Amos 2:22, 24).
The second condition is that, you must have a willing mind (1 Corinthians 8:12). If you
give grudgingly, you will not receive your blessing; don’t bother to give if you don’t really
want to. God loves a cheerful giver!
67
Day 60
The healing anointing is associ-
ated with prosperity. Healing is
usually accompanied by prosperity.
God heals you and then He gives you
health & something extra: that which helps ProsPerity you to prosper in this life.
Remember when Jesus spoke of
the anointing, “The Spirit of the
READ:
Lord is upon me. .” He declared that
Luke 4:16-27
He was anointed to preach the
Beloved, I wish above
Gospel to the poor. Then in the next
all things that you
sentence, He spoke of healing the
thou mayest prosper
broken-hearted. With the introduc-
and be in health, even
tion of Jesus’ ministry, prosperity
as thy soul prospereth.
and healing are linked together.
3 John 2
When the healing anointing is
flowing, prosperity abounds. These two miracles move together. Why did God heal you
and extend your life? To bless you with more years of abundance over here.
In Jesus’ famous hometown sermon, He spoke about both healing and prosperity. He
spoke of the healing of Naaman the Syrian. In the same breath, He spoke of the financial
miracle of the widow of Zarephath. These two blessings seem to be linked in the spirit.
John the Apostle also linked these two blessings. He declared that his greatest wish was
for his spiritual children to have both prosperity and healing.
If God has given you healing, He’s giving you prosperity as well. It’s real. People will
wonder at your blessing and you will speak about Jehovah Rophe: His kindness and His
goodness that has prospered you. There is healing on the left and prosperity on the right.
Don’t take these things lightly; they will happen practically in your life.
68
Day 61
Once, in Amsterdam, a brother
told me, “I tried four times to
come to Europe from Ghana, by
stowing away on a ship.” He smiled
Freely
proudly and declared, “I am a Dutch
give
citizen today.”
When I asked why he failed to at-
tend church services consistently, he
READ:
laughed and mumbled some lame ex-
Luke 5:1-11
cuse about his work. Surprisingly,
But I say, that the
this young man who had risked his
things which the Gen-
life four times to become a Dutch cit-
tiles sacrifice, they
izen, would not make any sacrifices
sacrifice to devils, and
not to God…
to become a citizen of Heaven.
1 Corinthians 10:20
Pilots and other airline crew
make great sacrifices for money in
this era of Osama Bin Laden, terrorism and numerous plane crashes. Nevertheless, there
are wives who happily see their pilot-husbands off to the plane and don’t think twice about
it.
These same wives would not allow their husbands to work in the ministry. When you are
taking a journey for the Kingdom, you will be asked whether the trip is necessary.
Bankers and accountants spend many hours at work and often return home after 9 p.m.
every night. They hardly see their families; but this is okay if it is for the bank.
Unfortunately, the ministry is perceived as a second-rate job not worthy of any sacrifice.
“Sacrifice to the devil but don’t sacrifice to God!” This is the unspoken message of our
friends and relatives.
69
Day 62
In this Scripture, Jesus teaches
about how the entire body is af-
fected by the eye. He says that if you
have a single eye, your whole body
siNgle eye will be full of light (a good thing).
It goes on to say that if your eye is
READ:
evil, your body will be full of dark-
Matthew 6:22-24
ness. What does a single eye mean?
A single eye speaks of seeing one
No servant can serve
two masters: for ei-
thing! In other words, in every
ther he will hate the
sphere of life your attention should
one, and love the
be focused on only one thing.
other; or else he will
Loyalty has a single eye.
hold to the one, and
despise the other…
Jesus went on to explain that you
Luke 16:13
cannot serve God and mammon. In
other words, if you see both God
and mammon as “gods” in your life,
you will not prosper. You must be loyal to one or the other.
Jesus taught us that you would end up loving one and hating the other.
Another example concerns your church. If you want to be loyal to your church, you must
be focused on one church and not on two. A husband cannot be loyal to his wife if he has
his eye on another woman. Any man, whose eyes are focused on two different women, has
a potential for disloyalty.
If you belong to a church, your allegiance must be to the pastor in charge, the senior
pastor. Everyone else is assisting the senior pastor to do the work. If you work in a
company, your allegiance is to the highest authority. If something is going wrong in your
department, because you have a single eye, you will show your loyalty to your ultimate
employer. Do not forget this important principle, “loyalty has a single eye”.
70
Day 63
The art of beginning a church is
the art of witnessing, follow-
ing-up and gathering sheep together.
You do not need to break up some-
christiaN one else’s church to begin your own!
activity How would you feel if someone was building his house next to yours and
decided to break down your house to
READ:
get some blocks for his? That is
2 Timothy 4:1-8
madness!
…the same commit
Unfortunately, this seems to be
thou to faithful men,
the only way that some people feel
who shall be able to
they can start a church. From today,
teach others also.
do not be afraid of starting out in
2 Timothy 2:2
an honourable way. If God has re-
ally spoken to you, it will succeed!
Sometimes people are afraid to pioneer a church because they do not know how to do
basic Christian tasks. What do I mean by the basics? The basics are praying, witnessing
and following-up converts. This must be predominant in all of your church activities. You
must boldly enter into the houses of your city and preach Christ to the people. You must
shamelessly lead people to Christ in their living rooms. Pray for them and invite them to
church.
Stand on the street and talk to passers-by about Jesus Christ. If you cannot shamelessly do
street evangelism, then you cannot be a pastor. Lead the congregation in inviting people to
church every Sunday. God will supernaturally bring the increase.
Pastors must realize that there is a spiritual principle of sowing and reaping. Whatever you
sow is what you will reap (Galatians 6:7). If you sow seeds through invitations and
witnessing, you will reap from a harvest one day.
71
Day 64
People will follow someone who
knows their names! It is very
important that a leader knows the
names of the people he works with.
Names
No one is a number or an object. If
you want to lead people, try to
READ:
remember their names and call them
John 10:1-16
by name.
…and the sheep hear
King David was a great leader.
his voice: and he cal-
One of the reasons he was loved is
leth his own sheep by
because he was near enough to the
name, and leadeth
people he led (1 Samuel 18:16).
them out.
John 10:3
You ought to make an effort to
know the names of people for these
reasons:
1. Every successful leader knows the
names of many people
2. People feel special when you know their names. Everyone gravitates towards where he
feels special. People do not feel disregarded or despised when you call them by name.
3. When you know the names of people, they feel that you are friendly and human. People
are attracted to someone who is friendly and warm.
4. Knowing people by their names connects you to them in a personal way; this creates the
bond of leader and follower.
5. Knowing the names of people makes you closer to them.
I sometimes wonder at pastors who may have only sixty members and cannot remember
all their names. If you cannot remember people’s names, they will not like to follow you.
People are less inclined to follow a distant figurehead. When you know somebody’s name,
he feels you are real and he feels that you are near enough.
72
Day 65
God proclaimed a woman’s de-
sire for a husband a curse be-
cause it was part of the woman’s
punishment for disobeying God.
oPeN
Marriage presents many frustrations
secret
to women across the globe.
Sometimes, single ladies plod
through life like disappointed and
READ:
disillusioned travellers, instead of
Isaiah 26:3, 4
living happy and fulfilled lives. The
…and thy desire shall
Scripture makes it clear that the hus-
be to thy husband, and
band will rule over the woman; that
he shall rule over thee.
the woman will be dominated and
Genesis 3:16
governed by the man. This is also a
curse. Yet, many women see oppres-
sive men and desire to be ruled by
them. Where does this irresistible
desire come from? The answer is found in the curse pronounced in the Garden of Eden.
There are married women who have wise ideas and take good decisions. But they are
ruled and dominated by foolish husbands. There are many men who do not exhibit the
wisdom of a ruler who occupy the place of a governor in the marriage.
It is very difficult to live with someone who does not lead in the right direction. It is
distressing to follow a leader who is unreasonable. Yet, this is the lot of many women.
This also is a curse!
Accepting that there is a curse is a first step to your victory.
Understanding how this curse plays out is the key to getting your victory. Women, learn
how to overcome this curse by finding your strength in God. Put your hope in God and
develop a close personal relationship with Him.
73
Day 66
Protecting yourself from the
attacks of the enemy can be
very complicated. After September
11, America realized how vulnerable
armour she was. A myriad of attacks could be launched at America from any
READ:
angle. This fact also holds true for
Ephesians 6:10-18
believers and that is why we need the
Be sober, be vigilant;
whole armour of God. Several at-
because your adver-
tacks are planned and launched
sary the devil, as a
against the believer from different
roaring lion, walketh
angles. Unless we put on the whole
about, seeking whom
armour, we will not be fully
he may devour:
protected from the enemy.
1 Peter 5:8
The different aspects of the ar-
mour will keep you from being in-
vaded by demons. I had an
experience years ago that served to eternally stamp this fact in my spirit.
There was a young girl who was possessed with demons.
The demon began to speak to us using the girl’s voice. I commanded the demon to cease
its activities and to come out of the girl.
I asked the demon spirit, “How did you come into this lady?”
The spirit said, “The belt of truth was loose.” That demon had gained access to this young
girl’s life because the protective armour of God was deficient. I cannot tell you exactly
how this girl’s belt of truth was loosened. What is important is that a deficiency in the
armour had opened the door to evil spirits.
Our spiritual armour is well described in Ephesians. Put every single piece on, and you
will be blessed!
74
Day 67
You must obey the Word of
God, which instructs you to
give your tithes and offerings
regularly.
your Faith Without tithing and giving offerings, your confessions about prosper-
READ:
ity will have no effect. You might
1 Corinthians
16:1-2
just as well say, “Twinkle, twinkle
little star, how I wonder what you
Bring ye all the tithes
are; up above the world so high, like
into the storehouse,
a diamond in the sky”!
that there may be
meat in mine house,
When God decides to honour
and prove me now …
your confessions, He will be looking
Malachi 3:10
for your seed. God will be looking
for the seed that you have planted so
that He can bless you supernaturally.
But if there is no seed, what can God bless? He has nothing to work with.
It is not enough to just name it and claim it. You must go a step further and obey the Word
of God. That is how you take it! You must act on your faith. Every time you give money
to God, it is an act of faith. We believe that your money is not a stone; it is a seed. It is
going to germinate and bring forth much fruit.
Generosity is honoured by the Lord. When God sees your acts of generosity, which
confirm your claim to prosperity, He will supernaturally pour out His blessings upon you.
There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that with-holdeth more than is
meet, but it tendeth to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth
shall be watered also himself.
Proverbs 11:24, 25
75
Day 68
The Bible admonishes a spouse
to honour his/her parents or
parent figures and you must do the
same (Ephesians 6:3).
iN-laws
Your in-laws are like adopted
parents to you. You must try to love
READ:
them unconditionally as we are
Ruth 1:1-22
admonished to do in 1 Corinthians
…It hath fully been
13:4-8, even when you think they
shewed me, all that
don’t like you.
thou hast done unto
thy mother in law
Do not complain about your
since the death of
spouse to your parents. Do not allow
thine husband…
your parents to develop a habit of
Ruth 2:11
saying bad things about your spouse
to you directly or indirectly. You are
one. Let love cover the multitude of
your partner’s faults and seek pastoral counsel when you need help (Proverbs 10:12).
Know that your in-laws can do unacceptable things just like your parents. The difference
is that you may not be able to tell your in-law your real sentiments without stirring up
trouble; so learn to overlook certain things. Be yourself with your in-laws as far as you are
not offensive.
Try not to discriminate between parents as to upkeep.
Recognize the reality that not all sets of parents have the same needs, so do not try to
make their needs identical. For example, one parent may need remittances but the other
may need to be given gifts on birthdays and other special occasions. Usually, the woman
may prompt the husband on care for the home. He should provide these needs with love (1
Timothy 5:8).
Your in-laws can pronounce a blessing on you depending on how you treat them. Ruth
received an additional blessing.
77
Day 69
One of the reasons why some
Christians do not bear fruit
is because they are not healthy.
They are not normal, productive
virtues Christians, because there is a spiritual sickness somewhere.
READ:
Sometimes when a woman is un-
2 Peter 1:3-11
able to give birth, it is due to an ill-
…the fruit of the
ness, like infertility. Some causes of
Spirit is love, joy,
infertility are the blocking of the fal-
peace, longsuffering,
lopian tubes, inability of the ovaries
gentleness, goodness,
to release eggs, destruction of the
faith, Meekness, tem-
perance…
womb due to an earlier abortion and
so on. All these are health reasons,
Galatians 5:22-23
which prevent childbirth.
In the same way, when Christians
are unable to give birth and to be fruitful, it is often because there is a disease in their
Christian lives. Though they are born again, they are spiritually sick. The main reason why
many Christians are not productive is that they are living in sin.
Indeed, nothing affects fruitful Christian living as sin does.
Some people have such bad, non-Christian habits that they cannot even muster the
courage to share the Gospel. It is all a question of character.
The Bible instructs us in 2 Peter 1:5-8 to add to our faith, virtue…knowledge…
temperance…patience…godliness…brotherly kindness. .charity. Notice that apostle Peter
lists a number of qualities, which immunize us from becoming barren and unfruitful in the
things of God. That is why some Christians are unfruitful - because they have not added
these godly attributes to their faith. The cancer of sin has made them unhealthy,
unproductive Christians.
77
Day 70
Jesus told His disciples that His
words contained two important
things. They contained life and the
Spirit! The Spirit is the anointing!
sPirit aNd Jesus was anointed with the Holy liFe
Ghost, and therefore the Holy Ghost
(the substance with which he was
anointed)
is
the
anointing
READ:
(Acts 10:38).
John 6:59-69
You can be with Jesus today by
To give subtilty to the
reading your Bible. You will not be
simple, to the young
a minister of substance if you do not
man knowledge and
have your own personal fellowship
discretion.
with the Lord. I do not mean a last
Proverbs 1:4
minute check of certain Scriptures
before you preach. You ought to fel-
lowship with Jesus everyday. The
glory of the Lord will be upon you when you fellowship with God.
As you closely associate with a man of God, you will hear him speaking repeatedly. These
words contain the anointing.
Elisha associated closely with Elijah and heard him speak all the time (2 Kings 2:11). For
many people, close association with men of God is not possible except through the
medium of books and tapes. The words of anointed men of God contain the Spirit and life.
Reading books written by anointed men is an invaluable way of associating with them.
The time you spend reading a book is spent fellowshipping with the author of the book.
What a great privilege it is to interact with a great person for three hours in the privacy of
your home!
The disciples listened to the words of Jesus; that is how they were anointed.
78
Day 71
The Church is a special
institution anointed by God
with special power and anointing.
By that power and anointing, we will
healiNg be able to do what God has called us aNoiNtiNg to do. He has chosen preaching,
teaching and healing as His method
for reaching lost humanity.
READ:
The healing anointing is the op-
1 Peter 2:21-24
portunity for the church of God to
But he was wounded
come out of obscurity.
for our transgres-
Jesus was raised in an insignifi-
sions…and with his
stripes we are healed.
cant carpenter’s home, but God gave
Isaiah 53:5
Him something special. What
would bring Jesus out of obscurity?
What would make anyone listen to
His message? What could Jesus do without modern methods of advertisement? The
healing anointing is what brought Jesus out of obscurity.
The healing anointing is our chance to rise out of obscurity.
If we want the cities of this world to gather at the door of our crusades, then we need the
healing anointing. If we want the cities of this world to gather in our churches, then the
healing anointing is that key. The healing anointing will bring the whole city to our door
so that we can tell them about Jesus Christ.
The healing anointing is our only chance to reach the world for Jesus Christ. It is our only
chance to reach every kindred, nation and people for the Kingdom. It is the opportunity for
ministers to accomplish what God has called them for. It is still available for all of us
through the Great Commission. It is for all of us if we will begin to know and realize what
God has given to us.
79
Day 72
Set a regular time when you meet
God. It is very important that
you set a regular time for your quiet
time. Life is such that important
come aloNe things are often overlooked. If you do not schedule a constant period for
READ:
a quiet time, I assure you that you
Exodus 34:1-9
will leave it out. The best time for a
The LORD is nigh
quiet time is first thing in the morn-
unto all them that call
ing.
upon him, to all that
Notice that Moses had his quiet
call upon him in truth.
time in the morning.
Psalm 145:18
A quiet time is an intimate time
between you and your God. It is a
private moment that you must cher-
ish. You will notice that Moses
could not have his quiet time in the presence of others. A quiet time is a time when you are
alone with God. You cannot develop a personal relationship with someone unless you are
alone with the person. It must be possible to withdraw yourself from the company of
others so that you can be alone with God.
During your quiet time, it is helpful to create an atmosphere that is conducive for
fellowship with God. You can do this by playing good worship music in the background.
If you do not have any such music you can worship the Lord yourself. As you worship the
Lord, the presence of the Lord will fill your room. God inhabits praises. There is an
atmosphere in which God’s presence thrives.
If you can afford it, you must create for yourself a private place in your home where you
go to pray and meet with God.
80
Day 73
Abraham was very close to his
nephew Lot. One day, he had to
face the painful reality that his
nephew’s presence in his life was
decisive causing more harm than good.
actioN
Being a good leader, he took the de-
cision to separate from his nephew.
The consequence of failing to take
READ:
this decision would have been strife.
Psalm 32:7-10
Note that it was after this decision
In all thy ways ac-
that God gave him specifications of
knowledge him, and
the lands that were his (Genesis 13:8,
he shall direct thy
9,14).
paths.
Move quickly when all the rele-
Proverbs 3:6
vant information has come in. Do
not take decisions based on part of
the available information. You will
make disastrous mistakes when you do that. Solomon was advised by his father to get rid
of Joab and Shimei. The only information that Solomon needed was his father’s
instruction.
You will notice that after Solomon fulfilled his father’s instructions, the kingdom of Israel
became established under his rule (1 Kings 2:46).
Know that the decision you are taking now will turn out for good. A bad manager cannot
see that if he does not take the hard decision of cutting the work force, for instance, the
whole company will close down.
The decisiveness of Solomon at the beginning of his reign took him very far. Because
Solomon was decisive, his kingdom was established. Once the information came in, he
took the decision and implemented it. Learn from Solomon: Gather the relevant
information and then be decisive.
81
Day 74
Many people see Judas Iscariot
as a detestable person. I be-
lieve Judas was a trustworthy person
when he started out. In fact, the
rioters Bible tells us that there is a point at which Satan entered into Judas.
READ:
That means there was a point in time
Acts 20:28-30
when there was no devil in Judas and
Woe unto the world
that is why Jesus entrusted him with
because of offences!
the money. Most people appoint the
for it must needs be
most trusted person to be their
that offences come;
treasurer.
but woe to that man
by whom the offence
A senior church leader once said
cometh!
something that struck me! He said,
Matthew 18:7
“I don’t care what leadership style
you have. You are not greater than
Jesus. If Jesus had a Judas, you will
too! No matter what you do, you will have to experience betrayal because your master
experienced it.”
This made me think deeply. Every church will experience the scourge of treacherous
leaders. There will be a Judas from among your trusted leadership. The Bible describes
him as a trusted friend who eats, drinks and fellowships with you. The Bible says that he is
not an ordinary friend, but a familiar friend.
That means someone who is very close (Psalm 41:9).
The truth I have just shared with you has two implications.
The implication for all heads is simple. Anticipate disloyalty and create a system that will
not collapse in the event of betrayal. Notice how Jesus’ ministry continued effectively
after Judas had fallen away. The implication for assistants, associates and followers is
frightening but also very real; one of us will be a Judas. Just make sure it’s not you!
82
Day 75
Jesus Christ was the subject of the
highest kind of satanic onslaught.
He suffered directly from the
paranoid delusions (fears) of the
accusatioN Pharisees, Scribes and Chief Priests.
They feared His ministry, power and
READ:
authority. He experienced first-hand
Acts 24:1-16
their derogatory and insulting
And the scribes and
accusations. He was insulted and
chief priests heard it,
accused continually until He stopped
and sought how they
breathing on the cross.
might destroy him: for
This is the highest kind of satanic
they feared him…
attack that comes against God’s mes-
Mark 11:18
sengers. The two well-known titles
of Satan are “the father of lies”
(John 8:44) and “the accuser of the
brethren” (Revelation 12:10). It is
important for Christians not to imagine the nature and activity of Satan to be different
from biblical accounts, but to believe what the Bible says. The principal work of Satan is
to deceive and to accuse!
Through accusations and criticism, Satan is able to turn the brethren against each other.
Through the activities of the accuser, we turn against each other and destroy each other!
Accusations produce guilt, confusion, hatred, pressure and erroneous counter-measures
and counter-accusations.
Accusations cause distractions and the sidetracking of a powerful army from its true
purpose.
Do not be an agent of accusation! When you accuse and criticize, you are employed by
Satan himself to divide the church and to bring hatred where there should be love. You
have no idea what you may be destroying through your criticism and accusation.
83
Day 76
Everyone is beautiful. Everyone
has some beauty about him or
her. You should never think that you
are not beautiful. God took time to
good
design you; to create your nose just
looks
the way it is. Perhaps He made your
ears small, and your lips as full as
they are. God has not made you a
READ:
disappointment or a disaster. He
Proverbs 31:25-31
does not make such things. If you
I will praise thee; for I
are short, being short is beautiful. If
am fearfully and won-
you are black, being black is beauti-
derfully made…
ful; and if you are white, being white
Psalms 139:14
is equally beautiful.
God made you that way. Look at
yourself in the mirror, and admire
yourself. There is no need to change
any part of your body. Accept what you are, and believe that you are beautiful because
God created you.
Some people think of themselves as ugly because someone teased them when they were
younger. Maybe in school they called you names. Therefore, although you have grown
into a beautiful young lady, you still believe you look like a sparrow.
Do not listen to those lies; they are just jealous of you. When people tease you, they are
probably jealous of you because you have something they do not have and they envy you.
You must begin to appreciate beauty in everything that God has made. Some people are
not happy with what they have.
However, there is beauty in every man and in every woman.
You must know that you are beautiful the way you are. Look at yourself in the mirror
again and say, “Lord, I thank you because I’m beautifully and wonderfully made!”
84
Day 77
Alittle analysis will reveal that
most of us do not really believe
the Words of Jesus. I say that we
do not believe because our lives
disbelieF demonstrate the exact opposite of the Scriptures. Let me give you
READ:
a Scripture that we commonly
Luke 12:13-34
disbelieve: Matthew 6:19-20.
But there are some of
There could be no clearer instruc-
you that believe not.
tion than this. Jesus said, “Prepare
For Jesus knew from
for Heaven. Lay up your treasure
the beginning who
over there! Do not bother to pile up
they were that be-
lieved not, and who
things on earth.”
should betray him.
Yet, most of the Church, led by
John 6:64
its pastors, is busy laying up treas-
ures on earth. Laying up treasures
in Heaven is the kind of truth we choose to ignore. Laying up treasures on earth is seen as
the more sensible thing to do. Our vision is to do the exact opposite of what Jesus asked us
to do.
As long as we do not picture treasures in Heaven, we will not be motivated to work for
God.
Moslems often show a much higher faith in the life after this life. Their suicide-bombers,
though in error, are the greatest evidence of this. All over the world, these suicide-
bombers die fearlessly for their faith. Meanwhile, Christians cower in fear, disbelief and
weakness, unable even to change jobs for the Gospel’s sake.
Where are the missionaries of old who gave their lives in foreign nations so that the
Gospel may advance? Where are the martyrs of the early church who died for their faith?
These men, conscious of eternity, laid down their lives for the kingdom of God to
advance. They really demonstrated that they believed, and that is why they did the works
of God.
85
Day 78
If you want financial prosperity,
you must obey the Word of God,
which tells us to work hard.
toil
Galatians 6:7 teaches us that we
reap whatever we sow. Whatever
you put in, you will reap either thir-
READ:
tyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold.
Proverbs 6:6-11
In Proverbs 6:6-11, we read that
Be not deceived; God
ants are prosperous. They mind
is not mocked: for
their own business and work without
whatsoever a man
soweth, that shall he
supervision. If you really want the
also reap.
financial prosperity that you are con-
Galatians 6:7
fessing, then you must decide to
work without supervision, just like
the ant. Do you want to experience
a financial breakthrough? It is not
enough just to confess great things. You must obey the Word of God. You can have what
you say, but you must act on the Word. Faith without works is dead faith.
What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can
faith save him?
James 2:14
In the account of the last judgement, the sheep are moved to the right and the goats to the
left. It is a similar thing with your faith. The real ones are separated from the fake ones by
the acts of faith that accompany them. When a confession has no confirming actions, it is
actually a dead and useless claim.
If you make a claim to prosperity, you must courageously go to work. You must work very
hard.
86
Day 79
Many people think that it takes
wealth and riches to build a
house. From experience, I know that
it takes wisdom and not money to
arise aNd build. People who are able to rally build!
their resources together and use
them wisely often become builders.
What you build will testify of your
READ:
leadership. Decide to build some-
Nehemiah 2:1-20
thing for God in your lifetime.
Through wisdom is an
Leadership qualities make a
house builded; and by
pastor acquire a church building for
understanding it is es-
his church. A wise manager would
tablished:
acquire properties for his company.
Proverbs 24:3
I can assure you that it takes the
strength of leadership to build a
nation. Weak leaders cannot build
anything! A husband who builds a house for his wife and children is a true leader.
Leadership is manifest by the presence of buildings.
Western countries have well developed infrastructure revealing the kind of leadership they
have enjoyed. African countries that have been ruled by illiterate dictators and vam-pire-
style despots, have very little infrastructure. Truly, buildings and development are signs of
good leadership.
Solomon was a wise leader. Consider what he said: I made me great works; I builded me
houses; I planted me vineyards: I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in
them. .
Ecclesiastes 2:4-6
Nehemiah, one of the great leaders of the Bible, motivated the people of God to rise up
and build. His famous sermon was simple - arise and build!
87
Day 80
The Hebrew word translated “es-
tablished” in 2 Chronicles 20:20
is the word aman. It means “to nurture, to foster as a parent, to build up
have Faith and to nurse”. This teaches us that as you believe in God, you will be
READ:
nurtured and nursed by God. He
2 Chronicles 20-30
will build you up in the faith and you
…Believe in the LORD
will receive a strong foundation that
your God, so shall ye
only a parent can give.
be established; believe
This Scripture goes on and urges
his prophets, so shall
you to believe in the prophets so that
ye prosper.
you will “prosper”. The Hebrew
2 Chronicles 20:20
word translated “prosper” is the
word tsalach. It means “to push forward, to go over, to come mightily
and to break out.” Aman and tsalach are two very different experiences in the ministry.
God will nurture you and build you up for His work. He will nurse you like a baby in a
cradle. He will foster you like a parent and encourage you until you are well developed.
but then, you need a push forward in the ministry.
You need to break out into the fullness of your calling. The key to coming mightily to the
front of the ministry lines is to believe in the man of God.
The safety catch in this Scripture is that you are supposed to believe both in God and in
the man of God. Believing in God will help you to be nicely built up in Christ, but you
will not have the push that you need. Believing in the man of God without believing in
God is indeed very dangerous! You could easily make a mistake and follow the errors of a
human being.
That is why the two go together!
88
Day 81
It has been noted that the greatest
motivation for people in work-
places, is not money per se. A sense
of self-worth and achievement is the
motivatioN highest motivation for workers. If someone does not feel important and
READ:
appreciated, he often begins to look
Ruth 2:1-18
elsewhere. It is the duty of the head
And, ye masters, do
of the organisation (church or busi-
the same things unto
ness) to make everyone feel impor-
them,
forbearing
tant and appreciated. This is one of
threatening: knowing
the most important ways to be loyal
that your Master also
to the people who work under you.
is in heaven…
The head of the organisation
Ephesians 6:9
often wants his subordinates to ap-
preciate him and honour him. How-
ever, this appreciation and honour
must begin from the head. If you have a head who is uncaring, you will have a hard time. I
would advise you to find the environment and leader under whom you can flourish. Move
away peacefully and do not say bad things on your way out! Close every door gently! You
may need to come back through that door one day.
One day, a young pastor said to his senior pastor, “I think the main reason why I am loyal
to you is because you are a very loyal senior minister. You are very loyal to me.” He
added, “I feel that you have my welfare at heart. I feel that you want me to prosper. I sense
that you want me to go as far as I possibly can. Because of this, I naturally find myself
being loyal to you.”
This young pastor was unknowingly expounding on a great principle of loyalty. Loyalty
emanates from the head. Loyalty breeds more loyalty!
89
Day 82
Adaughter of destiny will not
quickly forget where she came
from. She is prepared to help her
father. Daughter, help your fathers
helP
in the natural! Daughter, help your
spiritual father! Remember him and
READ:
remember all that he has done for
1 John 3:11-18
you. Don’t forget what he has done
But to do good and to
for you. Perhaps, you will never
communicate forget
know the price he paid to care for
not: for with such
you.
sacrifices God is well
I am sometimes amazed that peo-
pleased.
ple, who have lived with others and
Hebrews 13:16
at the expense of relatives all their
lives, would not like to help anyone
in later years. They close the doors
to other needy people. They forget
what someone did for them.
A virtuous woman has a kind heart. She is generous and helps many people, even those
who do not deserve it (Proverbs 31:20). Perhaps you are the wife of some important
personality today. Perhaps you are living in a rich western nation. Nothing happens by
chance. Perhaps you are occupying a position in which you can employ many Christians.
Please note that it is for a reason.
God is the one who established you wherever you are. He will come knocking at your
door to ask you for your help. Will you help the cause of the Gospel when it is your turn to
do so, or will you find an excuse?
90
Day 83
Poverty is a curse because the
Word of God puts poverty in
the category of a curse.
Poverty
I am aware that some people take
vows of poverty. I respect them for
their great sacrifice to the Lord.
READ:
However, I can see clearly that when
Deuteronomy
28:45-48
God cursed the Israelites, poverty
was one of the frustrations to ex-
For he shall deliver
pect. All the curses of Deuteronomy
the needy when he cri-
28 lead to poverty. However, in
eth; the poor also, and
him that hath no
Deuteronomy 28:48, you see it a bit
helper.
more explicitly: “God shall set thee
Psalm 72:12
up in hunger, thirst, nakedness and
in want.”
Poverty leads to a lack of educa-
tion. Hosea 4:6 says that people perish for lack of knowledge.
An entire nation perishes when there is a lack of the knowledge of the arts, science,
medicine, law, etc. Poverty is a curse because it is a vicious cycle. Poverty brings about an
inability to be educated. The lack of education leads to more poverty.
The wealthy remain in their riches, and the poverty of the poor deepens.
Poverty causes poor health and disease. The life expectancy for rich countries is much
higher than that for poor countries.
There is a significant difference between the figures of these two groups countries. This
difference is very much related to the state of wealth.
Poverty is also a curse because it causes people to get drunk.
Many poor people drink to forget about their insurmountable problems (Proverbs 31:7).
But the good news is this: God is the helper of the poor!
91
Day 84
Abigail recognized and acknowl-
edged truthfully that she was
married to a churlish personality.
Acknowledging that your husband
solviNg has the character and the tendencies Problems of Nabal is the first step in what I
term the art of Abigailism.
The first step to solving many
READ:
problems is diagnosis. Even in med-
1 Samuel 25:18-35
ical science, when you are able to
Woe unto them that
make out the diagnosis of the dis-
call evil good, and
ease, you are often far advanced in
good evil; that put
curing it.
darkness for light, and
light for darkness…
The second step is to stop pre-
Isaiah 5:20
tending that the problem is not
there. They say that black is white
and white is black. Many women hide their problems, as they feel that they would be
disgracing their husbands. There is a difference between denigrating your marriage,
humiliating your husband and talking frankly about a problem that exists.
To denigrate your husband means to blacken his reputation.
This is wrong; a woman with direction does not do that! Nevertheless, a daughter of
destiny should not so secretive that no one can help her. A certain amount of openness
allows you to be helped. Speaking about your problem is not wrong if it is done in the
proper context and for the right reason.
The third step is to ask for help. Abigail asked David politely to listen to her and
understand what she was going through.
Many people need help but not everybody wants it. My experience in the ministry has
taught me to give help to those who ask for it and not just to those who need it.
92
Day 85
You need to realize that beauty
comes in portions. Everyone
has a portion, but nobody has it all.
Your portion is what you are entitled
your
to. Your portion will include some
PortioN things, while excluding others. You cannot have a black and a white wife
in one person.
READ:
Your wife may be an excellent
Ecclesiastes 9:9
cook, but she could have problems
Thou art all fair, my
with being a hostess when your
love; there is no spot
friends visit. That is your portion,
in thee.
and God expects you to be content
Song of Solomon 4:7
with her.
You may know a friend’s wife who
is very good when they have visitors.
You may admire the way she receives, chats and talks with the guests. You may appreciate
her confidence and range of knowledge on political issues. But you may find that she is
not able to cook very well. Her stews may be like soups, and her soups like stews!
God expects you to be content with your wife, including her weaker points. Be content!
No matter how hard you look, you will find out that your portion has its strong points and
its weak points.
Now the Bible encourages you to enjoy life with your portion. You can’t have it all. So
accept your portion and enjoy it because that is the way God intended it to be.
93
Day 86
Workers who are prepared to
do any job are valuable.
They are prepared to learn. They
want to advance. They want to
valued
please you.
emPloyees
One of the most valuable things
in an employee is his ability to
produce results. The highest kind of
READ:
worker, however, is the worker who
2 Kings 12:10-15
is consumed and obsessed with his
… a faithful messenger
work. Value these and pay them
…refresheth the soul
highly.
of his masters.
Teach your workers to think
Proverbs 25:13
about their work while at home.
Someone who thinks about his work
whilst at home is both consumed and
obsessed by his job. Such people read books about their career.
They spend their money and time in an effort to be better prepared for their task. Instead
of reporting problems, they think deeply and report on how they solved the problems.
The following are helpful tips on how to be consumed with your work:
1. Know that you will only succeed with things that consume your whole being.
2. Find the job, which does not make you conscious of time.
That is your God-given task.
3. Continue working in your mind, even whilst at home.
4. Buy and read books about your work.
5. Have mainly friends who are into your kind of work. This will mean that even your
leisure times relate to your work.
6. Spend money to be better trained and prepared for your work.
94
Day 87
The supernatural is often mis-
taken for the natural. Because
of that, the supernatural passes us
by and we do not even realize it.
meetiNg Consider the call of the prophet
god
Samuel.
One night as he slept, he heard a
voice, which sounded so much like
READ:
that of his senior pastor, Eli. Samuel
1 Samuel 3:1-11
heard this voice thrice and thought
…the Holy Ghost…
each time that it was a human voice.
shall teach you all
Could it be that the supernatural
things, and bring all
voice of God is so similar to the nat-
things to your remem-
brance…
ural voice of man? It was the expe-
rienced prophet, Eli, who guided
John 14:26
Samuel to receive the supernatural.
Some of the thoughts that flash through your mind are from God. They are the voice of
God ministering direction to you.
Jesus made it clear that the Holy Spirit would minister to Christians through their minds.
The above Scripture (John 14:26) explains that the Holy Spirit brings things to your mind.
However, if your heart (thoughts and feelings) has become fat, stupid, dull and inat-
tentive, you will never know when the Holy Spirit speaks to your mind. You will not know
the difference between your own thoughts and those from the Holy Spirit.
Learn something right here! The supernatural is not always sensational, dramatic or
spectacular. My experience with the supernatural is that God uses my organs of
perception: of feeling, thinking, seeing and hearing. He will do the same for you. It may
not be spectacular or thrilling, but it certainly is supernatural.
95
Day 88
Sometimes the Bible says one
thing and Church leaders say the
opposite. For example, the Bible
says that Jesus became poor that we
riches
might be made rich. This is not my
own idea. We are reading from the
READ:
B-I-B-L-E.
2 Corinthians 8:9
The Bible says that God wishes
Beloved, I wish above
above all things that His children
all things that thou
prosper and be in health (3 John 2).
mayest prosper and be
Many people who prosper are made
in health, even as thy
to feel as though they are doing
soul prospereth.
something wrong. In many soci-
3 John 2
eties, people think that because
someone is successful and wealthy,
he must be up to some kind of evil.
The fact that you are a pastor or an ordinary Christian does not mean that you have to be
poor. Poverty is not from God.
Poverty is one of the curses in Deuteronomy 28. To be rich is better than to be poor. The
Bible says that the Lord is a sun and a shield, and no good thing will He withhold from
them that walk uprightly.
Begin to approve of success from within your heart. Do not hate successful people. You
can never become something that you hate. You can never be blessed with something that
you fight against. If you hate something, you cannot have it!
Do not let the devil deceive you. The Bible calls Satan “that old serpent…which deceiveth
the whole world” (Revelation 12:9). If Satan can deceive the whole wide world, he must
be very good at deception. Do not let success be taken out of your hand.
96
Day 89
Do you have power? Money? A
husband? A wife? Cars? A po-
sition? You must remember that
these things are from the Lord.
First
Abraham knew that secret. He knew
Fruits
that he had to acknowledge God for
his success in life so he gave tithes.
He gave a significant chunk of his
READ:
money to the Lord.
Genesis 14:18-24;
15:1-6
I want you to notice a great bless-
ing that came to Abraham after he
Honour the Lord with
paid his tithes. God was stirred to
thy substance, and
give more blessings to Abraham.
with the firstfruits of
all thine increase…
This was the first time that God
Proverbs 3:9
specifically told Abraham that he
was going to have his own special
child which would not be his servant’s child. Abraham had everything in the world but he
didn’t have a child. God knows what you don’t have. He knows where your need is
greatest.
He gave Abraham what he could not buy with money.
Please read your Bible and see for yourself whether what I am saying is true or not. In
Genesis 14 Abraham paid his tithes and then in Genesis 15 in the very next few verses,
God told him that he was going to have his miracle. God blesses those who pay tithes.
Miracles are for those who obey the principles of God’s Word.
God gave you the job you have. The first fruit is for the Lord. Paying a tithe is not
something that you must be reminded of. The fact that you are alive must remind you to
pay tithes. When you give tithes to God, you become more spiritual. It makes you more
committed. When your treasure is in the house of the Lord, you become interested in the
church.
97
Day 90
The above verse shows that God
heals for His glory to be re-
vealed. When we have miracles in
the church, it is because God wants
woNders us to get glimpses of His glory. He wants us to see His power. He wants
READ:
to show us that He is the Almighty
John 4:46-54
God and that there is no problem too
When Jesus heard
big for Him to solve.
that, he said, This
Sometimes the problems we have
sickness is not unto
are going to lead to the greatest
death, but for the
blessings in our lives. God is going
glory of God, that the
Son of God might be
to use that thing to bring a great
glorified thereby.
miracle into your life. I see that mir-
John 11:4
acle coming into your life!
God heals to confirm the Word
of God that has been preached (Mark 16:20). Miracles have a primary function of
confirming the preaching of the Word of God. This is different from eradicating all the
diseases in the community. Confirming and affirming a sermon preached by a pastor is
quite different from eradicating polio, measles or small pox from a community.
Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very
works’ sake.
John 14:11
Some people just want to see a miracle so that they can believe. Such people just need a
miracle. When they see the works, they are utterly and completely convinced about the
truth of the Word. God does miracles to help some people believe.
98
Day 91
The word “opportunity” means
“favourable time, occasion or
set of circumstances”. Many people
do not only waste their money, but
good
also their lives, resources and oppor-
ProsPects tunities. One way that people lose good opportunities that come to
them is by being extravagant. When
you live beyond your means or spend
READ:
money in excess, you have an extrav-
Luke 15:11-32
agant lifestyle.
…but from him that
Jesus told the story which has
hath not shall be
come to be known as the “Parable of
taken away even that
the Prodigal Son”. This son wasted
which he hath.
a number of good opportunities by
Matthew 25:29
wasting the opportunity to benefit
from the advice his father gave him.
The loving father had a party for the prodigal boy. However, note what he told the older
son, “. .all that l have is thine.” This implied that all that was left of the father’s property
belonged to the older son. Yes, there was a party for the prodigal son when he returned
home but he had already squandered what his father had bequeathed him. Therefore, if he
would get anything, it would depend on the benevolence of his elder brother.
The opportunity to have a good start in life had slipped away from him forever.
Be careful not to waste the opportunities God is giving you!
Like Judas, you could be in a good church, have a good pastor who teaches you the Word
of God, and take it all for granted.
Do not waste the opportunity of good advice that comes your way!
99
Day 92
Throughout the ages, God
prepared a plan to redeem and
rescue His creation. This plan is
summed up in Christ the Redeemer.
the
There were many predictions in the
cross
Old Testament about the coming
Messiah who would heal and deliver.
The coming of Christ to this earth
READ:
John 19:1-22
was predicted long in advance. This
is one thing that separates Jesus
Surely he hath borne
from leaders of all other religions.
our griefs, and carried
The prophets detailed His purpose,
our sorrows: yet we
did
esteem
him
life and death long before He arrived.
stricken, smitten of
Isaiah predicted that there would
God, and afflicted.
be someone who would take up our
Isaiah 53:4
sorrows, our grief and the chastise-
ment of our peace. He foretold that
someone would come to take away the things that disturb our peace of mind in this life.
He would take up our sicknesses and bring us healing through His stripes.
God has expressed in His Word, His heart’s desire to heal His creation. He is very
concerned with the repairing of His creation, which is and has been, lost to the devil.
Pontius Pilate asked Jesus, “Do you not know that I have the ability to set you free?”
(John 19:10). This was a suggestion that Jesus could avoid the cross. Jesus was not fooled
by Satan’s easy plan. He had to pay the price. He had to go to the cross.
The cross is the symbol of Christ, the symbol of Christianity and the symbol of the
Church. We must be proud of the cross of Jesus Christ. It is our symbol, and a symbol of
obedience and sacrifice!
100
Day 93
God promises that we shall
receive a hundredfold blessing
now and in the world to come. We
must believe that He is a rewarder of
give it uP them that diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Expect rewards on
READ:
earth and in Heaven as you serve the
Mark 10:28-31
Lord.
And he said to them
Are you afraid to trust the Lord?
all, If any man will
You are making the greatest mistake
come after me, let him
of your life. Give yourself to Him.
deny himself, and take
It is worth the risk! There is a
up his cross daily, and
follow me.
hymn, by George Bennard, which
blesses my heart. As you read the
Luke 9:23
words, may the Lord inspire you to
lay down your life for Him!
The Old Rugged Cross
On a hill far away, Stood an old rugged cross The emblem of suffering and shame, And I
love that old cross Where the dearest and best, For a world of lost sinners was slain Oh
that old rugged cross, So despised by the world Holds a wondrous attraction to me, For
t’was on that old cross Jesus suffered and died, To pardon and sanctify me To the old
rugged cross, I will ever be true It’s shame and reproach gladly bear, Then He’ll call me
some day To my home far away, Where His glory forever I’ll share.
Chorus:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I’ll lay down
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.
101
Day 94
The Apostles’ Creed is a good
example of the confession of
our Christian faith.
the
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty,
aPostles’ Maker of Heaven and Earth; And in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord, who
creed
was conceived by the Holy Ghost; born of
the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius
READ:
Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He
1 Corinthians
descended into Hell; the third day He rose
15:1-8, 12-19
again from the dead; He ascended into
Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of
Let us hold fast the
profession [confes-
God, the Father Almighty; from there He
sion] of our faith…
shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
Hebrews 10:23
I believe in the Holy Spirit; the Holy Catholic (universal) Church; the Communion of
saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
We believe that Jesus was born of a virgin and not just of a “young woman”. There is
clearly a difference! Pontius Pilate tried in vain to wash the murder of Jesus off his hands.
The church will never forget how he had Jesus killed. The resurrection of Christ separates
Him from all religious leaders. The tomb is empty! Our faith rests on this great fact of
history.
We also remind ourselves of the coming judgement, declaring that Jesus will return from
the skies to judge all. Finally, we declare that we believe in the Church and in the
communion (fellowship) of saints. We confess that we are glad to go to church.
We must affirm our faith to remind ourselves of what we really believe. When we declare
our faith, it becomes real to us. God wants us to say things that agree with our faith.
102
Day 95
Think about it. Jesus preached
and taught for three and a
half years. Since then, He has been
interceding for us. Three and a half
Priestly years of teaching compared to two FuNctioN thousand years of prayer!
The Bible teaches very clearly
that Jesus is our shepherd and that
READ:
He cares for us. Consider this: If
Hebrews 7:14-28
you were a pastor caring for a con-
…he bare the sin of
gregation and had to travel abroad,
many, and made inter-
would your heart not be with the
cession for the trans-
people you had left behind? Would
gressors.
you not pray for them? Would you
Isaiah 53:12
not send messengers to them?
Would you not send gifts to the con-
gregation to help them along their
way? This is exactly what is happening: Jesus keeps sending messages, gifts and blessings
to us (Romans 8:34).
Jesus is alive! He is able to save us to the uttermost. In other words, He is rescuing us
from every extreme and distressing situation. We are being saved to the uttermost because
of Jesus’ prayer. Even in the Old Testament, there were predictions about the great
ministry of Jesus because He was going to be an intercessor. Salvation is affecting every
part of our lives because of Jesus’ intercession. Think about how your converts would be
saved to the uttermost if you prayed like Jesus prayed.
Intercession truly makes you into a great man of God. I have rarely seen a great man of
God who is not a man of prayer. Do you want to be numbered among the great and strong
in God’s army? Move away from debates, arguments and endless discussion and become
an intercessor today.
103
Day 96
Many preachers are not taken
seriously. Many of their
statements are ignored. But every-
thing changes when someone pays
worthy the price. Every situation changes in sacriFice the moment that blood is shed.
The gravity of every situation
changes as soon as a sacrifice of
someone’s life is made. Sacrifices re-
READ:
lease the power of God in your life.
2 Kings 3:21-27
You should come to the Lord and ask
For the life of the
Him if there is anything He wants
flesh is in the blood…
from you. You must give yourself as
Leviticus 17:11
a living sacrifice to Him.
When there is sacrifice, there is
power. This is why Islamic suicide
bombers are making such an impact in the world today. You would think that these
terrorist acts would drive people away from their religion. On the contrary, these stir up
more commitment and attract more followers.
God asked me to send people to the corners of the world to start churches. The Lord told
me that there are several people who will respond to this call. He told me not to worry
about people’s lives but to sacrifice my best sons and daughters on the harvest fields. I tell
you, many have responded and are doing great things for the Lord.
God is going to make you sacrifice. He may change your life and change everything about
you. He is going to ask you to give up certain things, and as you do, you are going to see
his power. When you speak, your words will be taken seriously because of the sacrifices
you’ve made.
104
Day 97
Paul wrote to Timothy and told
him to do certain things to make
him a good leader. There are good
ministers and bad ministers. Decide
a leader to be a good minister (1 Timothy 4:6)!
READ:
Matthew 22:1-14
If you are going to be effective in
the ministry, you must study leader-
But
commission
ship. Take time to read books on
Joshua…he will lead
leadership. I have read countless
this people across and
books on leadership. I have studied
will cause them to in-
herit the land …
this all-important subject because I
Deuteronomy 3:28
want to be a good leader. Good
New International
things do not drop on you like ripe
Version
mangoes from a tree. You have to
study and discover all that there is to
learn.
I believe that many people are born with the ability to lead but they are not prepared to
pay the price to become leaders (Matthew 22:14).
The Bible teaches us that many are called to service. Anyone who yields himself to the
ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ becomes an automatic leader; you cannot avoid it! A
minister of the Gospel has to demonstrate leadership qualities and abilities all the time.
Becoming a leader will cost you your valued life. Like all leaders, I am praised by some
and criticized by others. This is the lot of a leader, and it is the reason why some people
shun leadership. But Jesus said that you should take up the cross and follow Him (Luke
14:27). Christianity involves sacrifice.
It is worth becoming a leader in the church.
105
Day 98
The same Jesus whose last words
were, “Go into the world and
preach the Gospel,” is the same Jesus
who said, “When I was hungry, you
walkiNg did not feed me. When I was sick with god you did not visit. When I was in
prison, you never thought of me.”
Visiting prisoners is not the same
READ:
as planting a church. However, it is
Matthew 25:31-46
a biblical variation. How quickly we
Jesus saith unto him, I
become “Pharisees” filled with self-
am…the truth…
righteousness when we are so sure
John 14:6
we are doing the right thing. A
deeper understanding of Jesus’
words will reveal what it means to
walk with God.
When Jesus’ disciples were criticized for plucking and eating corn on the Sabbath day, He
once again brought an exception and variation to the law. Jesus pointed out how David
had eaten the shew bread with his followers. He then gave the Pharisees another principle:
“The Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8).
This means that God is the creator of the rules and laws and He is higher than they are.
Following God is more than following a couple of rules. If all we needed were rules, then
we would no longer need God Himself. No particular rule, doctrine or principle is truth;
Jesus Himself is the truth (John 14:6).
Perhaps we also have some old principles that we cherish.
We think that by following these rules we will be following God. Following Jesus closely
is our best chance of abiding in truth.
106
Day 99
When you understand what
intercession does, you will
never stop praying for ministers.
Consider apostle Paul’s list of some
miNisters dangers he had been through as a minister.
READ:
2 Corinthians
1. Labours more abundant (long hours
11:23-29
of work)
2. Stripes above measure (unbearable
Finally, brethren, pray
physical afflictions)
for us, that the word
3. Prisons more frequent (political
of the Lord may have
and governmental harassment)
free course, and be
glorified…
4. Deaths oft (near death experiences)
5. Forty stripes save one (special
2 Thessalonians 3:1-2
personalised intimidation)
6. Beaten with rods (having rubbish
thrown at you)
7. Once stoned (mob attacks, breaking of walls, political hatred) 8. Shipwrecked three
times (the danger of car, train and plane crashes)
9. The deep (the danger of drowning)
10. Journeyings often (the danger of travelling and accidents) 11. Perils of waters (the
danger of eating and drinking unfamiliar things)
12. Perils of robbers (theft of church properties, offerings, mobile phones)
13. Perils in the city (prostitution, immorality, muggings, armed robbers)
14. Perils in the wilderness (the danger of being a foreigner) 15. Perils of the sea (more
dangers the travelling minister) 16. Perils among false brethren (spies in the church,
disloyal people)
The dangers that the apostle Paul encountered are actually the reasons why every minister
needs prayer.
107
Day 100
According to the above quoted
Scripture, even godly people
may deny the power of God. Such
people will preach about the love of
miraculous God and will extol Christian virtues Power
but be silent about the power of
God.
The Bible teaches us in the verses
READ:
we read today from the book of
James 5:13-16
James, what to do when we need
…having a form of
healing. I believe that the power of
godliness, but denying
the Holy Spirit is real. May I make
the power thereof…
a suggestion? Take a pair of scis-
2 Timothy 3:5
sors and cut out all the pages and
parts of the Bible that talk about
miracles. You will find out that you
are left with virtually nothing. The
pages of the Bible are replete with miracles. God is a God of miracles and power. You
cannot separate the service of God from His power.
In this modern age, people have gradually moved away from the power side of God.
People have withdrawn and become more sceptical. As people have become more
educated, they have moved away from the supernatural.
Unfortunately, people who believe in miracles are seen as weird and unbalanced. Some
have taught that it is poverty and backwardness that make people believe in supernatural
power.
God is not against medicine or common sense. God is fully aware of the development of
medical science and common sense. However, He is the same yesterday, today and
forever.
That means that He is still a healing Jesus, ready and capable of much miraculous power
demonstration.
108
Day 101
Every Christian must be careful
of secular music no matter how
harmless it appears. Christian musi-
cians must not play secular music if
musical they want to be truly spiritual.
styles
When an evil spirit tormented King
Saul, instrumental music was used to
drive away the demons. Dear friend,
READ:
if music can drive away demons,
1 Samuel 16:14-23
surely it is able to attract them too!
Be careful about what you listen to
…all things are lawful
because it may attract demons to
for me, but all things
your life. Much of the unspiritual
edify not.
Gospel music on the market is
1 Corinthians 10:23
charged with evil spirits. People are
filled with spirits of lust and vio-
lence when they listen to certain
kinds of music.
I will share with you three other biblical accounts, which warn us about playing with the
wrong music. First, Satan (Lucifer) was created to worship God (Ezekiel 28:13). Now, this
gift of music has been corrupted and used to fight against God.
Second, as a minstrel played, the Spirit of God came upon Elisha and he prophesied (2
Kings 3:14-16).
Third, when the musicians in the temple played instruments and worshipped God, the
presence of God filled the house.
(2 Chronicles 5:13).
Surely, we must learn from these accounts that the right kind of singing and the right kind
of instrumental music will bring in the presence of God. Many times, I have felt the
presence of God as I listened to anointed and inspired music.
Music is truly a powerful medium that takes you into the presence of God.
109
Day 102
Sometimes, we pray amiss. We do
not pray for grace. Grace is the
prayer that God never refuses.
There are many things you will ask
grace oF for and God may never listen to you, god
but if we pray for grace in every dif-
ficult situation, He will answer. You
know why? It’s because grace is
READ:
something that you do not deserve.
Hebrews 4:14-16
When you are asking for something
The LORD is merciful
you don’t deserve, nobody in Heaven
and gracious, slow to
can bring any issue against you. No-
anger, and plenteous
body can bring an accusation. It’s
in mercy.
because you are asking for grace,
Psalm 103:8
something that you don’t deserve.
Apostle Paul said the grace of
God is sufficient for us. The grace
of God is sufficient for that problem in your life. The grace of God is sufficient for every
situation.
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in
weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of
Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:9
I see the grace of God moving into your life! I see His grace moving over your finances.
The grace is moving into your body and into your life! It is moving into every situation!
His grace is coming into your ministry! His grace is coming into your church!
It is what you don’t deserve, but He’s giving it to you to bless you and to lift you up!
110
Day 103
After the Lord has set you free
from demons, you need to make
practical adjustments, otherwise the
demons will return. You need to
liFestyle obey the Word of God practically.
Notice from today’s Scripture that
chaNge
the house was empty, swept and
clean. A house, which is not filled
READ:
with the Word of God, will be filled
Matthew 12:43-45
with demons. I have watched as
many go for deliverance sessions and
And ye shall know the
truth, and the truth
yet never seem to be free. This is be-
shall make you free.
cause we are ignoring a most basic
John 8:32
truth from the Lord.
It is the knowledge of the truth
that actually sets us free. Many pas-
tors attempt to use the laying on of hands to accomplish what only the truth can do.
However, none of us is wiser than God.
We may anoint people with oil a thousand times but that cannot be substituted for the
knowledge of truth.
Demons cannot have access to Christians unless we give them a foothold (Ephesians
4:27). Often, the foothold of the devil is not removed and so the demons still have access
and keep returning. What is there in your life that allows the devil to keep returning?
Perhaps bad company is ruining your life.
Perhaps, the alcohol you drink is opening the door to the spirit of death.
Without some practical steps, your deliverance from demons will never be complete. Jesus
told the madman of Gadara to go witnessing about what the Lord had done for him (Mark
5:19). His continued deliverance lay in his obedience to this command. What has the Lord
asked you to do? Obeying this command will keep you free from demons.
111
Day 104
Visits have life-changing power!
Many pastors do not know the
secret behind the power of visita-
tion. I want you to understand why
visits
visitation, in the ministry of a
pastor, is so powerful!
READ:
Visitation is a powerful mixture
Luke 5:38-39
of three forces: it involves the
My little children let
ministry of the Word, it involves the
us not love in word,
ministry of prayer, and it is an
neither in tongue; but
expression of love.
in deed and in truth.
The Word of God is powerful
1 John 3:18
and life changing. The Bible says
that it brings light where there is
darkness. It is therefore no surprise
that it has a powerful effect on
people. Prayer is also powerful. The Bible says that it availeth much. That means it has
great effect.
However, the Bible also says that love never fails! There are many spiritual weapons that
we use all the time. No weapon has been described as “never failing”. This makes love a
very powerful weapon.
In visitation, there is a mixture of the Word, prayer and love. The act of journeying to
someone’s house at an odd hour demonstrates great love. You cannot demonstrate love in
words alone. Loving in deed involves going to people’s homes.
Loving in deed involves knowing the real life situations that people live in. Sometimes the
person who is being visited does not even hear the words that you speak. What remains
with him is the fact that you cared enough to come.
Do not underestimate the effect of this powerful mixture: the Word, love and prayer!
112
Day 105
Moses kept people together.
Some of the tribes of Israel
did not want to cross the River
Jordan. They wanted to stay where
all
the grass was good for their cattle;
together meanwhile, there was a war to fight.
They had been together up until this
time and the nation Israel was about
READ: Numbers
to split up into two. God gave
32:1-24, 33
Moses the wisdom to keep Israel
He chose David…to
united.
feed Jacob his peo-
Moses could have cursed those
ple…So he fed them
tribes and told them that they were
according to the in-
tegrity of his heart…
damned. But he made it possible for
them to have their dreamland and at
Psalm 78:70-72
the same time remain a part of
Israel.
Pastoring a church is the art of keeping people together. At many points in the life of a
church, there are situations that have the potential of dividing people. You must develop
the art of keeping people together.
What is the key to uniting people? You must believe that the people must be kept together.
If you have a “you can go to Hell if you want to” attitude, many people are going to drop
out of your team. Have a strong desire to keep everyone together. Fight to prevent the loss
of even one person. Jesus did not want to lose any of the people God had given Him.
Another key is to cherish and love people genuinely. Love all the people God gives you.
When you love somebody genuinely, you do not easily want to part with the person. A
leader must have real love for people. People will stay where they feel they are genuinely
loved.
113
Day 106
God is a covenant-keeping God.
There is a little understood
revelation on how to move the hand
of God, which I call the key of
vows
covenant making.
Hannah made a covenant to give
READ:
her child to the Lord. Initiating a
1 Samuel 1:9-28
covenant with the Lord can provoke
…thou shalt keep and
Him to bless you supernaturally;
perform…according as
Hannah provoked God to open her
thou hast vowed unto
womb and to release her children to
the LORD thy God,
her. She promised Him the first
which thou hast prom-
ised with thy mouth.
child even if it was the only one.
Deuteronomy 23:23
Jacob was another person who
covenanted to the Lord and by that
invoked a great blessing on his life
(Genesis 28:20-21).
A final example of someone who covenanted to the Lord was Jephthah (Judges 11:30-31).
Covenant making is a special kind of prayer in which you engage the Lord in a legally
binding agreement. Many people become unfaithful when He honours them in the
ministry.
The Lord is looking for faithful people who will remain true to His calling as the years go
by. Perhaps a prayer of commitment from you to always be faithful to the call of God will
release the grace of God that you so desire upon your life. If you will not be faithful to
God, why will He give you His precious anointing?
All those who made these covenants kept them and the Lord also kept His side of the
covenant.
114
Day 107
The word “legion” means, “a
band, a crowd, a host or a mul-
titude”. The word legion aptly de-
scribes the group nature of demonic
legioN
activities. Teams of evil spirits
carry out most of Satan’s plans.
READ:
Revelation 6:2-8
We are shown an example of de-
monic teamwork in the passage you
For
we
wrestle
just read. In this vision, there were
…against principali-
four spiritual horses: white, red,
ties, against powers,
black and a pale one. Each had a dif-
against the rulers of
ferent spiritual rider. The first to be
the darkness of this
world, against spiri-
introduced was the spirit of a con-
tual wickedness in
queror. The second spirit was the
high places.
spirit that takes peace away. The
Ephesians 6:12
third spirit was the spirit of famine.
The fourth was the spirit of death.
One after another, these four spirits ravaged the earth until a quarter of the earth was killed
with the sword and with hunger. Let me give you an example of this pattern.
Some years ago, Charles Taylor in Liberia, came forth conquering and to conquer. Then
the second rider emerged as various rebel groups ravaged the countryside, taking away
peace from Liberia. Famine set in. That was the third rider at work.
Finally, the spirit of death engulfed the region and we heard of mass graves and thousands
of people losing their lives.
Demons truly do work in groups. Indeed, all the four riders had effectively worked
together.
The problems of any country seldom emanate from a single cause. They may be due to a
spirit of corruption, bad leadership, deception or discrimination. Join in the fight against
Satan’s agents. We are to pray for nations and rulers, to avert war and destruction (1
Timothy 2:1-2).
115
Day 108
Develop a personal relationship
with the Holy Spirit. Hear
Him speaking to you personally. You
will do this by faith. When you are
comForter all alone and there is no one to speak to, the Holy Spirit will be the guide
READ:
that you need. You have overcome
John 14:16-27
because He is in you (1 John 4:4).
Now our Lord Jesus
In my darkest moments, I have
Christ himself, and
found the Holy Spirit to be someone
God, even our Father,
…Comfort your hearts,
who speaks to me personally. Jesus
and stablish you in
described the Holy Spirit as
every good word and
another Comforter. Jesus was the
work.
first Comforter. He was available to
2 Thessalonians
speak to. He was there to answer
2:16-17
questions. He was there to give
guidance. Today, the Holy Spirit
does this job.
When the Bible becomes a living message from God to you, you will always have a
source of direction and encouragement.
When I am in need of encouragement or direction, I believe that whichever part of the
Scriptures I read at that time, will be God’s message to me. This makes the Bible my
greatest tool of self-encouragement and motivation.
Jesus also expects us to remember the things He has done for us in the past to encourage
ourselves. Notice how He was angry with the disciples for not remembering the past
miracles (Mark 8:18-21). Make positive confessions. Your faith must speak when you
need encouragement. Faith is the opposite of depression. The Bible calls faith a shield that
quenches fiery darts; it is a God-given weapon meant to stop attacks.
Remember that joy comes in the morning!
116
Day 109
You must experience some
suffering before enjoying the
higher blessings of God. Paying
this price is nothing compared to the
Pay the glory that will be revealed in your Price
life. I have noticed that there is no
successful minister who does not
have a story of suffering and
READ:
difficulties.
Acts 20:17-24
Recently, a visiting minister,
But first must he suf-
whose ministry I knew little about,
fer many things, and
came to speak in our church. As he
be rejected of this
shared his life testimony, I marvelled
generation.
at how this principle is played out
Luke 17:25
consistently in everyone’s life.
He had been through many
things. He had been hungry on many occasions; he had encouraged his wife on several
occasions. He had been without money and food many times. This man is now a very
successful minister in the country where he lives. The story is always the same. The
suffering comes before the glory.
On the day the temple was dedicated, Solomon made many sacrifices to the Lord. After
the sacrifices had been offered, the glory filled the temple and no one could stand to
minister. God was moved by the sacrifice. God is still moved by your sacrifice.
The glory of God will surely come after the sacrifice.
…then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; So that the priests
could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the
house of GOD.
2 Chronicles 5:13,14
117
Day 110
Every pastor should see the
congregation as God’s garden,
God’s field or God’s farm. When
you are preaching, you are actually
god’s
pouring seeds into God’s farm. The
gardeN
type of seeds you pour into the
ground determines the type of
harvest you are going to get. Every
READ:
pastor must see himself as a farmer
1 Corinthians
3:5-15
who plants seeds with every sermon.
There are short-term harvests of
…The seed is the
the Word. During each service,
word of God.
whatever you preach is a seed for a
Luke 8:11
short-term harvest. If you preach
about salvation, you will get people
saved. I remember preaching about
miracles at a crusade. There was an
almost immediate response from the congregation! Cripples came out of wheelchairs and
the sick began to get healed as I spoke about healing. At that moment, I was reaping a
short-term harvest.
There are also long-term harvests of the Word. Without knowing what I was doing, I
sowed certain seeds of loyalty in God’s garden. I have taught about loyalty and I have
reaped a harvest of loyal people from the garden! I have preached about the ministry and
missionary work. As the years have gone by, God has blessed me with many workers and
missionaries.
You must believe in the principle of God’s garden. This principle will guide you into
preaching the right things. Preach about what you want and not about what you have! As
the years go by, you will realise that you have a congregation of people that are the exact
products of your teaching.
118
Day 111
One of the highest blessings is
that it may be well with you.
However, it will never be well with
you if you are disobedient to your
Father’s father! The greatest blessing for will
sons is hidden in their obedience to
their fathers. I have noticed that in
large families with five or more
READ:
children, the sons or daughters who
Ephesians 6:1-4
are very obedient to their parents
Children, obey your
turn out more blessed than those
parents in all things:
who are rebellious, independent and
for this is well pleas-
resistant. It is a pattern you will
ing unto the Lord.
discover for yourself.
Colossians 3:20
One day, a father went shopping
with his two sons. One of them con-
stantly had a different opinion and
always wanted something different; he didn’t like what his father liked. However, the
reaction of the other son was very different. He would say, “Whatever you choose for me
is okay.
I like what you like for me. I want what you want for me.”
You see, these two attitudes can result in two different outcomes. It will be well with sons
and daughters who trust and obey their fathers! This principle applies to all kinds of
fathers, whether natural or spiritual.
Become a son who wants what his father chooses for him.
Christianity is based on this principle: The principle of submitting your will to the will of
your Father, the principle of accepting the Father’s will instead of your own will. Do not
be self-willed. Be subject to your Father’s will. It is safer and easier to say, “Father, into
thine hands do I commit my life.”
Let’s follow Jesus; He is the best example for us all.
119
Day 112
Iam convinced that if demons
could have twins, then the twin of
the spirit of lying would be the spirit
of stealing. Lying and stealing
belt oF always go together. Anybody who
truth
lies to you is not loyal to you. His
heart cannot be with you.
Watch out for liars; they are very
READ:
dangerous people! Do you know
Proverbs 6:16-19
how to catch a liar? Let me share
Lie not one to an-
with you a little secret I use. Listen
other, seeing that ye
to people as they speak casually.
have put off the old
When they jokingly tell you about
man with his deeds;
how they lied to someone and got
Colossians 3:9
away with it, take note! Since he is
capable of lying effortlessly to other
people, he can do the same to you.
I believe that truth is an integral part of your character. If the belt of truth is absent, you
are exposed to demons. If God hates a lying tongue, it must be the duty of every Christian,
leader or manager to hate the same thing. Liars are disloyal people!
There are people who have the ability to create stories and recreate events to suit
themselves. Have you noticed that news-papers often have tragic or scandalous events as
their head-lines? Bad news is sweeter to the gossips than good news.
Watch out for people who have endless tales about others.
They know every bad event that has occurred in the church.
They are ready to give you a complete rundown on any story you request. They know the
details and they have inside information. Watch out for such people. They sow discord and
division within the camp.
120
Day 113
The Bible contains the written
Word of God. It is a reliable
source of direction for us all. Every-
thing we do must be according to the
Put oN the Word of God. In a very general way, the Word of God is the perfect
light!
guidebook for our lives. The Bible is
a unique book that contains instruc-
READ:
tion on every possible issue that may
2 Timothy 3:14-17
arise.
…I am the light of the
The Scripture is profitable, useful,
world: he that fol-
relevant and practical for every
loweth me…shall have
Christian today! There are many
the light of life.
Christians who do not want you to
John 8:12
open the Bible; they just want a
prophecy or a word of knowledge.
When the Word of God is preached, the congregation will have light for their darkness
(Psalm 119:105). There is so much darkness in the world. We often do not know what to
do, but God has provided a light for Christians. What is this light that God has provided
for Christians? God’s Word is a lamp and a light for us. It is only when you put on the
light that you know where to go. It is only when you put on the light that you can prevent
yourself from stumbling over furniture. Jesus Christ called Himself the light of this world.
You need light in this life! Jesus (the Word) is the light for your life. People who have
tried to live their lives without Christ and the Word have discovered that it is painful to
stumble around in the darkness.
121
Day 114
Satan is a very persistent being.
In the temptation of Jesus, He
left the Lord only for a season
(Luke 4:13). Any time you are deal-
resolve to ing with a demonic attack, you must be Free be aware of this nature of persist-
ence. You must counteract it with an
even more persistent determination
READ:
to be free.
1 Peter 5:8
Satan asked Jesus to bow down
Submit
yourselves
and worship him so that he would
therefore to God. Re-
give Him the whole world. It was a
sist the devil, and he
quick way to win the whole world,
will flee from you.
instead of having to suffer. Some
James 4:7
years later, Satan came through
Peter and opposed the idea of suffer-
ing on the cross (Matthew 16:21-22).
Once again, Jesus had to rebuke Satan.
Again, while Christ was on the cross, men wagged their heads and suggested that He came
down from the cross to prove that He is the Son of God (Mark 15:31-32). Satan never
gave up until Jesus died.
Satan will never give up until you and I are dead. We are dealing with a persistent enemy.
Satan is relentless and unyielding in his onslaught. He shamelessly returns with the same
problem after a season of respite. Sometimes he gives the problem a new look but it is the
same problem repackaged and represented. Don’t let the persistent nature of problems
discourage you. Rise up with the tenacity of a mountain goat, and prevail over your enemy
today.
122
Day 115
Wrongdoers abound in every
sphere of life. They steal,
cheat, under-invoice and over-
invoice. The list is endless. Loyal
loyal
people expose wrongdoers to the
PeoPle
leadership.
One loyal person will keep an eye
on all these people. Such a person is
READ:
worth a lot to the manager.
Genesis 37:1-4
A truly loyal person does not
…Caleb, because he
mind what people think about him.
had another spirit
He will expose every crooked activ-
with him, and hath
followed me fully…
ity to his superior because he is gen-
Numbers 14:24
uinely loyal to him. Loyalty is a sign
of good character. However, a loyal
person will sometimes incur the dis-
pleasure and hatred of the people he exposes. Remember the example of Joseph.
Joseph was loyal to his father. He did not care what his brothers thought about him and
constantly reported their evil deeds to their father, Jacob. The price of loyalty was the
hatred of his brothers. Loyalty also had its rewards. Jacob developed a special affinity and
love for Joseph in particular. Unfortunately, many managing directors, leaders, presidents
and pastors do not know the value of a loyal person and therefore do not reward that loyal
person for his loyalty. They treat loyal people as ordinary people.
By studying this story you will see how the loyalty of Joseph and the disloyalty of his
brothers led to Jacob’s special love for Joseph. I believe in placing value on loyalty. What
do you do for people who are loyal to you?
123
Day 116
One of the secrets to prolonging
your days on this earth is to be
involved in the building of the house
of God. Some years ago, I noticed a
dwelliNg man who was really blessed of God.
Places
The man had lived to a ripe old age
and had many children and grand-
children. In his old age, he was rich
READ:
and in good health. Most people at
Haggai 1:1-14
that age would be flat broke!
Is it time for you, O
I asked the Lord, “Why is this
ye, to dwell in your
man blessed?”
cieled houses, and this
house lie waste?
The Lord showed me that this
Haggai 1:4
was a person very much involved in
the building of the church. He was
somebody who had spent a lot of his
personal money building the church. The Spirit of God whispered to me, “The people who
involve themselves in building the church, whether spiritually or physically have a special
grace upon their lives.”
Consider the centurion who needed a miracle for his servant. The people told Jesus that
the man deserved a miracle because he had built them a synagogue (Luke 7:4, 5). Good
things from Jesus were about to flow into this man’s life because he had built a church.
I once heard a great man of God ministering at the sod-cutting ceremony of a church in
my city. This man of God made a statement that I will never forget. He told the
congregation, “Build God’s house and God will build a house for you.” I have never
forgotten those words. Build a house of stability and safety for God’s people and God will
make your dwelling secure.
124
Day 117
You will notice from today’s
Scripture reading, that there
was a time when the servants of Lot
quarrelled with the servants of
PartNers Abraham. Lot did not tell his servants that they were even
privileged to be with Abraham. He
READ:
Genesis 13:1-18
did not remind his followers that it
was Abraham who was called and
Can two walk to-
that he was just taken along by the
gether, except they be
grace of God.
agreed?
Amos 3:3
Abraham had to settle the dis-
pute. Abraham took the initiative to
separate from Lot. When Abraham
asked Lot to choose one section of
the land, he took the best part and
left Abraham, the real leader, with
the leftovers. Sometimes when you do things as a group, the people around do not realize
who the real leader is. They think that it is the group effort that is making things work.
Dear friend, notice that it was only after Lot was separated from Abraham that God began
to fulfil Abraham’s call.
Often, when people who are launching out in business should really do it alone, they go in
for partnerships. I have watched many partnerships break up very painfully. Sometimes
when you get yourself involved with partners who are like Lot, they forget that you are the
one who had the vision.
The time may come when they will even drive you out of the business you created.
Just decide to obey God and to obey Him fully. If God has called you alone, go alone. He
will bring people to help you.
Don’t be afraid! Strength is not in numbers; it is in God.
125
Day 118
Baptism comes from the Greek
word baptiso which means
“immersion”. Water baptism is
therefore the immersion of a person
baPtism totally into water. It is not sprin-kling or pouring of water. A lot of
READ:
water is needed for baptism by im-
Matthew 3:1-17
mersion (Matthew 3:16, John 3:23).
…we are buried with
Water baptism is a command to
him by baptism into
anyone who becomes born again and
death: that…as Christ
was raised up from the
a direct act of obedience to Christ’s
dead by the glory of
instruction.
the Father, even so we
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the
also should walk in
world, and preach the gospel to every
newness of life.
creature. He that believeth and is bap-
Romans 6:4
tized shall be saved; but he that believeth
not shall be damned.
Mark 16:15-16
Baptism is not for church membership, but an open declaration of our new stand in Christ.
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Galatians 3:27
When you are baptized, you are openly declaring that you have by faith “put on Christ” so
that men may see Christ in you.
We identify with the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ in baptism.
The lowering of the convert completely under the water pictures Christ’s death; the
submersion of the convert speaks of His burial and the raising of the convert from the
water signifies His resurrection.
126
Day 119
When the Holy Spirit arrived
on the day of Pentecost,
there was a great uproar in the city.
Some people thought that the people
this is
speaking in tongues were drunk.
that!
Others thought that the disciples
were mad. Perhaps, many just didn’t
know what was happening.
READ:
Apostle Peter, at the Lord’s
Acts 2:1-21
prompting, rose up in the midst of
the confusion and boldly declared,
…I will pour out my
spirit upon all flesh…
“This is that!” What did he mean by
Joel 2:28
“this is that”? This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel. One of
the greatest keys to flowing in the
supernatural is to believe that what
you are seeing is what you have be-
lieved for. How did Peter know that this was that spoken of by the prophet Joel? He didn’t
know! He just declared boldly that he was seeing the supernatural.
One time while I was ministering, a young lady began to scream, twist and squirm. She
had to be held down by four strong men. As I ministered to her, she suddenly became still
and collapsed to the ground. I wondered to myself, “What has happened now?” The Holy
Spirit said to me, “This is that!”
This is Acts 8:5-8 reenacted. This is what Jesus experienced when He cast out the
epileptic spirit in Mark 10:9. God told me, “This is that which Jesus experienced.”
When you have “this is that” faith, you will be able to accept the supernatural happenings
in your life. When you hear the voice of the Spirit speaking to your mind, you will no
longer say that it is just a thought. You will say, “This is that”.
127
Day 120
The first instruction that was
given to Solomon was to be
strong and to behave like a man
(1 Kings 2:2).
oPPoNeNts
Because I am a leader, I under-
stand the importance of that
READ:
instruction. Without strength, you
1 Corinthians
15:33-34
cannot be a good leader. A church
needs a strong leader to move it for-
Hearken unto me…
ward. Democracy and numerous
fear ye not the re-
committees are not helpful when you
proach of men, nei-
ther be ye afraid of
need strong leadership.
their revilings.
Solomon went ahead and elimi-
Isaiah 51:7
nated his half-brother Adonijah, who
had earlier tried to take the throne
from him. The first act of strength
that Solomon performed was to eliminate all possible traitors and wicked elements
surrounding him.
Some of you are too weak to get rid of that bad man in your life. You must get rid of that
bad girl. She shouldn’t be there.
As long as certain people are a part of your life, you will not prosper. Temptations come
through people. They do not fly in a vacuum. If you do not get rid of certain people in
your life, you will have countless problems.
You need strength to obey the voice of the Lord. When God told me to be a pastor, it took
a lot of strength to forge ahead into God’s will. I found myself surrounded by people who
didn’t believe in me. I had to get rid of the scoffers in my life and I did just that!
No one can prosper if he has disloyal scorners around him.
You need an environment of encouragement and peace.
128
Day 121
When you study the testimony
of the woman with the issue
of blood in Mark 5, you will
realize that she had been through
grace For many things. Even with modern
the lowly medicine, women with gynaecological problems have humiliating
experiences at the hands of different
READ:
doctors. I wonder what it was like
1 Peter 5:5-6
two thousand years ago.
Surely he scorneth the
By the time this woman came to
scorners: but he giveth
Jesus, she had no confidence in her-
grace unto the lowly.
self. She had no hope in man. She
Proverbs 3:34
had no trust in human medicine. She
had been completely softened by the
experiences of life. This had made
her humble and open to receive. The
Bible says that God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. God gives
miracles and blessings to humble people.
This woman did not even want to meet Jesus. All she wanted to do was to touch the tip of
Jesus’ trousers. That is humility indeed! Humble yourself in the sight of God and He will
raise you up (1 Peter 5:6).
When you are proud, you often don’t even know it.
Experiences of life can calm you down and make you to begin to trust more in the grace of
God than in yourself. Don’t be worried by the difficult times you are going through.
Perhaps, you are on the road of humility. Perhaps, God is breaking down your resistance
and your pride. He is causing you to be ready and open to receive grace. Your day for a
miracle is around the corner!
129
Day 122
In order to experience the super-
natural you need to have faith in
the supernatural and the methods of
the supernatural.
it’s For
In Luke chapter seven, we read
real!
the account of Jesus’ encounter with
the Centurion whose servant was
sick. The Centurion’s message was
READ:
simple, “Do not bother to come to
Luke 7:1-10
my house. I know there are super-
…my word be…shall
natural methods of doing things. I
not return unto me
believe in the spoken word. Just
void, but it shall ac-
stand there and say something!
complish that which I
please…
Speak words into the atmosphere.
My servant who is some distance
Isaiah 55:11
away will receive his healing.” That
was a supernatural method!
I can understand the difficulty some people would have with the workings of the Holy
Spirit. However, you must believe that with the laying on of hands, power can be
transmitted which will cause sicknesses to vanish. Believe in the methods of God. Believe
in the spoken word (Psalm 107:20).
In one of our miracle services, I spoke under the anointing and said, “There is a woman
who has been having miscarriages.
Receive your child now!” This woman later testified how she received her pregnancy from
that moment and carried it through the nine months. After the birth of the baby, she
brought it to church and testified before the congregation as to how the Lord had
ministered to her.
Before you can receive the supernatural, you must believe in supernatural methods.
130
Day 123
Mature Christians have their
senses alert, exercised to dis-
cern or distinguish good from evil.
The word “senses” is derived from
PercePtioN the Greek word, aishtheteria that means, “organs of perception”.
READ:
The organs of perception are the
Matthew 13:13-17
eyes to see, the ears to hear, the nose
But strong meat be-
to smell, the skin to feel and the
longeth to them…who
tongue to taste. The Bible is telling
by reason of use have
us that these organs of perception if
their senses exercised
they are spiritually alert, can also be
to discern both good
and evil.
used to discern spiritual things, to
detect good and evil things.
Hebrews 5:14
The Lord took me to today’s
Scripture passage to form a solid
basis for this revelation. Jesus said, “Blessed are your eyes. .and blessed are your ears. .”
He was speaking about their organs of perception (aishstheteria). When you move out of
the natural realm, you will begin to perceive things with those very eyes and ears you
have. He told the disciples that their eyes saw more than natural eyes see. Such eyes can
also see visions, revelations and the supernatural. He also stated that their ears heard a
little further, the voice of the Holy Spirit.
God wants your thoughts and feelings to be sensitive to supernatural things. We must feel
the “move” of the Holy Spirit, feel the presence of God, and feel the healing anointing.
The Holy Spirit is offended when we do not respond to His presence.
The principal revelation I want to bring to your understanding is that the supernatural
operates through your organs of perception: your eyes, ears, thoughts and feelings.
131
Day 124
This Scripture is very clear. God
answers the prayers of people
who obey Him. If you had a disobe-
dient son who did not please you,
are you would you just give him anything he workiNg? asked for? Certainly not! Neither
does your heavenly Father answer
the prayers of disobedient children.
READ:
John 15:4-16
If God has called you to the min-
istry, just obey! Your obedience
…we receive of him,
opens the door for answers to your
because we keep his
prayers.
commandments, and
do those things that
Another step to receiving
are pleasing in his
answers to your prayer is to be a
sight.
fruit-bearing Christian. If you are a
1 John 3:22
born-again Christian, the only rea-
son you are being kept alive is so
that you can bear fruit. After all, Heaven is guaranteed.
You have a place in Heaven after you are born again. What else do you need? Earthly
treasures are transient and useless.
We are being kept alive on this earth so that we can win souls for Him. God wants every
Christian to bear fruit.
One thing that many Christians do not know is that God has linked bearing fruit to
answering prayer. The Scripture above is very clear! God will be happy to answer the
prayer of someone who bears fruit. What do you do for God? What fruit are you bearing?
If you sit in spiritual barrenness just wanting God to answer prayers, you may wait
forever. Some people just know how to say, “Give me! Give me! Give me!”
What are you contributing to God’s kingdom?
Receive this revelation into your spirit and begin to bear fruit from today. Stop being an
observer.
132
Day 125
Awoman with wisdom is
someone who knows that there
are temptations that are peculiar to
women. You must be determined to
ladies
overcome them.
beware!
Many ladies are tempted to
marry unbelievers. There are many
non-Christian men who come knock-
READ:
2 Corinthians
ing at the doors of young ladies. A
6:14-18
woman with direction is able to
resist this temptation and to keep
Favour is deceitful,
and beauty is vain: but
herself.
a woman that feareth
Many women are tempted to
the LORD, she shall
sleep with men. Often ladies sleep
be praised.
with half a dozen or more different
Proverbs 31:30
men before they eventually settle
down. Woman, you will be tempted to do this in order to secure the love of a man. When
you go looking for tenderness and love you may receive it, but at a high price. Keep
yourself pure. Be a woman who overcomes her temptations.
Many women believe that their beauty will last forever.
This is why they say “no” to prospective young men when they propose to them. They are
also deceived into thinking that their beauty will charm a man forever. A woman with
direction knows that beauty is vain. She may be beautiful but she is also spiritual. Woman,
your charm and beauty have an expiration date. They will not last forever. Seek for
spiritual things. It is the inner spiritual commitment of the man that makes him faithful to
you and not your beauty. Do not make the mistake of thinking that beauty is everything.
Demons whisper lies and deception to women all the time.
Do not be taken in by the lies of the devil.
133
Day 126
How do you fight an enemy you
cannot see? How much more
difficult it is to fight an enemy who
can see you when you are not even
ideNtiFy aware of them?
the eNemy
However, I have realized in recent
times that Christians are accom-
plishing great feats in spite of the
READ:
fact that we do not see the realm of
1 Peter 5:8-9
the Spirit. Even the angels admire
Lest Satan should get
and respect us for our accomplish-
an advantage of us:
ments. The hosts of Heaven are
for we are not igno-
watching us operating in the dark
rant of his devices.
without any vision at all. They see
2 Corinthians 2:11
us defeat the enemy time and time
again. They cheer us on as they
watch us whip an enemy whose main
strength is “being invisible”. There are Christians who believe the Word, obey God and
defeat the enemy repeatedly.
Some Christians and ministers are simply unaware of the tricks of the devil. If these could
see the hordes of demons that surround them, they would probably act differently. Others
think the devil is working in a way that he is not. For instance, there are people who think
that Satan lives in Africa.
They feel that the wars, poverty and backwardness of African nations are a sure sign of the
presence of the devil.
They say this because they do not understand the strategies or schemes of Satan. They do
not understand that Satan’s principal strategy is to deceive the world and to lead them
unknowingly into Hell. Learn to identify the enemy when he’s at work.
134
Day 127
Agood leader is surrounded by
people who are glad to carry
out his wishes. If you are a leader,
look into the eyes of those who
Followers follow you. Are those eyes gleaming with eagerness or do they radiate
READ:
resentment and bitterness?
2 Samuel 23:8-17
Many mighty men surrounded
As the Father hath
King David. No doubt, several of
loved me, so have I
them would have laid down their
loved you: continue ye
lives for him if the need arose. What
in my love.
made David’s men so ready to give
John 15:9
up their lives so that he could have a
drink of water?
What can you do to make the
people who are following you gen-
uinely willing to obey and to flow with you? Make people feel important, that you
genuinely respect and love them; this would go a long way in making your followers love
you. People naturally love those who respect them.
Transform the people who follow you into eminent, distinguished, celebrated and
impressive men. Jesus transformed His followers into the great apostles that we know
them to be. He promised them mansions in Heaven as well as many other rewards. No
wonder they died for him.
When the people you lead feel that in following you they will become great in this life,
they will be very willing to stay close. Pay good salaries and make sure that everyone who
works for you has a home, cars and enough money.
A true leader has willing followers. Decide from today to make the people around you
enthusiastic about their jobs and their association with you. Sacrifice to make them happy.
135
Day 128
At no time in the history of
Christianity has the conduct
and lifestyle of the clergy come
under such scrutiny! The onus
clergymeN therefore falls on us who are called into this ministry to live up to
READ:
certain standards.
2 Timothy 3:10-17
The challenges and realities of
Take heed therefore
modern-day ministry are fraught
unto yourselves, and
with all sorts of pressures. The
to all the flock, over
pressures of finances, the pressures
the which the Holy
of family and the pressures of
Ghost hath made you
overseers, to feed the
human expectations are just a few of
church of God…
the many demands of ministry.
Acts 20:28
These pressures in the Lord’s work,
are often the causes of improper
behaviour in a minister’s relations
with others. In the ministry, an oversight can lead to improper conduct and create an
unfortunate misrepresentation of what we stand for.
When God calls a man, He calls him first to follow Him, and then to learn of Him. We are
never to stop learning. The ministry is a long road of continuous education. One of the
things that Paul instructed us to learn of him was his manner of life.
In other words, we are to follow the ethical principles that influenced his professional
conduct as a minister.
Ethical practices are upright, sound, honourable, moral, lawful, above-board, and full of
integrity. Unethical behaviour on the other hand, is that which is indecent, unfair,
improper, dis-honourable, shady, unscrupulous and maybe even crooked.
It is my prayer that as God’s minister, you will adopt guidelines which are profitable for
instruction in righteousness.
136
Day 129
The fact that a human being is
actually a spirit living inside a
physical body is one of the lesser-
known truths. When Paul wrote to
the humaN the Thessalonians, he stated that sPirit
God should affect them in all three
areas: spirit, soul and body.
I will never forget my first day as
READ:
a medical student in the dissection
Luke 16:19-31
laboratory of the medical school.
…I pray God your
We were ushered into a large, air-
whole spirit and soul
conditioned room containing twelve
and body be preserved
white marble tables. On each of
blameless…
these tables was a dead human being
1 Thessalonians 5:23
lying stark naked.
The Anatomy lecturer, who was a
Christian, said something that has stayed with me since then.
He said, “This scene should make everyone of you seriously consider what life is all
about.” He added, “If life just consists of the physical, then even goats are better. Because
when goats die, they can be eaten, but human beings cannot be eaten.”
Many Christians are not aware of this important reality that they are spirits and souls
inhabiting bodies. It is because they are not conscious that they are spirits living in bodies
that they spend all their time on their bodies only. When a person becomes aware of his
spirit and soul, he spends time building up and developing the spirit. You can develop
your human spirit by praying (1 Corinthians 14:4).
This Scripture speaks about building up yourself spiritually.
When you speak in tongues, you edify - build up, charge up yourself spiritually. It is good
to do bodily exercises. We are not against that! However, what about spiritual exercises?
Be conscious of your spirit within.
137
Day 130
You will notice from today’s
Scripture that Daniel prayed
three times a day. An important
phrase used is “as he did aforetime”.
too busy? That means that Daniel had been praying these prayers on a regular
READ:
basis. Daniel was not just praying
Daniel 6:4-16
because he was in trouble; he had a
Pray without ceasing.
habit of praying.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Many times when people become
prosperous, they stop going for
prayer meetings and eventually
backslide. Not so with Daniel! He
was the Prime Minister of his coun-
try, second in authority only to the
king. He was a successful man who
had risen from slavery to the high
office of Prime Minister. He was one of the most respected and feared men in the nation.
He was a major politician of the day. He was a civil servant. Yet, he prayed three times a
day, everyday!
A good prayer life is most important! Let this enter your spirit - in all your getting, get
prayer! In all your activities, make room for prayer!
You may have a busy lifestyle and you may be a very important person. Though a Prime
Minister, yet Daniel felt that he was not too busy to pray three times a day. If you think
you are too busy to pray, then you are deceiving yourself. If you do not pray, it is because
you do not want to pray. It is because you do not think that prayer is important now! Your
state of blessing is not the signal to stop praying.
138
Day 131
Ibelieve that avoidance of
deception was one of the reasons
why Jesus instituted the Lord’s
Supper. It is to remind everyone that
mutiNy
no matter what you achieve or attain
you are not Christ! We need to
READ:
remember our origins. We need to
1 Kings 11:26-40
remember how we became what we
The eye that mocketh
are today. Jesus said, “…this do in
at his father, and de-
remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19).
spiseth to obey his
Many rebellious people are
mother, the ravens of
deceived because they are gifted and
the valley shall pick it
out, and the young ea-
anointed. The mother of all decep-
gles shall eat it.
tion is when the mutineer thinks that
Proverbs 30:17
he can destroy his teacher and father.
Absalom fought against his own
father and failed. Judas tried to
destroy Jesus his teacher and Lord but failed. Lucifer thought he could dethrone God.
What folly! What unthinkable madness!
A Nigerian minister friend of mine told me about one mutinous pastor of his who became
anarchistic and decided to fight against his father, even threatening to publish a book of
sedi-tious material about him. This is the spirit of Absalom that fights against your own
father. The spirit of Lucifer is the spirit that tries to replace and take over rightful
authority. The spirit of Judas is the treacherous spirit that betrays and turns against his own
teacher.
I want you to learn right here, that you cannot replace God and you cannot succeed in
fighting your own father. God will not help you; in fact, He will fight against you. All of
nature, including the wild ravens and eagles of the air will fight against you.
139
Day 132
Aleader is someone who is ahead
of his followers. That is what
makes him a leader. You’ve got to be
seen to be at least one step ahead of
at the
the people you are leading. Jesus was
ForeFroNt a good leader. He was definitely one step ahead when it came to prayer.
He prayed more than His disciples
READ:
did. He preached more than His
1 Peter 5:1-8
disciples did. He sacrificed more
Be ye followers of me,
than His disciples did.
even as I also am of
A Christian leader has invisible
Christ.
areas in which he must stay ahead. It
1 Corinthians 11:1
is his leadership in these invisible
areas that makes him a true leader.
Ten areas for every Christian
leader to stay ahead:
1.
Stay ahead in prayer.
2.
Stay ahead in Bible reading.
3.
Stay ahead in reading Christian books.
4.
Stay ahead in listening to tapes.
5.
Stay ahead in sacrificing to God.
6.
Stay ahead in the area of giving.
7.
Stay ahead in waiting on God.
8.
Stay ahead in holiness.
9.
Stay ahead in the love of God.
10.
Stay ahead in your relationship with God.
A true leader must be able to say like Paul did, “Follow me as I follow Christ.”
If you are a leader, you must be a step ahead in your public life and in private too. If you
are prayerful in secret, your followers will recognize it and do likewise.
140
Day 133
One of the cardinal qualifications
for a leader is loyalty. You must
be loyal to your God, your church,
your spouse and your friends.
devotioN
A leader must learn to be loyal to
the people who follow him. When it
READ:
is time to reward your followers, be
1 Samuel 26:1-25
faithful and do not withhold their
Most men will pro-
blessings. When one of your follow-
claim every one his
ers is in trouble, show your loyalty.
own goodness: but a
If you do not betray them in their
faithful man who can
time of difficulty, they will not be-
find?
tray you in your time of difficulty.
Proverbs 20:6
Be loyal to your superiors. A
leader must be loyal to his superiors.
When David had the opportunity to
kill Saul, he did not! Many years later, David murdered one of his soldiers called Uriah.
Several of his leaders could have re-volted and he could have lost his life. However, this
did not happen, as his men were loyal to the king’s authority. They refused to kill the
Lord’s anointed because they had learnt it by example.
Be loyal to your friends. When David became the king, he realized that his position was a
privileged one. He asked for a way to show kindness to an old friend (2 Samuel 9:1).
These acts of loyalty to friends demonstrate the true character of a leader. A good
character is attractive; people are more inclined to follow someone with a good heart.
Be loyal to your spouse. You become a natural leader in society because your domestic
affairs are under control.
Loyalty to your spouse involves self-control and Christian love.
Be a faithful, stable, constant and loyal person.
141
Day 134
Most of us have never asked the
Holy Spirit to teach us
personally. I constantly pray for
God to give me the spirit of wisdom
PerFect and revelation in the knowledge of coach
His Word. I cannot depend solely on
sermons I hear. You only retain
eleven per cent of what you hear
READ:
once.
2 Peter 1:1-4
If you want to be led into a per-
…the same anointing
manent blessing in this life then you
teacheth you of all
need the Holy Spirit as a teacher. If
things, and is truth,
you want to go far with God and
and is no lie…
walk into everything that pertains to
1 John 2:27
this life and godliness, then you need
the Holy Spirit to be demonstrated
as a teacher in your life.
Even in the secular world, it is through knowledge that you move into higher positions.
Those who are educated rule those who are not educated. The people who know how to
make things like aeroplanes, ships and cars, rule the rest of the world. It is a fact of life. At
different workplaces, those with a higher education earn much more than those with a
lower education. What separates the two? What is the dividing line? It is knowledge.
Knowledge sets you apart in this life.
The greatest victories that you will ever have will come through knowledge.
It is exactly the same with spiritual things. Knowledge puts you in another category. When
you know certain things, you will begin to move ahead in life and in ministry.
Don’t cut yourself off from the teacher. He will be made visible when you apply yourself
to the knowledge of God.
142
Day 135
If surgery was performed and
your appendix was taken out, the
doctors would inform you that they
had removed a part of your intes-
right
tine. Although you cannot feel that a
staNdiNg part of your large intestines has been removed, you are supposed to
accept the fact of what took place in
READ:
your abdomen during the surgery.
1 John 3:3-10
Then you are told how to live after
…that we should be
the surgery.
holy and without
Being born again is a spiritual op-
blame before him in
eration in which God recreates your
love:
spirit. He takes out the old, hard-
Ephesians 1:4
ened and depraved heart and puts in
a new, righteous spirit. You don’t
feel it, but it is real.
Any born-again Christian who lives in sin is living contrary to his new nature. If you
continue in sin, it is by your own choice because the power of sin is broken and God has
given you a new nature. It is no longer natural to do evil. After you’re saved, a voice
within tells you, “This is wrong! Don’t do it!” That is the new man crying from within.
This is what God is saying to His “new creation” children: “You are new, righteous and
truly holy.” Act like it and walk in the newness of life (Colossians 3:9, 10).
Remember this: Righteousness is not a feeling. It is impossible to attain God’s standards
by your own efforts. Today, if you are born again, you have been instantaneously
transformed into a righteous, new man. You can only increase your faith in your inherited
righteousness. You can only practise more and more of your true nature. Your right
standing with God is truly a gift from your heavenly Father.
143
Day 136
In the Old Testament, Elisha went
to heal the waters of a town
because there was something wrong
with the water. Water defines your
living conditions. When God heals
waters your waters, He is meeting the basic needs of your life.
READ:
God is showing you that there are
2 Kings 2:19-22
many needy people in this world.
Heal me, O LORD,
This is why we are anointed to
and I shall be healed;
preach the Gospel to the poor.
save me and I shall be
The poor of this world far out-
saved: for thou art my
number the rich. God is extending
praise.
our hearts to the poor. You cannot
Jeremiah 17: 14
go to the poor of this world and talk
to them unless you have some good
news. They want to know how the Gospel will practically affect their lives. How can they
understand the doctrines of the Gospel with all their problems, their sicknesses and their
extreme poverty?
We need to pray for more miracles. Our hearts must desire more miracles; otherwise, we
will continue to stay in our little corners having a good time while the masses go to Hell.
We need the healing anointing because it is our only chance to be really healed.
The fact that God heals does not mean that He does not approve of medical science. God
is not against medicine. In fact, He is the source of that gift. However, the healing methods
of man are greatly deficient. God has more in store for us than medical science. He can do
what medical science cannot do. We often don’t really know what God does. All we know
is that He does good things.
144
Day 137
Do you want more anointing on
your life? There is a process by
which anointing and gifts increase.
It is called “gaining by trading”.
gaiNiNg by Let me give you a secret right tradiNg now! The more you do God’s work,
the more the anointing increases.
Do not forget the story of the mas-
READ:
ter who gave his servants ten
Luke 19:11-27
pounds. He told them, “Occupy until
…that he might know
I come.” When the master came
how much every man
back, some of the servants had more
had gained by trading.
than others.
Luke 19:15
The pound represents the anoint-
ing. The pound represents the gifts
that God has given to you. That gift
supernaturally increases as you begin working! Harvesting the lost is the first and
foremost task of the whole Church. When you plunge into soul-winning and evangelism,
the anointing on your life will double and triple.
At the beginning, I preached to about five people. However, I have definitely gained by
trading. I now minister to thousands of people every week. I always thank God for His
mercy.
Learn another secret right here! After improving through the secret of gaining by trading,
God will lift you up by another method I call “kingdom promotion”. A “kingdom
promotion” is an elevation that is so lofty that it makes you marvel at how far the Lord has
brought you. The man who was given authority over ten cities could not compare his new
status with his former job of trading with ten pounds.
In the day you receive a “kingdom promotion”, you will know that God has truly lifted
you out of the dust.
145
Day 138
God places the responsibility of
cleaving on the man. He leaves
and cleaves (glues) to his wife.
break uPs Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his
wife: and they shall be one flesh.
READ:
Matthew 19:1-9
Genesis 2:24
Divorce occurs when he is not
…What therefore God
able to cleave tightly enough to be-
hath joined together,
let not man put asun-
come inseparable. Marriage rests on
der.
the shoulders of the man, just the
Matthew 19:6
same way divorce also does. What-
ever happens in the home is the
man’s responsibility, although it may
not be his fault. When man fell and
God came to the garden, He first
called out to Adam and placed the responsibility for eating the fruit at his feet. There were
no questions for the woman.
Divorce brings about many complications. God, generally, does not like broken fellowship
of any sort. The concept of a broken home or broken life hurts God. An unending hurt is
inflicted (Proverbs 17:14). A bitter personality is created (Proverbs 18:14). There is a
permanent break up of relationship/fellowship (Proverbs 18:19).
Separation is the termination of a commitment with emotional involvement. Divorce is
legalized separation. Do not make a marriage vow if you do not intend to keep it
(Ecclesiastes 5:4, 5).
146
Day 139
The cardinal enemy of all evan-
gelism and outreach is the
demon of procrastination. Some
people go as far as postponing or
doN’t
cancelling their scheduled outreach
PostPoNe programmes.
It is important to plan a rigid
it!
schedule of monthly outreaches that
is not negotiable. They cannot be
postponed or cancelled. Whether
READ:
2 Corinthians
there is a tidal wave, economic up-
5:9-21
heaval or a political earthquake, the
outreach should come on. I am con-
…he that winneth
vinced that fixing an inflexible
souls is wise.
monthly outreach for every fellow-
Proverbs 11:30
ship and ministry in my church is the
way forward.
There are many cares and problems of this life. Many people are struggling to pay school
fees, build houses and buy food to eat. Many people have marital problems and do not
know how peace is going to come to their homes. They say, “How can I think of
evangelism when I have so many problems?”
And the cares of this world. .choke the word. .
Mark 4:19
Dear Christian friend, do not let the cares of this world choke the call of God on your life.
I see you rising up in spite of every weight and difficulty in your life!
He that wins souls is wise! Be wise now! Win a soul today!
147
Day 140
Man has a need for an
intercessor! The law of the
flesh works against everything
spiritual. Paul was afraid of his own
mediatioN flesh. He said he knew that there was nothing good in his flesh
READ:
(Romans 7:18).
Colossians 3:5-10
At one point, Paul said that he
For if ye live after the
had lost confidence in his flesh
flesh, ye shall die: but
(Philippians 3:3). Dear friend, if
if ye through the
Paul had lost confidence in his flesh,
Spirit do mortify the
what should we do? The flesh is
deeds of the body, ye
ready to take you to Hell. The flesh
shall live.
is working against church growth.
Romans 8:13
The flesh is working against the
very life of the Church. Your flesh
is working against your spiritual
progress (1 Corinthians 9:27).
The flesh makes church members desire the wrong things and do the wrong things. It is
the flesh that makes church members lazy. It is because of the flesh that most church
members do not come to church every Sunday. When a pastor thinks of his children in the
Lord, his heart must burn with interventionary prayer: Father, help your children! Don’t let
them fall by the wayside.
Another need for intercession is in the area of sickness and disease. Intercessory prayer
prevents disease from fastening its hold on people. Remember that it is easier to prevent
diseases than to treat them. Intercessory prayer will prevent the pastors from conducting
unnecessary funerals.
148
Day 141
There are more than enough
souls waiting to be saved.
There are not enough buildings to
contain the harvest if it were reaped.
the
Unlock the harvest with the key of
harvest massive organization. What do I
mean by massive organization? Pas-
tors must mobilize their church
READ:
members to have massive organized
Acts 4:23-33
prayer, massive organized fasting
…pray ye therefore the
and massive organized outreaches.
Lord of the harvest,
How utterly boring it must be if
that he would send
a Christian’s life is just listening to a
forth labourers into
his harvest.
thirty-minute sermon every week.
For goodness sake, there must be
Luke 10:2
more to Christianity than being a
pew-warmer. Christians will find
satisfaction when they fast and pray for souls. Fasting and prayer is the key that removes
scales from a sinner’s eyes.
When you pray before witnessing, you will have better results.
People will be saved! Just like Jesus, you will be anointed when you pray. If you are not
prayerful, people will just tell you, “I see your point, but I don’t agree with you.” All your
preaching will be like water dripping off a duck’s back!
Do you know why many people do not attend prayer meetings? It is because the pastor
himself does not get involved. I’m speaking to pastors now! Mobilize the entire church to
pray. Mobilize the entire church to fast. Pray for church growth. Pray for salvation. You
will have tremendous results. A pastor’s job is not just to preach and teach, but to lead the
sheep. You must lead the sheep into outreaches and soul winning. They will be blessed
when they have something to do with their spiritual energy.
149
Day 142
There are three main things that
will test everyone’s loyalty:
distance, time and fire. If you pass
these tests, then your loyalty is real.
stay!
There is the test of distance.
Paul had to exhort a branch of his
READ:
church in Galatia to stay faithful
Luke 14:25-30
even though he was not physically
Better is the end of a
present with them (Galatians 4:18).
thing than the begin-
Many companies do not work effi-
ning thereof: and the
ciently unless the manager is physi-
patient in spirit is bet-
cally present.
ter than the proud in
spirit.
Time is yet another test of loy-
Ecclesiastes 7:8
alty; time will test our resolve to stay
loyal to our words. How much
longer will you last in the ministry?
For how much longer will you preach the things God told you to preach? How much more
time has to elapse before you rebel against your leader? Are you going to be an early
leaver, a late leaver, or will you stay until the end?
Fire represents all kinds of pressures that will come against you. When you work in an
organization, a transfer or an instruction you do not like could be a test. Fire could be
spiritual, social, marital or financial! Those who come out of the fire un-scathed are most
valuable to God. These tests should not make you disloyal to your God.
God often puts the heat on His servants in order to bring the best out of them (Malachi
3:3). When you have passed through the tests, you will shine and become more attractive.
Decide to be a survivor! Develop staying power! Be loyal to God until your very last
breath! Be loyal to your pastor and to your church until the end!
150
Day 143
Teachings on loyalty must be
remembered in the hour of
temptation. As with all temptations,
it is important to remember the
do Not
things we have learnt when it really
Forget
matters.
I have heard people make pro-
found declarations of commitment.
READ:
That is exactly what Peter did. But
Luke 22:31-34,
47-62
when it really mattered, Peter forgot
all the things he had said. You must
Peter said unto him…I
remember the things you say. Of
will lay down my life
what use is a husband who says
for thy sake.
sweet words at his wedding recep-
John 13:37
tion but forgets them two years
later? Of what use is a man who
says on his wedding night, “I will
love you forever” but dumps you after seven years? Forever does not mean seven years!
Forever means forever!
Thank God, Peter had a second chance. Peter was the most vocal apostle. Everyone
remembered Peter’s declarations. All four Gospels record this incident and that is
significant (Matthew 26:33; Mark 14:29; John 13:37). You must realize that the writers of
the Gospel did not always record the same events.
You must remember the pronouncements you make both in public and in private. You
must remember the letters you write. It is easy to write things and to make promises.
However, it seems we all have a tendency to forget what we have said in the past.
151
Day 144
Anyone who doubts that the Old
Testament is very relevant
today should just read on.
the old
a.
Christ Himself ex-
pounded the things in the Old Tes-
testameNt tament Scriptures concerning
Himself in the Law, the Psalms, and
the Prophets.
READ:
Luke 24:25-27,44,45
b.
The things that were
written in the Old Testament Scrip-
I remembered thy
tures were written for our learning,
judgments of old, O
so that we through patience and
LORD; and have com-
forted myself.
comfort of the Scriptures might
Psalm 119:52
have hope (Romans 15:4).
c.
Jesus Himself came to
fulfil the Law and the Prophets
(Matthew 5:17-18).
d.
Jesus said that the Law and the Prophets prophesied (Matthew 11:13).
e.
The Old Testament prophets spoke of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should
follow. It was revealed to them that their utterances did not just concern their own
generation but another (1 Peter 1:10-12).
f.
The things, which happened in Old Testament his-
tory in Israel, were for types and examples and these things are written for our admonition
upon whom the ends of the ages are come (1 Corinthians 10:6, 11).
The Old Testament can and must be used as sound teaching material. We cannot afford to
ignore the revelation that is contained in the Old Testament.
152
Day 145
God will minister His Word
through pastors and shep-
herds. That is why it is important to
have a good church and a pastor who
FeediNg
teaches the Word of God. When the
Word of God is preached, Christians
READ:
will know and understand what is
Psalm 119:97-104
happening in their lives. In the last
And I will give you
days, God is giving pastors who will
pastors according to
feed us with knowledge and under-
my heart, which shall
standing. Receive the knowledge
feed you with knowl-
and understanding that God is giv-
edge and understand-
ing you through your pastors now!
ing.
Apart from knowledge and un-
Jeremiah 3:15
derstanding, God will use a man of
God to give instructions to Chris-
tians. These instructions help us to
become better people in life. There are times your pastor will give a commandment to fast
and pray. It is important to follow these instructions. If you do not obey the simple
instructions in the Word, do you think that God is going to give you a greater instruction?
He that is faithful in little is faithful in much. The Bible teaches that we should obey those
that have spiritual authority over us (Hebrews 13:17).
Church members must listen to the voice of their shepherds (John 10:4-5). God has
delegated the destiny of the sheep to the shepherd. God will bless your life and lead you
through the voice of your shepherd. Jesus is the good shepherd and He told Peter to look
after the sheep. That means that He was delegating the care of His sheep to under-
shepherds. Dear pastors, we have an awesome responsibility and we can only do it by
staying with the Word.
153
Day 146
Someone said, “The world is run
by tired people.” If you are not
a true leader, you will not give up
your life for anything. A non-leader
true
is not prepared to work because he is
leaders tired. Do not allow tiredness to be an excuse. If tiredness is an excuse
then you cannot be a leader. If I
READ:
used the excuse of tiredness, I would
Isaiah 40:28-31
not have accomplished seventy per
…but though our out-
cent of what I have accomplished.
ward man perish, yet
Jesus said, “I am the good shep-
the inward man is re-
herd: the good shepherd giveth his
newed day by day.
life for the sheep.” (John 10:11).
2 Corinthians 4:16
Tiredness is part of giving your life
for the sheep.
As soon as you begin to give up your life, it tells on you. I am not saying that every leader
should be exhausted. What I am saying is that leadership is very exacting. Sometimes I see
non-leaders murmuring about being tired. All they want to do is to go away. It is a known
fact that many workers have no concern for their places of employment except as regards
their salaries. Such people (who are usually not leaders) are not prepared to become
unduly tired.
A good leader often does much hard work in secret. It is these hidden jobs and unseen
pressures that make our leaders tired. If you want a life of relaxation and ease, you are
probably not a leader.
Are you a leader? If you are living a life of constant ease and pleasures, perhaps you are
on leave from true leadership.
154
Day 147
God can deal with many things
and does a better job taking
care of us. Many issues cannot be
solved by explaining and prosecut-
gettiNg ing a matter. Many issues are best aloNg
left to God by prayer and faith,
knowing that He can perfect all that
concerns you. Accept the fact that
READ:
God alone can change and solve
James 3:14-18
complex issues, so commit things to
…leave off contention,
God, to time, to the elements, and to
before it be meddled
nature.
with.
Marital conflicts will be endless
Proverbs 17:14
and probably just end in divorce un-
less you trust God to take care of
various situations. In the process of
time, some issues get resolved. At
other times, God can use natural things (nature, the elements, etc.) to minister to your
spouse and bring about a change.
In marriage, we must accept that it is the wisdom of God to choose the path of peace
rather than to quarrel (Proverbs 17:28). Decide to be a peacemaker and not a cantankerous
and ill-natured person (Matthew 5:9). Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and
every evil work, but a home full of love and peace will produce a healthy marriage and a
good environment for children to grow in.
A lasting, joyful Christian marriage can only be achieved if it is based on the Word of
God. Decide to get along with each other in spite of any provocation. Accept that the
Word of God is greater than your emotions or personal ideas. Do not be moved by what
you feel but be moved, directed, motivated and constrained by the Word of Almighty God!
155
Day 148
Jesus sacrificed the safety of
Heaven to dwell amongst a group
of perverted, depraved and wicked
people. We must follow His example
selF-love if we are to bear fruit. Walking with the Lord will lead you into many
READ:
dangers, toils and snares. Every
Mark 8:34-38
journey you make will put you at
risk. If your self-preservation is
But rejoice, inasmuch
as ye are partakers of
more important than obeying God,
Christ’s sufferings;
you are not likely to sacrifice your
that, when his glory
safety and security.
shall be revealed, ye
Being in full-time ministry for
may be glad also with
exceeding joy.
instance, means you must sacrifice
your security. Your family will also
1 Peter 4:13
make many sacrifices because of the
ministry. You will have to give up
time and pleasure with your family so that you can do the work.
I was once invited to Colombia to minister. I was uncertain as to whether I should go or
not. However, as I flew down to another country in South America, I had a dream in
which the Lord spoke to me. He rebuked me sharply and told me that He was ashamed of
me because I was trying to preserve myself.
He reminded me that if He removed His protection from me for just five minutes, I would
perish instantly. When I awoke, I was frightened and I needed no further coaxing to take
me to Colombia.
Dear friend, I cannot begin to describe the extent of the power of God that was present in
those meetings in Colombia.
I saw the greatest miracles in my life, including the raising of the dead.
156
Day 149
Every time you have a quiet time,
you are making an investment
into your life. You sow the seed of
the Word of God and it will yield
PuriFier the fruit of love, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. These fruits can only
READ:
come as you sow a spiritual seed into
Hebrews 4:12-13
your life.
Is not my word like as
Most Christians sow into the
a fire? saith the Lord;
flesh (Galatians 6:8). They invest in
and like a hammer
their flesh. They invest time, money
that breaketh the rock
in pieces?
to the development of their flesh
Jeremiah 23:29
and their earthly existence. Others
invest seeds of television, pleasure,
sex, alcohol and drugs into their
flesh. The harvests that come from
such seeds are horrific.
Most pastors are pastoring sheep who live under the devastating effects of a massive
harvest from the flesh. It is our duty as pastors to lead the sheep to invest in their spirits on
a daily basis.
A daily quiet time burns away unwanted things. When this fire is received on a daily basis,
no evil can remain as part of your character (Jeremiah 5:14). The Word of God is a fire. A
daily dose of that fire will take care of every unwanted element in your personality or
character.
A quiet time leads to the breaking and burning of evil things in our lives; Christians who
do not have quiet times often have bad characters. A daily quiet time leads to the cutting
away of unwanted aspects of our lives and character.
Christians, who just listen to sermons on Sundays but have no regular cutting away of evil
tendencies, are very different from those who have a regular quiet time.
157
Day 150
By the time God is finished with
you, your appearance will be
different. Your character will be
utterly transformed. Except the
lowliNess seed dies, it abides alone. Unless these qualities are allowed to
READ:
develop, your ministry will not
Philippians 2:3-11
develop.
Take my yoke upon
During this dying process or
you, and learn of me;
period of rejection/alienation, many
for I am meek and
important spiritual traits will be
lowly in heart: and ye
birthed in the man of God. A
shall find rest unto
your souls.
personal relationship with God is
one of the most important things
Matthew 11:29
that you will learn when people re-
ject you. Rejection stops the hori-
zontal (human) relationships and
leaves you to develop the vertical (God) relationship.
The rejection by man is intended to make you develop humility. Humility is the highest
mantle a minister can wear. The more humble a minister, the higher His standing before
the Lord! Jesus made it clear that the greatest pastor will be that most humble and
childlike amongst us (Matthew 18:3).
John the Baptist’s humility was evident. He made it clear that He was not worthy to unlace
the shoes of Jesus. He de-ferred to the Lord and stated that Jesus must increase and he
decrease (John 3:30). How many pastors today want others to increase while they
decrease?
The humility of Jesus was evident. He humbled Himself and became obedient even to the
death of the cross.
158
Day 151
We were not created to be the
same. Ranking is the ac-
knowledgement of that reality. God
did not create us to be equal. Your
raNks
rank defines your level of operation.
It tells you how high or low you are.
READ:
Your rank may be designated by God
Mark 10:35-45
or by your human superiors.
But God is the judge:
Ranking eliminates confusion
he putteth down one,
within an organization. Ranking
and setteth up an-
shows you what heights you can at-
other.
tain. I know of people who have
Psalm 75:7
more growth in their ministries than
I do. I rejoice with them at what the
Lord is doing. I know that I am not
at the highest level that there is. I
respect those who are ahead of me.
Ranking shows you how low you can sink. Understand that there are always people who
are senior or junior to you.
Ranks are changeable and very often they are changed.
Once you understand that your current rank is not necessarily your position for life, you
will have hope for promotion in the future. However, every rank has to be explored fully
before you move on to the next. There are principles that determine your promotion to the
next rank. For instance, faithfulness and fruitfulness within your rank are very important
for promotion. A real change of rank occurs when God promotes you Himself.
Promotion to a higher rank often goes with new attacks.
Promotion from God comes with persecution. My position in the Lord is God-given and
so is yours. Let us respect one another and God will move us to a higher rank.
159
Day 152
To be relevant, means “to be im-
portant”. The church becomes
relevant when it has something to
offer. We become relevant when we
the church have the answers to people’s needs.
No government can offer what the
READ:
church offers through the power of
Mark 16:15-20
the Holy Spirit. Neither teachers
And I say also unto
nor medical doctors can give what
thee, That thou art
the church gives.
Peter, and upon this
We become relevant to the world
rock I will build my
when the healing anointing is in op-
church; and the gates
of hell shall not pre-
eration. Every part of the world
vail against it.
needs the healing anointing. Only
Matthew 16:18
God can heal our broken hearts and
save us. It is when the broken-
hearted are restored and the poor
have good news preached to them that we become relevant.
Evil spirits torment people and bring fear into their lives. The healing anointing will
deliver people from evil spirits.
Through the healing anointing, curses are broken and healing comes.
Our relevance as a church does not come about by starting schools or universities. The
government is the one supposed to provide education. When the church does provide
education, it must be seen as assistance that we give to the nation.
The salvation of mankind is provided through the cross of Jesus Christ. Besides the
Church, no other institution has been charged with this Great Commission. Our relevance
comes from preaching and teaching about Jesus. Our relevance comes from healing the
sick. It comes from casting out devils.
160
Day 153
There are two types of people in
the world, builders and users.
Builders erect and construct things in
their lifetime. Users simply enjoy the
builders facilities that have been created by aNd users others. Solomon built both the
temple and his own house.
There are two types of govern-
READ:
1 Kings 5:1-5;
ments: building governments and
6:37-7:1
user governments. Some govern-
ments build nothing. They just use
…The God of heaven,
he will prosper us;
what others have built.
therefore we his ser-
There are two types of pastors:
vants will arise and
building pastors and user pastors.
build…
Building pastors build church build-
Nehemiah 2:20
ings, schools, hospitals, etc. User pas-
tors just preach to their congregations without building any chapels for the ministry.
Buildings make a person or ministry more substantial, so our church has invested in many
church buildings and properties. I want you to be an accumulator of true wealth through
buildings. You may live for many years and need the accumulated wealth of your better
years! A wise person sacrifices to build something! It is not easy to build. It takes sacrifice
and commitment. That is why many people do not build or own anything, although they
could afford to.
Let your first project be a house or an apartment. Many people who have taken my advice
on this subject have thanked me profusely after completing their buildings. I see you
building a house in your lifetime! I see you rising from being a user to becoming a
builder!
161
Day 154
When you provide God’s
church with security, stability
and safety, God will become your
refuge.
blessed
God will build a house for you
oNes
and give you security. I have noticed
that those who participate in build-
ing the temple of God are blessed. I
READ: Psalm
am always grateful for the people
112:1-10
that God gave me to help build the
Because he hath set his
Lighthouse Cathedral. We would
love upon me, therefore
probably have disappeared into
will I deliver him: I will
set him on high, because
obscurity by now if we didn’t have
he hath known my name.
our church building.
…
I have watched people give their
Psalm 91:14-15
lives’ savings and their entire salaries
to the work of God. I have also lived to see God blessing each and every one of these
people. Today, some people only give a few coins towards a church project. They don’t
know what they are missing. Those who have helped prolong the church’s life will have
their own lives prolonged. Those who cause a church to be wealthy will reap wealth in
their own lives.
In Bible times, people gave up lands and properties for the building of the church and they
were blessed for doing so.
This was one of Solomon’s keys to success. He built a house for the Lord. Glue yourself to
your church and see the church building become completed. Support the project until it is
fully paid for! Attach yourself and invest in the church spiritually.
Help to build a larger church. God will reward you as you build His house.
162
Day 155
The truth will tell you where you
are and where you are not! The
truth will also tell you where to go.
Many pastors need to start telling
true Facts the truth about the size of their congregations. When you know the
READ:
actual number of souls you are
John 8:42-47
ministering to, you will be motivated
Thy word is true from
to work harder.
the beginning: and
And ye shall know the truth, and the
every one of thy right-
truth shall make you free.
eous judgments en-
dureth for ever.
John 8:32
Psalm 119:160
One day, I asked my data officer to
tell me how many people were in
church. When he gave me the fig-
ure, I was depressed for one week. I
realized that our church was very small. I had a long way to go! If you cannot tell yourself
the truth, you cannot be a good leader.
Many businesses do not make any profit at all! When you add up the real costs of their
operations, you discover that they are actually making a loss. If managers were honest,
they would take the necessary hard decisions. That is what leadership does.
Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved?…
Luke 13:23
Jesus answered and told him that there is a narrow gate and few people are entering
through that gate. This was the truth.
Leaders need to deal with reality. Without real figures, a Chief Executive cannot take
sound financial decisions. Every leader must ensure that he has the real picture.
163
Day 156
When a man is born-again, the
spirit within is changed.
The unsaved spirit is desperately
curreNt wicked and corrupt. What about the new creation? What about a man
status
who has experienced the miracle of
being born again? The new creation
is righteous and truly holy. In other
R EAD:
words, a man who is saved has
Ephesians 4:17-32
undergone a radical transformation
…that we might be
of the heart. His spirit is now a new
made the righteous-
creation in Christ. He is not a reno-
ness of God in him.
vated and repainted version of an
2 Corinthians 5:21
old thing. He is brand new. He is
indeed newly created in God.
So what happens next? What are
we supposed to do now that we are born or created again?
This Scripture makes us know that we are actually righteous when we are born again.
What God is telling us is that we must put on (act like) the new spirit which is created in
righteousness and true holiness. It is time for you to acknowledge what God has done to
your heart. The Bible says we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. The
righteousness of God is the highest form of purity and “sinlessness”. God is describing the
status of your new spirit.
Acknowledging good things will make your faith come alive. Say to yourself, “I am the
righteousness of God, I’m a new person! I can make it! I am holy.” These confessions will
take you out of sin into a life of practical holiness. There is always something on the
inside that must work on the outside.
Righteousness on the inside should evidently be working on the outside.
164
Day 157
The Bible says that Jesus Christ
is the power and the wisdom of
God.
rest
But unto them which are called, both
Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of
God, and the wisdom of God.
READ:
Mark 6:7-13; 30-31
1 Corinthians 1: 24
Jesus Christ was not just power-
But they that wait
upon the LORD shall
ful. When you become a Christian,
renew their strength…
Jesus comes to help you by being the
they shall run, and not
power and the wisdom of God in
be weary; and they
your life. Christians become unbal-
shall walk, and not
anced when they just take the power
faint.
of God and leave out the wisdom.
Isaiah 40:31
You need both the power and the
wisdom, if you want to make it in
this life.
Medical science can transplant hearts today and solve many problems. Many children
would be dead from various diseases like malaria, convulsions, and measles if there were
no medicines.
God has given us the wisdom to think and to have common sense. One time, Jesus told
His disciples to go aside and rest awhile. He told them to rest. That is wisdom.
Why did Jesus tell His disciples to rest? There are many diseases that come from not
resting. My wife is always suggesting that I rest. It is common sense to rest when you need
to. Jesus ministered to the sick but He did sensible and practical things too.
165
Day 158
No one was created a jack-of-
all-trades. I have tried almost
every field of ministry. I realize that
I can do well in many areas. But
oN
which of these is my real calling? I
assigNmeNt recently asked the Lord, “What do you want me to do?” The Lord
made it clear to me that I was called
READ:
to stand in the office of a teacher.
2 Corinthians
5:9-12
I intend to stay with what God
called me to do. When you discover
Wherefore be ye not
your strengths, flow in them and be-
unwise, but under-
come a great leader. Many people
standing what the will
of the Lord is.
live and die without developing their
Ephesians 5:17
strengths in ministry. Do not be-
come a pastor of a church because
everyone is doing likewise. Do not
be a prophet because that is the latest fad in town.
I know businessmen who jump from one thing to another without developing their
strengths. By the time they have discovered the pitfalls and loopholes in one area of
business, they are jumping into the next. They think the next business is going to bring a
quick return. There is no such thing as a quick fix.
Most people who become millionaires are people who decided early in life what they were
going to do and stayed with it. Successful people are often people who have been doing
the same thing for a long time. Hopping around from country to country will not help you
to prosper. Decide where you want to live and stay there until you become strong!
It is time for you to run your race. Stay on course and then everyone will see the gift of
God upon your life.
166
Day 159
Jesus said that he was anointed to
heal the broken-hearted. Broken
hearts are caused by disappoint-
ments in general. Many people have
do you
been surprised by what life has
have
brought them. People live as though
everything is okay but they are
a Need? bleeding, disappointed and hurting inside.
Many of man’s problems cannot
READ:
Psalm 119:81-94
be cured by drugs, by the psycholo-
gist or by the psychiatrist. Many
Why art thou cast
people need a touch from God to
down, O my soul?
give them hope. God is in the
…hope in God…
business of coming into your life to
Psalm 43:5
heal your broken heart. He is ready
to lift you from where you are and to
take you forward!
I remember watching an interview of a famous healing evangelist on television. He was
asked many questions about his salary, his house and his car. The talk show host was
trying to make him look foolish.
Then they opened the phone lines and a gentleman called in to be prayed for. The caller
had cancer and was dying. He wanted the evangelist to pray for him. All the cynical
questions that the host had asked meant nothing now. The television host was faced with a
desperate, weepy caller who urgently needed help. Only the evangelist could offer that
help. The relevance of the evangelist’s ministry was obvious to all. More people kept
calling and asking for prayer for their pathetic and often hopeless conditions.
The healing anointing will meet the needs of people.
167
Day 160
The Bible teaches that prayer has
great effects. Almost every
Christian knows this famous
Scripture on the power of prayer.
dyNamic However, do we fully grasp the Prayer
meaning of the term “avail much”?
To avail much means: to succeed,
to prevail, to overcome and to be able
READ:
to do something. It also means: to
James 5: 13-18
be strong against an opposing force,
…The effectual fer-
to be helpful and to make an impact.
vent prayer of a right-
Again, to avail means: to strike an
eous man availeth
impression, to be effective and to ac-
much.
complish much.
James 5:16
I also enjoy these translations of
the James 5:16:
Tremendous power is made available through a good man’s earnest prayer.
James 5:16 (Philips Translation)
The prayer of a righteous man can bring powerful results.
James 5:16 (Olaf M Norlie Translation)
The prayer of a righteous man - makes tremendous power available
- dynamic in its working.
James 5:16 (Amplified Translation)
An upright man’s prayer, when it keeps at work is very powerful.
James 5:16 (Williams Translation)
From today, believe that your fervent prayer is actively and powerfully working, to bring
about the results you desire.
168
Day 161
The Hebrew word melechah
means “a salted land, a desert
or a barren land”. It speaks of “no
produce” and “no life”. The land is No Fruits dead to any kind of seed.
People suffering from melechah are
Read:
spiritually salted lands. In spite of
2 Kings 2:19-22
what you pour into them, they are
Until the spirit be
unable to bear fruit. Much is poured
poured upon us from
into them but little can be
on high, and the
expected from these salted ones.
wilderness be a fruit-
ful field, and the fruit-
A pastor who is a salted land does
ful field be counted
not give rise to other pastors of his
for a forest.
own kind. He remains in the church
Isaiah 32:15
he pastors, but cannot bring forth
other pastors. There are also salted
churches. No matter the input, the church does not grow. No new churches are planted
from that church. Until the salted land is healed, there will be no fruit.
I heard the story of a church that could not grow. One day a visiting pastor was waiting on
the Lord and he had a vision.
He saw a demon sitting above the congregation, way up in the ceiling. This evil spirit had
greatly affected the church for many years. God had opened the pastor’s eyes to see the
“salt”
that was making the church barren. He dealt with the evil spirit and commanded it to
leave. After that experience, the church began to grow in leaps and bounds.
I believe there are real salted situations that need the healing hand of God. I see God
removing the saltiness from your life, church and ministry! When barrenness is taken
away fruitfulness is always the result.
169
Day 162
Ibelieve it is the turn of women to
rise up, to come to the front of the
battle. Men have dominated the field
of ministry for many years. Too
deborah often, women have been seen as
people who cause men of God to fall.
READ:
It is the turn of women to influence
Judges 4:4-24
the human race with their
And
Deborah,
a
spirituality and their anointing.
prophetess, the wife
Many women are going to receive
of Lapidoth, she
the anointing to minister in power.
judged Israel at that
time.
I read a prophecy, which declared
Judges 4:4
that it was the era of the lioness and
that God was going to use the
woman to bruise the head of the
Serpent (Satan) in the last battle.
Perhaps you have been overwhelmed by the problems that arise from marriage and
childbearing. All these things will not matter when we get to Heaven. What will count is
whether you fulfilled your ministry or not! Perhaps you have been seen as an object of a
man’s pleasure. Today, it’s your season to do something for God in the ministry. When a
woman takes up a mantle and walks in the wisdom of God, she is indestructible!
Daughter, now is an opportunity for you to bear fruit for God. You can stand side by side
with every man; call upon the grace of God and you will do just as well.
This does not mean you are “as good as” in a proud sense.
It means that you are another Deborah whom God has raised up because the Baraks are
too scared, doubtful, uninterested, uncommitted, unwilling and cynical. This is a prophetic
message to all women. Be humble, have a deep trust in and love for God. The anointing
will come upon your life.
170
Day 163
Many women fall into ugly sins.
These are often difficult to
talk about or even mention. When
you look around you, you may think
womeN’s that you are the only one. The
issues
devil’s plan is to isolate you and make
you depressed.
Many women fall prey to the sins
READ:
of jealousy and covetousness.
1Kings 21:1-15;
20-24
Woman, accept the blessings that
God has given to your neighbour.
…Take heed, and be-
Do not fight it because you cannot!
ware of covetousness
Gladly attend the wedding of your
…
friend. As you rejoice with her today,
Luke 12:15
people will rejoice with you one day.
Do not be covetous or think that
you must have what everybody else has. Women commonly compare lifestyles and
clothes. They want their children to attend certain schools because their neighbour’s child
does.
Woman, be content with your position! When you force yourself to possess things that are
not yours, you will only turn into a “Jezebel”.
Some women disobey God and marry unbelievers (2
Corinthians 6:14). However, to marry an unbeliever is not the unpardonable sin. The
church must not drive away people who are married to unbelievers. The fact that you are
married to an unbeliever does not mean you are not a Christian. You are welcome in the
church! If you have any problems, see your pastor and he will counsel you and pray with
you.
Woman, the fact that you have made a mistake does not mean you should stay away!
171
Day 164
God is sick of duality and of all
forms of pretense. When the
Israelites practised duality, God
became so angry that he refused to
PreteNse accept their sacrifice. He queried: To what purpose is the multitude of
READ:
your sacrifices unto me…Bring no more
Isaiah 29:13-15
vain oblations; incense is an abomination
Draw nigh to God,
unto me. .I cannot away with; it is iniq-
and he will draw nigh
uity, even the solemn meeting.
to you. Cleanse your
hands, ye sinners; and
Isaiah 1:11,13
purify your hearts, ye
God was tired of their hypocrisy,
double minded.
and told them that He would not
James 4:8
heed their prayers because after
praying they turned and did evil.
Truly, there are so many Christians
who sing, lift up their hands, and tell the Lord that they love him - but these are often
empty words.
Many women feel dejected when they realize that the man who claimed to love them had
been lying all along. This scenario can be likened to the way God feels about those who
literally live in sin, but come to church with all those beautiful words and songs. God does
not take it lightly when your heart is far from Him but to those around, you appear to be
serving Him in earnest.
The dual person exhibits both goodness and “badness”. The goodness of such a person is
temporary, and is only revealed to a selected few.
Those living dual lives might appear to be good, but their goodness is short-lived.
172
Day 165
When I observe the commer-
cials on television, I realize
that there are groups of people who
are very confident about what they
sPeak uP! have to offer. They are so confident that they boldly sing catchy songs
READ:
about how good their product is.
1 Corinthians
9:16-23
This is a quality I find lacking in
Christian circles. We are forceful
For I am not ashamed
about everything else, except God’s
of the gospel of
work. We are forceful about our
Christ: for it is the
power of God unto
jobs, our marriages and our future.
salvation to every one
But when it comes to God’s work we
that believeth…
become like timid mice!
Romans 1:16
Anaideia is a Greek word that is
used only once in the Bible. It means
“to be shameless”. It also speaks of importunity. In the eleventh chapter of Luke, we learn
of a man who exhibited shamelessness in his relationship with God (Luke 11:5-8).
When I think of the forcefulness of people who want to make money at all costs, I realize
that Christians have a better reason to be forceful. Why then is it that Christians behave
like lame ducks, toothless dogs and helpless sparrows?
It is amazing to see fanatic Muslims who are prepared to die for their faith. I wonder how
many Christians have half the drive that Muslims seem to have. Should we be surprised if
statistics indicate that Islam is spreading faster than Christianity?
Whether it is making money, spreading a false religion or selling deadly products, the
whole world has become very forceful. That is why I am teaching Christians about being
biblically forceful. I believe many Christians need anaideia.
173
Day 166
Jesus was able to make people
follow His instructions. Develop
the art of making people obey your
instructions. There are several
siNcere
things you can do.
obedieNce
Do not give unreasonable instruc-
tions. Make people see that your in-
structions are for their own good.
READ:
Explain instructions in detail so that
Jeremiah 22:1-4
everyone understands the instruc-
For I also am a man
tions.
set under authority…
Let the people see that you obey
instructions yourself. The Centu-
Luke 7:8
rion who sent for Jesus illustrated
this principle beautifully (Luke 7:8).
If you cannot make people gladly do
things they naturally do not like doing, then you are not a leader.
Show people that you are not partial or partisan. When you are fair, people will believe in
the laws and obey you gladly. If they feel that one rule applies to some people and another
rule to other special people, they will rebel against your instructions.
Get rid of complaining and murmuring individuals. Such people poison the atmosphere
and make everyone feel that they are into a bad thing. It is very important to maintain a
cheerful spirit in the workplace. It is important to correct wrong attitudes even when they
are not fully developed into full-blown disobedience or rebellion. People who disobey
ought to be punished. Punishment is a good thing because it establishes the land. Let
everyone see that when you break the rules, the rules will break you!
174
Day 167
Jesus met blind Bartimaeus and
healed him. Blind Bartimaeus had
heard that Jesus was passing by. He
shouted for help. He asked for
iNvisible mercy. The people around him tried Power
to shut him up. They said he was
disturbing the peace. They told him,
“Shut up! You blind man, keep quiet
READ:
and do not disturb Jesus.” But the
Mark 10:46-52
man continued to shout and to cry
…With men it is im-
louder for help.
possible, but not with
I want you to understand that the
God: for with God all
same Jesus who passed by blind Bar-
things are possible.
timaeus is passing by you today.
Mark 10:27
Don’t be discouraged if people are
telling you that Jesus will not heal
you. That is what they did to blind
Bartimaeus. Jesus stopped by blind Bartimaeus. I see Jesus stopping by you. He has
noticed you praying and knows about your situation.
You need to have the faith of blind Bartimaeus. The Bible says there is nothing impossible
for God. Blindness is something that medical science has struggled with, but two thousand
years ago, Jesus conquered blindness. I see you experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit!
You are receiving healing right now. I declare and confess that you are being healed of
cancer. You are getting up from your wheelchair.
God is healing you by His Word!
The Holy Spirit is the key to experiencing healing. The Holy Spirit is the one who heals
the sick. He is the invisible power of the church; the secret behind the miracles.
175
Day 168
The Bible compares beauty with
someone who fears God. If
you ever have to choose between
beauty and spirituality, choose the
true
latter.
beauty
If ever you are faced with such a
decision do not hesitate to choose the
godly woman, because it is the
READ:
woman who fears the Lord who will
1 Peter 3:1-6
be praised. She may not be so beau-
…beauty is vain: but a
tiful, but very spiritual.
woman that feareth
When you enter into marriage,
the LORD, she shall
be praised.
you will realise that beauty is always
Proverbs 31:30
secondary to godliness. The spiri-
tual person who knows and fears
God will become more and more at-
tractive to you as the years go by. Beauty has very little to offer, apart from what you see.
But the spiritual person has her faithfulness, her character, and godliness to offer to you.
If your wife does not pray, you are in trouble. Find a woman who prays. Find a woman
who is deep into the things of God.
If you marry a greedy, selfish and lazy woman, you will find yourself living in hell. You
will suffer, not because she is not outwardly beautiful, but because she is ugly inwardly. A
person who is ugly inside but beautiful outside can be compared to a cemetery. A
cemetery is well decorated with flowers, but as you go a little closer and go deeper, you
will see dead men’s bones and teeth sticking out. This can be related to the woman without
character; from the outside, she looks nice but go a little further and you will find an
angry, lazy, and devilish person.
Be careful, my brother. Go for the spiritual person. Godliness is indeed to be preferred to
beauty!
176
Day 169
It is important to study the steps
that this unnamed woman in
Mark 5 took as she came to the
anointing. Notice the four steps that
stePs
this woman took to receive the
anointing. I learnt these steps from
READ:
Kenneth Hagin.
Mark 5:25-34
Step number one: She heard it! A
And he said unto her,
daughter of destiny must expose
Daughter, thy faith
herself to the Word of God so that
hath made thee whole;
she will hear the right things. The
go in peace, and be
more you hear, the more you believe.
whole of thy plague.
The more you believe, the more you
Mark 5:34
are open to the blessings of God.
Step number two: She believed it!
The more you hear, the more you
will believe. I want you to believe that God has answered your prayers. I want you to
believe that you will prosper. It is more beneficial for you to believe than to doubt. Believe
that God has given you a good husband and a good marriage. Do not doubt it, no matter
your age.
Step number three: She said it! I want you to say positive things from today. With the
heart you believe and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. You must make
positive confessions about your life.
Step number four: She did it! The fourth and final step is to do something. Stretch out
your heart and hand and receive from the Lord. If you want a husband, do something
about it.
After hearing and believing that God is going to bless you, dress nicely, look smart and be
friendly. Everybody wants to marry someone who is warm and has feelings.
Never forget these four steps to your blessing. Hear it, believe it, say it and do it!
177
Day 170
Many jobs require job seekers to
be below the age of thirty.
Why do you think many companies
recruit people below a certain age?
without Because they want to get the best eQual
out of them!
The priesthood is the high calling
of God. And that is what I am in-
READ:
volved with. On this earth, the
Philippians 3:3-14
priesthood is despised. I once had a
…I count all things but
pastor who couldn’t find a wife
loss for the excellency
because he was a pastor. The
of the knowledge of
mother of his would-be bride, re-
Christ Jesus my Lord
…
fused to allow her daughter to be en-
gaged to a pastor. She felt that a
Philippians 3:8
pastor was an aimless, jobless man
without prospects.
On one occasion, she even sent an emissary to find out if he really worked with the church
as he claimed. She also wanted to find out what kind of work he could possibly be doing.
The mother’s envoy could not hide her surprise when she found out that the church
actually had offices and that there was a lot of work going on in these offices.
Don’t despise the Church. There are people who say they will work for God when they
retire. Which occupation can be compared with the high calling of ministry? Medicine,
law, engineering, architecture, carpentry, computing, banking, journalism, research,
pharmacy, mining, management, acting, singing, dancing, plumbing, masonry or piloting
cannot be compared with the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.
178
Day 171
Jesus told His disciples that His
words contained two important
things. They contained life and the
Spirit! What is this Spirit? The
coNtact Spirit is the anointing! The Scripture says that God anointed Jesus of
READ:
Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and
Mark 3:13-15
with power (Acts 10:38). Therefore
…the words that I
the Holy Ghost is the anointing (the
speak unto you, they
substance with which He was
are spirit and they are
anointed). The anointing makes
life.
people take notice of you (Acts 4:13).
John 6:63
The words of anointed men of
God contain the Spirit and the life.
Books, DVDs and CDs contain the
words of anointed men of God.
The time you spend reading a book
is time you spend fellowshipping with the one who wrote the book. What a great privilege
to interact with an anointed man of God for three hours in the privacy of your home.
Just as Elisha listened to the words of Elijah, and the disciples listened to the words of
Jesus, you are listening to my words as you read this! The disciples listened to the words
of Jesus; that is why they were anointed.
You can be with Jesus today by reading His words in the Bible. I am amazed at the
number of ministers who do not read the Bible and just use the Bible as a tool for
preaching.
The Word of God is, first of all for your benefit. You will not be a minister of substance if
you do not have your own personal fellowship with the Lord. Fellowship with Jesus
everyday. God wants to interact with you. God’s desire since the days of Adam has been
to fellowship with man.
179
Day 172
In order to succeed, you must
understand the very nature of a
principle. Principles are not changed
by circumstances. They are not al-
PriNciPle tered with time. They are not even affected by your prayer and fasting.
READ:
Principles are invisible rules that
Acts 10:30-35
must be obeyed. If you break a prin-
Be not deceived: God
ciple, the principle will break you!
is not mocked: for
The law of gravity is one such
whatsoever a man
principle. If you jump off the roof
soweth, that shall he
of a seven-storey building, you will
also reap.
die! You will die even if you are a
Galatians 6:7
Christian. You will die even if you
are a spiritual person!
I believe in the reality of a prin-
ciple. It is a reality, which many Christians do not want to face.
Some feel that because they are Christians, they don’t have to study to pass exams. No
matter who you are, you have to study hard if you want to pass your exams. It is a
principle that applies to prayerful as well as non-prayerful Christians.
If you are a little observant, you will notice many examples of people who are successful.
Some of these people are Christians; some are not. There are also many biblical examples
of successful people. It is our duty as Christians to learn from all these examples. Dear
friend, anyone who abides by the principles that God has established will experience
success. Understand that success is not an accident. There is a road that leads to failure,
and another that leads to success.
Please understand that a principle does not care who you are. It is in force whether you
like it or not.
180
Day 173
Jesus taught that words in general
are not trivial things. Jesus took
a very high and unusual view of the
value of words in general. There is
word
nothing that appears more trivial to
Power
the ordinary man than a word. No,
said Jesus, it does not end there, and
it does not end ever. Words are not
READ:
trivial. When they are called into
Matthew 12:33-37
existence they become living things
For he that will love
which travel through time and space,
life, and see good
doing good and evil; and they will
days, let him refrain
confront us again at the last day.
his tongue from evil,
…
Jesus taught that words would be
used as a basis for judgement. The
1 Peter 3:10
influence of our words on our des-
tiny will be extraordinary: “. .for by
thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words, thou shall be condemned” (Matthew
12:37).
There is nothing of which the average man is more surely convinced than that his tongue
is his own, and that he can at will make it utter words, either good or evil. Jesus taught that
words were the unmistakable portrayal of a person. If the speaker be good, then his words
are good, but if the speaker be evil, then his words are inevitably evil.
A man cannot alter the character of his words unless he first alters his own nature. For out
of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Such was Christ’s concept of words, and
such were His own words. They were the articulation of His very heart.
Jesus attributed to His Words the power of cleansing the heart. “Now ye are clean through
the word which I have spoken unto you” (John 15:3).
181
Day 174
Jesus does not have to come to us
physically for us to receive all the
miracles we need. As God’s Word is
preached, you will be healed, even if
good
the man of God does not touch you.
thiNgs
God sent His Word and healed His
people.
In a vision I once had, God told
READ:
me that He had put fire in my mouth
1 John 5:4-7
and that when I speak, fire would
He sent his word, and
come out of my mouth in the realm
healed them, and de-
of the spirit and people would be
livered them from
healed. I do not have to touch you
their destructions.
before you receive the power of God
Psalm 107:20
into your life. Receive your healing
in the name of Jesus. Receive the
spirit of prosperity. I see God
giving you a blessing.
Once, as I was preaching and announcing blessings for people, there was a sister whose
eyes were opened in the spirit.
She saw a very big angel standing on my side. As I was saying things like, “I see God
blessing you”, the angel would throw some parcels to the members in the congregation.
There were smaller angels who would take these parcels and put them in the hands of
those who stood up and lifted their hands in faith to receive all the blessings I was
pronouncing. However, the angels passed over the heads of those who were sleeping and
yawning.
I see God blessing you! I see God healing you! I see God delivering you! Your life will
never be the same again!
182
Day 175
The lay ministry, otherwise
called the tent ministry, enables
you to be free from all men.
lay
Many times people who give
money develop an attitude because
miNistry of the size of their donations. The prophets were warned, “Don’t be
afraid of their faces.” This is be-READ:
cause the facial expressions of peo-
1 Corinthians
9:7-19
ple often intimidates us. There are
times when the fact of our being
For though I be free
tent ministers eliminates the need
from all men, yet have
for people’s gifts and donations,
I made myself servant
unto all…
thereby eliminating these bad atti-
1 Corinthians 9:19
tudes. The tent ministry enables you
to enter the ministry whether fi-
nances permit it or not.
Paul said, “Woe is me if I preach not the gospel.”
Sometimes we do not have a choice! We have to do His will whether there is a salary or
not. That is exactly how I feel. I do not think that I have a choice. I am bound to obey
God. I feel that if I do anything apart from preaching His Word, God will destroy me. I
have heard other pastors say the same thing.
The tent ministry will ensure that you play a part in this great ministry.
Many of us may never play a part in building the kingdom unless we do it as lay people.
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all evangelists? Are all pastors? Obviously not!
But thank God you can support yourself and make a significant contribution to the
ministry as a tent minister.
183
Day 176
Women are prophetically des-
tined to make a significant
spiritual impact. I have observed
that the role of spiritual women has
womeN
increased. More and more women
are making a difference in ministry.
READ:
You cannot rule them out. Their
Luke 10:38-42
seed is significantly impacting the
And the angel came in
work of ministry.
unto her, and said,
Women are preaching, singing,
Hail, thou that art
teaching and having visions. This is
highly favoured, the
a role that God has carved out for all
Lord is with thee:
blessed
art
thou
who care for spiritual things. Con-
among women.
sider the biblical examples of the
Luke 1:28
three Marys.
When Mary, sister of Martha,
was seated at Jesus’ feet listening to His words, He declared that she was doing the one
thing needful!
When Mary Magdalene saw the risen Christ even before the apostles, the whole church
received an important message.
Women are treasured by the Lord! Women are loved by the Lord! Women are special to
the Saviour!
When Mary, mother of Jesus, received her salutation from the angel, she received perhaps
the most treasured words ever spoken to a woman: “Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the
Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women… for thou hast found favour with God.”
These three Marys left an in-delible spiritual mark that has lasted forever. Their example
must be followed by all who desire to bring forth spiritual seed.
A woman with direction must rise up in the realm of the spirit and refuse to be defeated by
the devil. He is against your spiritual seed but it shall surely come forth!
184
Day 177
Isaiah outlines the powerful effects
that the coming of the Sprit of
God would have. When the anoint-
ing comes on you, it will also make
aNoiNt me, you do certain things.
lord
The anointing on your life will
cause your preaching and ministry
to heal broken-hearted and disap-
READ:
pointed people, even though you may
Isaiah 61
have no practical solutions for their
The Spirit of the Lord
problems.
GOD is upon me; be-
When you are anointed, people
cause the LORD hath
anointed me…
will be encouraged when they see
Isaiah 61:1
you and hear you! The fact that
someone is encouraged does not
mean he is healed. Sometimes there
are legal reasons why people cannot be healed in this life and this comforting ministry is
therefore a powerful alternative for them. The power of God that comforts without
actually healing the problem is equally powerful.
When the anointing is on your life, you will have joy, praise and thankfulness in your
heart. The spirit of heaviness is the spirit of depression. The feelings of depression
(worthless-ness, hopelessness and guilt) are not inspired by the Holy Spirit. They are often
demonic affectations. The anointing will cause you to be a righteous person. Most human
beings are unable to gain control over their passions and human weaknesses. The
anointing on your life will cause people that are bound to be set free as you minister to
them. Many people are bound through the presence of evil spirits.
Because of the anointing you will be a priest. What an honour and privilege to be called a
priest of the Lord.
185
Day 178
Samson was a perfect example of
someone with a dual life. His
dual behaviour was so typical of a
double life, that every Christian must
double liFe learn something from him. I sometimes like to call the phenomenon of
READ:
duality “Samsonism”. That was the
1 Corinthians
state of Samson - he had a religious,
5:1-11
separated facet of his life, which was
Holding faith, and a
shown by the fact that he never cut
good conscience…
his hair. Yet, he was unequally yoked
1 Timothy 1:19
to the things of the world.
There are Christians who appear
separated from the world, but live in
sin. Samson was separated because
he was a Nazarite. He was unique,
in the sense that he was not sup-
posed to drink alcohol, or cut his hair as a sign of his conse-cration to God. At the same
time, he was practising another kind of quiet evil, by linking himself with the devil and the
world. He wanted to have an unbeliever wife and found himself one (Judges 14: 2-3). He
was a man anointed of God, yet he wanted to ingulge in worldly pleasure.
Some of you reading this are just like that; you claim to be born again, but you are also
playing around with the world.
Your best friends are unbelievers, which makes you just like Samson. The amazing thing
is that you are in a born-again church where you hear life-changing sermons repeatedly. If
your favourite friends at school and at work are openly declared non-Christians, then you
have a big problem!
Spiritual duality is a condition, which predisposes to fornication and adultery. Do not play
any double games with God!
186
Day 179
King Solomon analysed the prob-
lem of poverty around him. He
concluded that much of the problem
was caused by lack of hard work.
great
He figured out that if he could deal
miNds
with sleep and folding of arms there
would be more prosperity.
READ:
Do you wish to become a great
Proverbs 24:30-34
thinker? Here are three keys to help
you:
…Yet a little sleep, a
little
slumber…So
1. Wait on God.
shall thy poverty come
2. Read books which expand your
as one that travelleth;
imagination and frontiers of
and thy want as an
knowledge.
armed man.
3. Think deeply about whatever you
Proverbs 24:32-34
see or hear.
Allow your mind to consider issues when they come up. Do not just take things at the
surface level (Ecclesiastes 2:11, 3:10).
I have often had to think about the state of affairs of my church. I am constantly analysing
what is going on, therefore, I am constantly taking decisions. Once I was having a
discussion with one of my contractors and I told him, “I am the most important person you
need to talk to about this project.” I continued, “I think about this project more than the
architects do.”
A good leader analyses his work and its related problems all the time. Perhaps the reason
why you are ineffective as a leader is that your heart and your mind are not constantly on
your assignment.
187
Day 180
If you study the life of Jesus, you
will discover certain things He
did, which explain how He became
anointed (Luke 3:21-22). Jesus, even
correct though He was greater than John
route
the Baptist, submitted Himself to
the latter. He actually joined his
ministry by allowing John to baptize
READ:
Him. God will anoint someone who
Hebrews 1:1-12
will humble and submit himself to
…let every one that
another.
nameth the name of
There are many rebellious ele-
christ depart from in-
ments in the church that are looking
iquity.
for anointing. They are looking for
2 Timothy 2:19
God’s gifts. God does not anoint
illegal things. That is why the Bible
says that everyone who uses the
name of Christ should depart from iniquity and again that those who hate iniquity shall be
anointed (Hebrews 1:9).
Sometimes I look at people who want to be anointed and see them fighting with
everybody who was there before they came.
Why do you fight with somebody who was there before you?
We all have to learn to acknowledge the fathers that God puts before us.
Notice that before Jesus even had the chance to heal one person, a voice came from
Heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son.” If you really want to please God, it is not
necessarily in preaching and teaching. You will please God by just humbling yourself. The
first fall was caused by pride. That first fall of Satan, has caused every other fall since
then.
188
Day 181
Aleader is someone who employs
wisdom as an essential tool of
life. Christian leaders have the task
of combining the Spirit of God and
combiNed the wisdom of God. That is the will eFFort
of God. Every Christian leader
must learn to achieve a balance
between the power and the wisdom.
READ:
That is what I want you to get as you
1 Corinthians
1:18-30
read this. Christ Jesus is not only
power to us. He is power and
…Christ the power of
wisdom.
God, and the wisdom
When you are able to effectively
of God.
combine the power and the wisdom
1 Corinthians 1:24
of God, you will succeed as a leader.
If you are a pastor, do not rely solely
on spiritual direction; remember that
pastors are supposed to use their minds as well. If you use your mind, God will lift you up
in ministry.
I once noticed a church that was meeting in somebody’s house in an exclusive and quiet
residential neighbourhood.
The prayer, the worship and the praise were so loud and offensive that no one on the entire
street could concentrate as long as they were shouting through their microphones. The
pastor was anointed and he had the power of God at work for him.
Unfortunately, he had left out wisdom. They were using a public address system meant for
large halls and hundreds of people. I thought to myself, “Very soon this church will be
shut down by the neighbours or the police.”
Never use power without wisdom and never use wisdom without power!
189
Day 182
Your first role as a member of a
church is that of a faithful
attendee. “Faithful” means “constant, regular, reliable, dedicated and
FuNctioNal committed”. Decide to attend all roles
services, meetings and special pro-
grammes organized by the church,
so that you have adequate fellowship
READ:
and spiritual feeding.
Hebrews 13:17-25
Your second role in the church is
Moreover it is re-
that of a stable Christian. You must
quired in stewards,
be planted and established in a local
that a man be found
church. Do not form the habit of
faithful.
roaming from one church to the
1 Corinthians 4:2
other seeking signs and wonders or
other solutions (Psalm 92:12 13).
Your third role is to support the church financially to help carry the Gospel to others and to
keep the church running.
Allow Jesus to be Lord over your finances as well. You support the church financially by
giving offerings at church services (Luke 6:38). You also support the church financially by
regularly paying your tithes (ten per cent of any income received, monthly or whenever
received (Proverbs 3:9, 10).
Your fourth role is to make your talents and gifts available to the church. Put your God-
given abilities to full use in His house. God has given everyone an ability or talent that is
beneficial to His church. Be ready to perform any special duties assigned to you by the
leadership.
Your fifth role is to know your pastors, to love and to respect them. You are also expected
to pray for them (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13). May you be rooted and grounded in Christ
until He comes again!
190
Day 183
Most Christians feel that the
devil’s best weapon is to work
through occultism, witchcraft and
voodoo. I agree that these things are
Persecutor weapons in the devil’s arsenal.
But what people must realize is
READ:
that the strongest campaign of
Acts 9:1-23
Satan is in the area of deception. If
Who was before a
Satan can deceive you, he will
blasphemer, and a per-
destroy you! Satan makes many
secuter, and injurious:
people believe that they are fighting
but I obtained mercy,
a man of God in the name of justice
because I did it igno-
rantly in unbelief.
and truth. However, they soon dis-
cover with great pain, that they are
1 Timothy 1:13
doing nothing but kicking their feet
against nails and thorns.
This is what Paul discovered when he fought against the church and supervised the
elimination of one of its leaders, Stephen. Saul was a man with a good conscience. He
earnestly thought that he was eliminating troublemakers from the peaceful city of
Jerusalem. In his fight for righteousness, he sought to wipe out elements that he thought
were harmful to society.
There are many people who think they are on a holy war to expose false preachers and
ministries. Like Saul, they think they have a divine mandate to let everyone know the truth
about the hypocrites in the pulpits. The apostle Paul was so surprised to find out that he
was actually fighting against Christ.
Paul claimed later on that he had received mercy from God because he did not know what
he was doing.
191
Day 184
Eve was created to be Adam’s
helper. A married woman must
aim to help, project, motivate, uplift
and promote her husband.
good
It is very important for a wife to
wives
love her husband, otherwise it will be
very difficult to perform the marital
responsibilities of submission, sex
READ:
etc. and generally, to do what God’s
Titus 2:4-5
Word teaches her to do as a Chris-
Thy wife shall be as a
tian spouse. The Bible teaches
fruitful vine by the
clearly that wives should submit to
sides of thine house…
their husbands. Christian wives will
Psalm 128:3
do well to obey this Scripture
(1 Peter 3:1-3).
Every wife has a God-given duty
to satisfy the sexual needs of her husband. Usually, the need to have sex is greater for a
man than for a woman, and many wives find their husbands’ persistent advances for sex a
bother.
A wife should know and understand that if she does not take care of her husband’s sexual
needs, she may push him to seek fulfilment elsewhere and this will lead to a lot of
heartache and pain.
Food is also another thing, which is very important to a man. It is the duty of a wife to
produce nice, tasty meals for her husband and the rest of the household. She must
introduce a lot of variety in the food she prepares and be very innovative.
Finally, a good wife should provide nice, supportive company and friendship. She should
chat with her husband when he is quiet, and encourage him when he is downhearted.
These simple acts help to strengthen the friendship and companionship in the marriage.
192
Day 185
Unfortunately, extreme faith
teachings have given the im-
pression that God is against medi-
cine. They have left us with the
combiNed impression that God would like to Force
replace all medical personnel with
pastors. They left us with a feeling
that to take medicine was sinful or
READ:
unspiritual.
Exodus 15:26
In one church, over forty-five
But unto you that fear
people died because they refused to
my name shall the Sun
take medicine. Parents rejected med-
of righteousness arise
icine for their little children because
with healing in his
wings…
of their belief in faith healing.
Eventually, the pastor himself fell ill
Malachi 4:2
but refused medication. By and by,
he was brought to church in a wheel
chair, still refusing medical help until he died.
This kind of thing throws the healing ministry into confusion. We all tend to move away
from an area of confusion.
This is why many have turned away from the healing ministry.
In spite of the confusion you cannot discount the reality of God’s healing power.
God is not trying to replace hospitals and doctors with pastors and evangelists. God gave
the wisdom for medical science.
Both streams of healing are ordained of God and are not contrary to each other. God does
heal and if you believe in Him, you will actually see people being healed. You will see
miracles!
You will witness the power of God in manifestation!
We have to understand the balance between medical science and God’s power.
193
Day 186
Long prayer may not be an
explicit instruction in the Bible,
but it is implicit throughout the
Word. There are four important
keeP
times to pray: morning, afternoon,
watch
evening and all-the-time.
Jesus prayed in the morning and
so do I (Mark 1:35). Prayer in the
READ:
morning is very good because you
Acts 16:1-34
meet God before you meet the devil.
Watch and pray, that
You meet God before you meet the
ye enter not into
circumstances of life. God anoints
temptation…
you to overcome every mountain
Matthew 26:41
that you will encounter in your life.
When you pray in the afternoon,
it signifies that in the heat of the day
and in the thick of the battle, you recognize God as the most important force in your life
(Mark 6:46). You can take a little time off your lunch break and pray; it will do you good.
It is also important to pray in the evenings. When the Bible says, “watch and pray”, it does
not mean keep your eyes open when you pray. What it actually means is, stay awake and
pray.
There is something about praying in the night that is different from praying during the day
(Luke 6:12). I have heard stories that witches are very active around 2 a.m. in the night.
Perhaps when you pray in the night you are tackling the forces of darkness in a different
way.
The fourth important time to pray is “all-the-time”. Prayer is intended to be a never-ending
stream of communication with your heavenly Father. He has given us the gift of speaking
in tongues to help us to pray. God is happy when His children are constantly in touch with
Him (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
194
Day 187
The taking away of the sacrifice
is described as the sin of deso-
lation. Desolation means: destitute,
barren, empty, forgotten, dark,
doN’t
rejected and dejected. The sin of
hold back desolation is what comes when sacrifice is taken away from the church.
Where there are no sacrificial
READ:
people, the church is desolate. We
Luke 9:23-26
cannot build more churches if
And Mary said, Be-
people are not prepared to sacrifice.
hold the handmaid of
Sometime ago, I had a phone con-
the Lord; be it unto
me according to thy
versation with one of my lay pastors.
word…
Immediately after speaking to him, I
Luke 1:38
had a vision. I saw the same person
walking in a hot desert. He was
sweating profusely and struggling in the heat of the shining sun. I knew immediately that
he was distressed by his secular job. The Lord showed me that this lay pastor was not
where he was supposed to be. So I called him and told him, “Pastor, you are in the wrong
place. It is time to give it all up for Jesus.
You are called to serve in the house of the Lord. You are a priest.” He responded, “Bishop,
it’s true, I struggle everyday at work. I know I am lost. I’m coming.” That was the end of
his secular career. Today he is fruitful in full-time ministry.
It was not easy for me to talk to this lay pastor. I felt very intimidated because he had a
good job that was giving him a lot of money. Both Satan and the Antichrist were against
my talking to this young man about full-time ministry.
Your life will be desolate when you hold back the sacrifice that you must make for God!
May desolation and barrenness be removed from your church and ministry!
195
Day 188
Employers should give good
salaries and wages and ensure
that people are getting something
good. If people are generally not
bosses
receiving enough remuneration, they
have a genuine cause to be discon-
READ:
tented. Within the limits of your
Luke 3:7-14
context, give people a good remu-
neration.
Thou shalt not de-
fraud thy neighbour,
Those who follow you must not
neither rob him: the
only be hopeful for the future, they
wages of him that is
must be satisfied now. If you are the
hired shall not abide
manager of a company, ask yourself
with thee all night
until the morning.
whether your workers are happy
Leviticus 19:13
now.
Jesus promised blessings for the
future; He offered contentment and satisfaction for the now!
There were houses and prosperity for today and there was eternal life for the future (Mark
10:28-30). That was Jesus’
strategy.
Teach about contentment (Hebrews 13:5). Teaching the Word of God fights the deception
that comes from Satan.
Teaching will always heal the curable traces of discontentment in your organization.
Recognize incurable discontentment and dismiss those affected. Some people love money
so much, that nothing you do for them will ever be satisfactory (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Such
people receive high salaries and more benefits but do not show any gratitude. They are
cured of their discontentment only after experiencing the realities of life.
196
Day 189
One of the least understood
statements of Jesus is, “I never
knew you.” Those He spoke to were
doing many wonderful works in His
closeNess name but Jesus said, “I never knew you.”
READ:
It seems that God is more inter-
Psalm 119:97-106
ested in the personal relationship
Neither have I gone
than in the great public works that
back from the com-
we do in His name. The only way to
mandment of his lips;
know Him closely is to have a regu-
I have esteemed the
lar daily quiet time. A daily quiet
words of his mouth
more than my neces-
time will prevent you from going to
sary food.
Hell. A quiet time will save you from
Job 23:12
the delusion that working for God is
the same as knowing Him.
There are people who work for me but who do not know me personally. They may
recognize me when I come around, but they do not have a personal relationship with me.
How come I have a personal relationship with some of my pastors and shepherds? The
answer is simple. Some of these people make the effort to be close to me and to interact
with me personally.
Attending church a thousand times is different from having a personal or one to one
interaction with the Lord. It is time to know Him personally. A daily quiet time will make
you have a personal one to one relationship with the Lord. Nothing else can make you
have a personal relationship with the Lord. It is this personal interaction with the Lord
which most Christians lack.
It is up to you and I to draw near to Him on a daily basis (James 4:8).
197
Day 190
In the book of Ecclesiastes, God
reveals the master plan for
winning in hopeless situations. This
story applies to any circumstance. It
master
applies to a hopeless marriage, busi-
key
ness or church. It applies to your
case too. You will win in this fight
because God’s wisdom is the master
READ:
key to overcoming impossible situa-
Ecclesiastes 10:10-15
tions.
…but wisdom is prof-
The duty of a woman with direc-
itable to direct.
tion to act wisely. Do not deprive
Ecclesiastes 10:10
your husband of food, sex or peace
at home. In fact, load it on him until
he is suffocating with your love. He
will be charmed by your sweetness
and will have no complaints.
Attending church must be done with great wisdom and circumspection. If you are married
to a husband who is unyielding and insensitive to the things of God, you cannot afford to
behave like someone who is married to apostle Peter. Your circumstances are entirely
different!
Learn from Abigail, wife of Nabal in 1 Samuel 25:36. She did two things. First, she said
nothing to Nabal. It is not wise to say some things. Secondly, her conversation with him
did not centre on controversial issues. If you learn how to speak wisely, you will be as
successful as Abigail was (Proverbs 29:11).
Some women quarrel with their husbands constantly; fighting and arguing about every
issue. Men do not like to be shouted at. Men do not like to feel they have lost an argument.
Be wise when dealing with men.
198
Day 191
In Judges Chapter 15, we read
about Samson’s revenge on his
father-in-law for giving his bride to
his best man. It is a child who would
mature
act as Samson did. There are sim-
PeoPle
pler ways of burning a farm. The
man was clearly childish in his think-
ing. Yet, at the same time, he was a
Read:
very mature man who gave reason-
Judges 15:1-20
able judgements for at least twenty
Therefore leaving the
years.
principles of the doc-
There are many Christians like
trine of Christ, let us
that. Their level of understanding
go on unto perfection;
…
of God’s Word is excellent, yet they
are so childish.
Hebrews 6:1
A child is very unsteady and un-
stable. There are many childish Christians who cannot settle down in any church. They
just cannot belong anywhere. They are unsteady and unstable, yet they have great
knowledge. It takes maturity to belong to a church.
Children are often easily hurt, and they need a lot of attention. In the church setting,
anybody who behaves in this manner is considered a child. Such people sometimes know
many Scriptures and have been Christians for a long time, yet they still get easily hurt and
need much attention. A mature person doesn’t seek attention, but rather gives it.
Maturity is needed in every facet of our lives. It takes a mature man to settle down with
one of the many beautiful ladies he sees around him. That is why people respect married
men.
Are you mature and yet childish?
199
Day 192
Women need a covering for
their lives. This covering
serves as a shield of protection.
Unfortunately, there are many
headshiP women who do not acknowledge this reality. They see themselves as equal
READ:
to men and as good as anyone else.
1Corinthians11:3-16
It is only with a spirit of humility
For the husband is the
that you can accept these realities.
head of the wife, even
The kingdom of God can be best
as Christ is the head
pursued with the attitude of a little
of the church: and he
child (Matthew 18:3).
is the saviour of the
body.
It is important for a woman to be
Ephesians 5:23
covered spiritually and this covering
comes through a head. Whether a
woman is married or not, she can
have the covering she needs. This covering is provided sometimes by husbands, pastors or
spiritual fathers.
A woman ministering without this spiritual covering is out of place. Obviously, if you are
married to an unbeliever, he cannot be your spiritual covering.
If you are married to a spiritually dull husband, he is not your covering. Someone who is
above you spiritually must provide the covering. That is why it is called a covering.
Dear sister, do you have a spiritual covering? Are you open to the counsel of the men that
God has given for your covering? Who is your spiritual covering? Are you a rebel?
Do not forget that none of us is above the Word of God.
200
Day 193
The Scripture below teaches that
women will do well if they are
not amazed (emotional).
you caN …whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any
escaPe!
amazement.
1 Peter 3:6
READ:
“Amazement”, speaks of the
James 4:6-10
emotional nature of women. When
the emotions of a woman dominate
For thou wilt save the
afflicted people; but
her, she loses her focus. Emotions
wilt bring down high
can make a woman forget all the
looks.
Scriptures and principles she knows.
Psalm 18:27
Do not allow emotions of sorrow,
fear, jealousy, hatred, and insecurity
to overwhelm you. Remember, you
will do well when you are not dominated by your emotions.
Because women have suffered greatly from discrimination, they tend to be reactionary and
are tempted to be proud. Many women display the pride of a “no-nonsense” person. There
is no need to be proud and reactionary. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He
will lift you up! God can promote you better than you can with your words.
I often say that women suffer the temptation to be unforgiving. They have fishhook hearts.
This is a deep, narrow and retentive heart which stores up all the hurts and experiences of
this life. God will not hear your prayers when you do not forgive others. Your life will
change dramatically when you learn forgiveness. Woman, remember that your sins are
numerous. It is in your interest to walk in love and to forgive those who have hurt you.
This will make you a daughter that pleases the Lord.
201
Day 194
Jesus told us who the greatest in
the Kingdom is. He called a child
and said, “This is the greatest in the
Kingdom of God.”
Nobodies
If you become as humble as a
child, you will be the greatest in the
READ:
Kingdom. That is why the Son of
Matthew 18:1-6
God went to John the Baptist’s min-
…Yea, all of you be
istry to be baptized like everyone
subject one to an-
else. He did not ask to be treated
other, and be clothed
specially.
with humility: for God
resisteth the proud,
If you choose to humble yourself,
and giveth grace to
God will exalt you but if you choose
the humble.
to exalt yourself, then He will bring
1 Peter 5:5
you down. You have to choose.
When the Lord called me into the
Ministry, my father said to me, “I cannot stand the fact that my son will live from the
offerings of people. It is below you.”
However, the Lord told me to enter into ministry and to humble myself. I also struggled
with this because I reasoned with God, that I was a doctor. I argued that I did not need the
coins and little contributions of people to take care of myself.
The Lord said to me, “You are nothing, you are nobody.”
That is true. We are what we are by the grace of God.
Jesus became anointed because He humbled Himself. Stop trying to be some unique
person. Just become nothing. When you humble yourself, God will pour His grace on you.
If we do not humble ourselves, we cannot learn and receive from the people that God
sends to us. We will just look on and analyze them. Many of us are outside the grace of
God because we cannot receive from the people that God has placed in our lives.
202
Day 195
Many people claim they cannot
do certain things because they
have no time. However, the reality is
that they are unable to manage their
Practical time. You must be able to distin-tiPs
guish between important things and
urgent things. Many things that are
urgent are not important and many
READ:
important things are not urgent.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
Cut away the unimportant things
Redeeming the time,
and ensure that you do what you are
because the days are
is supposed to do.
evil.
Do not get involved with things
Ephesians 5:16
that are not on your schedule. You
should recognize that many good
things are not necessarily the things
you must do. I have decided that I
will spend my time in prayer and in the ministry of the Word.
It will help you to surround yourself with competent helpers who will do certain essential
jobs for you. A responsible employee who takes care of important things for you is a
valuable asset. Get rid of people who fail to do jobs that are delegated to them. These
people will create problems for you and drag you into areas, which should have been
taken care of.
How can you develop the art of using your time wisely? I want to share with you a secret
which I believe is a key to managing your time effectively. It is also a key to fulfilling the
will of God. Stay with your calling. A true leader discovers what he is supposed to do and
sticks to it. Don’t branch out into other people’s territory.
Avoid wasting your time on useless socializing and television programmes.
203
Day 196
God is very concerned about
whom you marry. I am not
only referring to your marital
happiness, but also to how your
sPouses partner will influence you in the future. You see, life is very long and
READ:
marriage is a very long road. Will
1 Kings 11:1-13
your marriage make you or break
Neither shalt thou
you? This is a matter of concern to
make marriages with
God.
them…For they will
When God was instructing the
turn away thy son
Israelites, He was very concerned
from following me,
that they may serve
about whom they would marry, be-
other gods…
cause He did not want anyone to
Deuteronomy 7:3-4
turn their hearts away from Him.
God knew that a wife and a husband
would influence each other.
When a young man goes out to find a wife, he often looks for certain qualities. But there is
one thing that all men look for, whether they admit it or not; and that is beauty. Every man
wants to marry a beautiful girl.
God wants you to marry a beautiful person. However, His primary concern for you is
whether the person you marry will one day turn your heart away from Him.
Marriage is something you must not take lightly or wantonly, but soberly and in the fear of
the Lord, duly considering the causes for which marriage was ordained.
Your choice of a spouse is not only important for your life here on Earth, but also has
important implications concerning your eternal destiny - Heaven or Hell.
204
Day 197
Many women are embittered by
their lives’ experiences. They
are hardened, unforgiving and un-
merciful. The painful experiences of
daughters life have washed away the beauty of faith and trust.
READ:
I notice how many women live in
Luke 13:10-17
solitude. They are loners with
We love him, because
almost no friends.
he first loved us.
Notice how Jesus spoke to the
1 John 4:19
woman who had suffered from scol-
iosis (bent over) for 18 years. This
woman had been through many
things. She had been in bitterness
and pain for a long time. This
woman needed a miracle. Notice
how Jesus addressed her in church.
Naturally speaking, daughters are not full of bitterness and unforgiveness. There is some
sweetness and innocence that characterizes a daughter. Above all, there is a special trust
and confidence that a daughter has for her father. Unfortunately, the faith, the hope and the
love of daughters fade away as they mature into adult women.
Jesus did refer to some women as daughters. I believe it was because of the faith that they
had in Him. He noticed the pure love that they had toward Him.
…daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your
children.
Luke 23:28
Woman, may Jesus call you “daughter” because of your deep love for Him.
205
Day 198
When disloyalty is an integral
part of an individual’s
character, he often repeats this
treacherous behaviour without
uNseeN
provocation. You will see this in the
Force
life of Jeroboam, the king of Israel.
Jeroboam rebelled against King
Solomon, against Rehoboam, the le-
READ:
gitimate king of Israel, and again he
1 Kings 11:26;
12:19-30
rebelled painfully against the Lord.
He was a terrible disappointment to
…a faithful man who
the Lord.
can find?
Rebellion or disloyalty is an inte-
Proverbs 20:6
gral part of a person’s character and
culture. So, it takes time for a person
to imbibe and assimilate the philos-
ophy, tradition and culture of loyalty. However, when it is established it yields wonderful
fruits.
Loyalty is also an integral part of your character; it is not simply a set of rules you must
obey. It is a matter of developing an invisible quality; a certain style and character of
doing things. Loyalty must emanate from the heart. Develop a culture of loyalty in the
group of people you associate with. A culture runs deeper than the rule books - it is an
unseen force that keeps the family together. When new people join your company or
church, they will find the system airtight and unfriendly to treachery and to traitors. When
something is part of a culture, it happens repeatedly even without prompting.
When your organization is averse to disloyal elements, you will be much better off. If you
are in business you will make profit. If you are in church work, your church will grow;
expansion will take place.
206
Day 199
As a medical doctor, I have prob-
ably seen more people dying
than the average person. I remem-
ber my horror when, as a new med-
goNe!
ical student, I entered the mortuary
where? for the first time. The place was filled with the stench of death, and
all around me were naked bodies of
READ:
men, women and children. Some
2 Peter 2:4-9
were young; others were old. Most
And these shall go
had been struck in the prime of life.
away into everlasting
Rich and poor lay side by side, all
punishment: but the
pride and dignity forgotten in this
righteous into life
helpless state.
eternal. It was very distressing, and made Matthew 25:46
one wonder where all these souls
were going. When a man dies, his
spirit leaves his body. When Jesus died on the cross, the Bible makes us to know that he
yielded up the ghost. This means that He gave up the spirit. His spirit came out of his
body.
We can see here that when a man dies, his spirit moves from one point to another. The
spirit is not affected by physical death. Therefore, although the body itself decomposes
and returns to dust, the spirit lives on eternally.
Let us go beyond the grave and find out where they went.
You see, according to God’s Word, there is an appointment (a time for judgement) we
must all keep after death (Hebrews 9:27).
Basically, this judgement is a time for separation when Christ (our Judge) takes His own
(those who have yielded their lives to Him), and casts the rebellious sinners into Hell
(Matthew 25:32).
207
Day 200
My dear friend, have you ever
watched a soccer match with-
out knowing who was really
playing? As you watched for a while,
Favour
you began to notice the side that was
losing. Most of the time, we tend to
READ:
instinctively support the losing
Genesis 29:15-31
team. As they say, “People support
For the LORD God is
the underdogs.”
a sun and shield: the
That support you have for the un-
LORD will give grace
derdogs is a God-given instinct to
and glory: no good
support the disadvantaged.
thing will he withhold
from them that walk
Today, if you are in a disadvan-
uprightly.
taged situation, be it known unto you
Psalm 84:11
that God is on your side. The Lord
is helping you right now! It may
seem as though you are disfavoured, but that is what provokes God.
The Bible says very clearly that when God saw that Leah was not liked, He compensated
for it by showing divine favour.
And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was
barren.
Genesis 29:31
God opened the womb of Leah and gave her children. Suddenly, Leah was a favoured
person. She was the only one who could bring children into the family.
Dear brother or sister, perhaps you consider yourself to be in a disdvantaged position. That
is the reason why Jesus is giving you extra favour. He is going to change your
misfortunes. You don’t have to be discouraged. Today, remember these words: the Lord’s
favour is upon your life!
208
Day 201
Abraham knew how important it
was for his son to choose the
right woman for his wife. He knew
that she would influence him all the
iNFlueNce days of his life.
Woman, thou shall not make thy
READ:
husband sin. Some women prevent
Genesis 24:
1-27, 58-67
their husbands from going to
church. The man is the head, but the
The heart of her hus-
woman is surely the neck. Woman,
band doth safely trust
you have a lot of influence. Use it
in her…She will do him
good and not evil all
wisely! Do not use your influence to
the days of her life.
make your husband stay away from
Proverbs 31:11-12
God.
I remember a woman whose hus-
band was willing to donate money to
the church for some instruments. When the man raised up his hand during the fund-
raising, the woman pulled it down. She stopped him from giving to the Lord. She came up
later to lie to the pastors about how stingy her husband was. Woman, do not make your
husband sin.
Even if your husband is not saved, you influence him spiritually. Perhaps you are married
to an unbeliever; remember what the Scripture says in 1 Corinthians 7:14.
The Bible teaches that the believer sanctifies the unbeliever.
Whatever that means, we know that the believing person has a spiritual influence on the
unbeliever.
Abraham knew how important it was to have the right kind of wife. This is the reason why
he went so far to get a wife for his son.
209
Day 202
The wisest, most godly and
honest men in this world
acknowledge the Bible as the Word
of God. Only infidels and ungodly
the holy people reject the Bible. The Bible bible
was written by honest and godly
men; it condemns all sin and records
the sins and faults of its writers as
READ:
well as others. The Bible is superior
2 Timothy 3:14-17
because it claims to be the Word of
…holy men of God
God. Bible writers assert that God
spake as they were
spoke what they wrote.
moved by the Holy
The Bible meets all man’s present
Ghost.
and eternal needs. The response of
2 Peter 1:21
humanity to this great book shows
that it is of a supernatural nature.
The Bible is superior in its moral and
spiritual power. The Bible is also superior in its miraculous nature. Hundreds of miracles
are recorded in the Scriptures.
Miracles happen daily among those who pray and claim Bible promises.
The Bible is always up to date on every subject. It was useful to people who lived a
thousand years ago and is still relevant for those who live in the twenty-first century. It can
be applied to the lives of people who live in Africa, Asia, Europe or America. The
doctrines of the Bible surpass all human ideas or principles of relationships, religion and
culture.
The Bible has been preserved through the ages. God has made the Bible indestructible and
victorious. In comparison to other books, the Bible is superior because the heavenly and
eternal character of its contents proves it to be inspired by God.
210
Day 203
You must note that the anointing
came upon Jesus when He was
praying. The fact is that there is
no anointing without prayer
authority (Luke 3:21). Prayerless people are powerless people. Prayer is what
READ:
gives rise to the intangible aura of
Colossians 1:15-19
the presence of God around some-
And Jesus came and
one who is anointed.
spake unto them, say-
Someone would wonder why the
ing, All power is given
Pharisees were afraid to arrest Jesus.
unto me in heaven and
He was preaching openly. He had
in earth.
been in the temple, casting out
Matthew 28:18
thieves. He had marched into
Jerusalem on a donkey.
Jesus moved openly. Why were
they afraid to arrest him? Why did they need Judas to betray someone who walked openly
in public? It is because there was an aura around Jesus. There was something about Him.
The Pharisees themselves knew that there was no one who spoke as He spoke. There was
something about His words. His words have lasted for more than two thousand years. He
never wrote a book but two thousand years later, millions read His words.
You see, when you have been with someone, you can speak about the person with
authority. The authority comes because you have been with the person. This authority is a
manifestation of the anointing that is on your life. The more anointed you are, the more
authority you will have. And the more authority you have, the more powerful you will be.
211
Day 204
If you cannot handle opposition,
you cannot be a leader. Every
time I have embarked on the road of
leadership, it has been met with stiff
hostility opposition. Every great leader has many enemies!
READ:
The greater the leader, the
2 Timothy 3:10-14
greater the hatred and opposition.
Woe unto you, when
Consider the life of Elijah. He was
all men shall speak
hated by the king and by the king’s
well of you! for so did
wife. There was a death warrant out
their fathers to the
for his life. Elijah was hated and
false prophets.
hunted because of his ministry
Luke 6:26
(1 Kings 18:9-11). We all know that
Elijah was one of the greatest
prophets. Human nature cannot
stand the success of another col-
league. If you are not prepared for hatred and opposition, please resign from your
leadership position immediately.
Opposition often comes in the form of plausible accusations.
When David spoke of killing Goliath, his brothers reacted an-grily and accused him of
pride and naughtiness. Isn’t it amazing that good people are often given the most wicked
labels?
David had to handle the hatred of his own brothers and then the hatred of his father Saul
(1 Samuel 17:28).
Do not be distracted or deterred by opposition. If the least opposition is able to stop you,
then you are a poor leader.
Hatred and opposition are part of leadership. You need to develop a hard forehead for
opposition (Ezekiel 3:8, 9).
Opposition is often a sign that you are in the will of God.
You are now a threat to Satan, which is why he is attacking you.
212
Day 205
Atrue leader exhibits flexibility.
Being flexible does not mean
that you compromise on things you
believe in. A leader must not be
Flexibility rigid. An old rigid tree will be broken, but a young supple tree can be
READ:
bent over. Paul said that he became
1 Corinthians
all things to all men so that he might
9:16-23
save them all. Are you prepared to
To the weak became I
do anything to achieve good results?
as weak, that I might
There are times that you may have
gain the weak: I am
to vary your dressing to flow with
made all things to all
the people around. You are not
men, that I might by
all means save some.
always right, you know!
1 Corinthians 9:22
In certain cultures, people are not
punctual. When you state that the
programme starts at six o’clock, they
will leave their homes at six and be there at seven. If you are very rigid with your timing,
you may end up preaching to empty chairs and closing your service as the majority of
people walk in.
A pastor must be flexible with ignorant baby sheep. Sometimes sheep will ask you to
counsel them about things you have just preached about. The message is very clear but
they still want you to talk to them.
A leader tries new things. Try new ways of evangelism.
Be open to methods that you did not invent. Listen to young people who have fresh ideas.
Do not rigidly think that God only speaks through a grey-haired sixty-year-old prophet.
Flexibility will allow you to receive from a twenty-year-old anointed youth. You must be
flexible and open to new ideas.
213
Day 206
Aquiet time makes you read the
most important book in the
world. The Bible is the most impor-
tant book in the world. It is the most
learNiNg outstanding volume known to the
human race.
READ:
Professor M. Montiero-Williams,
2 Peter 3:12-18
in comparing other religious books
That they should seek
to the Bible said,
the Lord, if haply they
“. .place your own Holy Bible on
might feel after him,
and find him, though
the right side - all by itself, all alone
he be not far from
- and with a wide gap between them.
every one of us:
For…there is a gulf between it and
Acts 17:27
the so-called sacred books of the
East . .”
A quiet time, is your personal
School of the Word. During your quiet time, you sit and learn at the feet of the Greatest
Teacher Jesus left us, the Holy Spirit.
He will teach you many things and show you many wonderful revelations in the Word
(John 16:12-13).
Your personal quiet time gives you the opportunity to add knowledge to your faith. During
your quiet time, you increase in your personal knowledge of the Scriptures (2 Peter 1:5).
Above all, you develop the most important relationship of your life by spending quality
time with God. A natural relationship develops between any two people who spend quality
time together. Having a quiet time makes you develop the most important personal habit
of all time: a regular time with your Creator. You draw near to God and He draws near to
you (James 4:8). I have a quiet time everyday and I spend quality time with the Lord. You
will be blessed as you have your quiet time because you will experience the presence of
God.
214
Day 207
Most important things are not
urgent. Important things are
often unattractive and uninviting. It
is difficult to be faithful with what
get
God considers important.
moviNg
For instance, prayer without ceas-
ing is one of the most important
things for us to do (1 Thessalonians
READ:
5:17). Yet, we lack a sense of ur-
John 11:28-45
gency when it comes to prayer. In
…Go out quickly…and
times of trouble, you often cannot
bring in hither the
have faith. While you are in the
poor, and the maimed,
trouble, you will feel like calling on
and the halt, and the
blind.
God but fear and anxiety will grip
your heart. It is almost impossible
Luke 14:21
to pray under those circumstances.
Then you will realize how important
it was for you to have prayed.
Have you ever wondered why Jesus did not pray when He was arrested? It is because He
had finished praying before the crisis began.
To preach the Gospel and to win the lost is another very important instruction (Matthew
28:19, 20). But often there is no sense of urgency to fulfil that command. The fact that you
don’t feel any pressure does not mean that it is not important.
Pressure does not always signify the importance of a command. It is a great thing to obey
the Lord even when we are not under pressure to do so.
It takes greater faithfulness and diligence to perform duties that do not appear urgent or
important.
215
Day 208
The apostle Paul was intent on
obeying the Lord. If the in-
struction was hunger, he was pre-
pared for it; if the instruction was
do as you fullness, he would obey!
are told
The consequence of obeying or
disobeying one little instruction can
be so great that no sacrifice could
READ:
ever compensate for the act of
Romans 5:15-19
disobedience.
…every where and in
Think about Jesus, who by one act
all things I am in-
of obedience has rescued millions
structed both to be
full and to be hungry…
from the throes of Hell. There is
Philippians 4:12
nothing like obedience in the eyes of
God. To obey is better than to
sacrifice. This is the most important
truth you must learn about obedience.
I remember the story of an army lieutenant who received orders to fire his artillery at the
enemy. As his soldiers prepared to fire, the radio operator had a message from the general
asking the lieutenant to hold his fire. Something had changed: the enemy position had now
been occupied by his own troops.
The lieutenant was so zealous to fight that he did not listen to the radio operator, but rather
opened fire and pounded his own soldiers.
God is like the army general, who sees the whole picture.
He knows when to fire and when not to fire; He knows when to sacrifice and when not to.
I have learnt that to obey is better than to sacrifice. God has sometimes asked us not to do
things that we habitually do. Could it be that there will be times that it is more important
not to preach, than it is to preach because that is what God says?
216
Day 209
Spiritual, emotional and psycho-
logical problems are the most
difficult to solve. Doctors often
struggle with these problems to no
holsitic avail. The diagnosis and treatment healiNg of spiritual, emotional and
psychological problems are the most diffi-
cult areas of medicine. But God has
READ:
a solution. The solution is in His
Proverbs 4:20-22
Word.
He sent his word, and
A daily dose of God’s powerful
healed them, and de-
Word will bring healing to every
livered them from
inner wound. How was Jesus going
their destructions.
to heal the broken-hearted?
Psalm 107:20
Through the Word of God! The
Word of God has a way of healing
us of our pain and wounds. God will
touch you where it hurts if you will allow Him. He will heal you of every situation in your
life.
God also heals our bodies. The Bible says that His words are life and health to the flesh
(Proverbs 4:22). The flesh means the physical body. I would like to quote to you a very
interesting article I read in Reader’s Digest:
“The notion that religious faith can promote physical well-being is not new. Most of us
have heard of cases in which someone, seemingly by sheer faith and will, has
miraculously recovered from a terminal illness or survived far longer than doctors thought
possible. What is new is that such rewards of religion are becoming the stuff of science.”
It may sound difficult to believe, but God’s Word actually brings healing to our physical
bodies.
217
Day 210
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the
power of God unto salvation.
When you expose yourself to the
Word of God, you are exposing
Power aNd yourself to a supernatural power: wisdom God is actually in His Word. He is
the Word (John 1:1). The power of
God will be real to you.
READ:
What power is able to change the
Proverbs 1:1-7
lives of thousands of young people
For I am not ashamed
who would otherwise have been
of the gospel of
dancing, drinking, smoking and in-
Christ: for it is the
fecting each other with HIV? My
power of God unto
salvation…
church is made up of mostly young
people. I have thousands of young
Romans 1:16
people who serve the Lord with all
their hearts, might and strength.
What has changed the course of their lives? Is it the laying on of hands? Is it fasting? No!
It is the Word of God; this is the power of God with the ability to save and to change. A
daily quiet time produces power for the ordinary Christian.
A daily quiet time can also make you wiser than your enemies, your teachers and the
elders (Psalm 119:98-100). You will become wiser than the average person around you.
A daily quiet time will give you the right perspective of life.
You will be delivered from delusions about what life has to offer.
The Word of God makes you see the wealth of this world in the right perspective. Jesus
said, “Lay up for yourself treasures in Heaven.” That is true wisdom.
God’s Word taken in on a daily basis will guide you and convert your soul.
218
Day 211
It is possible to be a church mem-
ber and to do great things but not
know God.
kNowiNg
There are people in my church
who do wonderful works in the name
god
of the church or on my behalf. How-
ever, the reality is that I do not know
them personally because they do not
READ:
interact with me.
Luke 13:22-30
Earlier on, when someone would
Draw nigh to God,
ask me how they could do better in
and he will draw nigh
the ministry, I would give them
to you…
twenty-five principles for church
James 4:8
growth and then I would show them
eighteen strategies for effective
evangelism. I might show them
seven steps to an excellent ministry. Now, if you ask me that same question I would say
just draw closer to God and know Him personally. You see, there is no point in running
around on His behalf when you do not know Him personally.
It is said that pastors worldwide pray an average of seven minutes a day. If the pastors are
spending less than ten minutes with their Heavenly Father, then perhaps the ordinary
members are spending a few seconds every week with their Lord.
It is no wonder the Church is the way it is. It is time to know Him personally. The only
way is to have a regular daily reading of the Bible. This may actually be your passport to
Heaven.
219
Day 212
The starting point of loyalty is
the head of the organisation.
If he is unfaithful to his followers,
they will be unfaithful to him.
good
I was once chatting with a senior
leaders pastor. He spoke about my associates. He said, “You have all these
nice people working with you. They
READ:
are so loyal.” Then he lamented,
Ecclesiastes 10:16,17
“But I have all these devils as associ-
The king that faith-
ates, I wish I had people like yours.”
fully judgeth the poor,
I thought to myself, “If you call
his throne shall be es-
tablished for ever.
your associates devils, what do you
Proverbs 29:14
expect from them?”
Just as a loyal subordinate should
not speak evil of his senior, the head
must also not speak evil of his subordinates. Not only was it inappropriate for him to
speak like that about his subordinates, but also, it was not appropriate for him to say such
things to an outsider.
I heard another overseer refer to his branch pastors as
“wicked people” and as “wizards”. Just as the junior pastors should not refer to their
senior as a wizard or a wicked man, this should also not come from the top.
It is very difficult to live under certain kinds of leadership.
Many Africans flood western nations seeking greener pastures because they are running
away from bad leaders! I know that many Africans would return to their own countries if
they could. It is difficult to live under leadership, which is oppressive. It is difficult to live
under leaders who steal the nation’s wealth and do not care if the people have roads,
hospitals and schools for their children.
22
2 0
2
Day 213
Agood leader must strive to let
people feel important. The re-
ality is that you are the leader, so you
are different but you must learn to
FrieNds & mingle with all kinds of people.
relatives
Jesus mingled with thieves (the
two thieves at the cross), tax collec-
READ:
tors (Matthew), fishermen (Peter),
John 15:9-15
foreigners (the Syro-Phoenician
woman), demonized people (Mary
For whosoever shall
Magdalene), lunatics (the madman
do the will of my Fa-
ther which is in
of Gadara), priests (Nicodemus) and
heaven, the same is my
noblemen (Joseph of Arimathea).
brother, and sister,
Jesus interacted freely with people
and mother.
from all social strata. Do not restrict
Matthew 12:50
yourself to one group of the society.
Learn not to call or describe your staff and subordinates as servants. Nobody likes to be
called a servant even if that is the case. Jesus specifically said that He did not call His
disciples servants. Describe your staff, subordinates and junior pastors as your friends.
I enjoy the friendship of the people who work for me. If I did not have them, I would be
very lonely. You should also describe the people who work for you as your family.
This is one thing I have done all my life. I have never seen my pastors or workers as
employees but as family. I actually hate being called “boss.” The family and personal
problems of your employees should be your personal problems! Create a family spirit in
your organization. It is a hundred times better than a formal, stiff organization.
Tell your pastors or juniors about yourself and your plans.
This is one thing that draws people close.
221
Day 214
There are four groups of people
that often suffer from familiar-
ity.
Familiarity First, your colleagues - those who know you closely - often suffer from
breeds
familiarity. When I started my
church as a medical student, very
coNtemPt few of my colleagues were able to receive from me.
Secondly, we have relatives who
READ:
2 Samuel 6:17-23
also suffer from familiarity. Mine
would say, “Do you remember me? I
Yea, mine own famil-
carried you when you were two years
iar friend…hath lifted
old. I knew your father very well.”
up his heel against me.
With this background, how can such
Psalm 41:9
people receive me as a man of God?
Pastor’s wives are the third group who suffer from severe familiarity. Just like Michal,
when everyone is impressed with their husbands, they are not. They say things like, “I
know you”, “No one knows you better than I do”, “I am the only one who can tell you
certain things!”
Close friends and associates are the fourth group of people who also experience
familiarity. They have been around you for so long and they have seen your vicissitudes.
Sometimes it would be better not to know someone closely in order not to develop an air
of familiarity.
When people are familiar, they lose their respect and they cross boundaries they should
never cross. Familiarity makes people say things they should never say. Familiarity breeds
disloyalty.
222
Day 215
You need to understand that
there is a devil that rules this
world. This is obvious when you
look at the chaos in the world. The
the root dictators that are imposed on different nations, the wickedness that is
READ:
manifested, the inequalities that
Luke 4:1-13
exist in the society, the starvation,
In whom the God of
the hunger, the sickness, the diseases
this
world
hath
and the sufferings of many people
blinded the minds of
proves that the overall ruler is a very
them which believe
wicked person. The Bible calls him
not…
the “god of this world”.
2 Corinthians 4:4
Is it not true that you judge the
type of leader in a nation by the
things that go on in the nation? The
Bible clearly says that Satan is the
god of this world. The devil promised Jesus the kingdoms of this world if he would bow to
him. Jesus refused to bow to the devil and so He was not given the control of the nations
of the world. That stayed in the hands and the clutches of the devil.
God is Almighty and reigns over all things. However, the devil is the one that controls this
earthly world. The devil is the one ruling this world. He causes the diseases and the
sicknesses in this world. Jesus cast out devils from many of the people that He healed.
Until you get to the root of the problems you often do not get them solved.
This is why Jesus is in the healing business. This is why we believe in healing. I have seen
many miracles in my ministry.
I want to encourage you to believe in miracles because miracles are real ! Jesus is the Sun
of righteousness with healing in his wings (Malachi 4:2).
223
Day 216
In this life, God is going to send a
number of people to father you.
The first of these is your earthly
father whom you must not see as an
relays
elderly, person who is out of touch
with the realities of modern life.
READ:
Soon, the relay begins and the
Matthew 21:33-41
next person sent by the Lord to
For though ye have
father you will arrive on the scene.
ten thousand instruc-
A pastor often becomes the next
tors in Christ, yet have
father in the relay. Through his
ye not many fathers:
ministry, you will receive the fatherly
for in Christ Jesus I
have begotten you
care that you need to go through the
through the gospel.
next stage of your life.
1 Corinthians 4:15
Among the hundreds of instruc-
tors and teachers, it is always impor-
tant to recognize who the fathers are. Fathers have a wider scope of concern for your life.
You will discover that their ministry cares for you totally. One of the keys to recognizing a
father is to recognize the love, care and direction of our heavenly Father being transmitted
through him to your life.
No human being could truly be all that a father is supposed to be. Only the Heavenly
Father truly exemplifies what a father is. Fathering by the natural man is fraught with
imperfections, and justifies the need for what I call, “the relay of the fathers”.
The relay involves God sending one person after another for different phases of your life
and ministry. It is important to recognize the different people as they walk into your life.
This is what Jesus was illustrating with the parable in Matthew 21. We will be judged by
the way we received God’s servants who were sent to us.
224
Day 217
In Isaac’s day, everyone was trying
to travel to Egypt. But the Lord
appeared to Isaac and told him not
to leave (Genesis 26:1-4).
elevatioN
The Lord blessed Isaac when he
stayed in the land of famine. In spite
READ:
of the economic situation, Isaac was
Genesis 26:12-31
able to prosper. He had a hundred
He raiseth up the poor
per cent profit during that particular
out of the dust, and
period.
lifteth the needy out
of the dunghill; That
God can make you very great! I
he may set him with
see God taking you forward in spite
princes…
of your circumstances! No famine
Psalm 113:7, 8
can keep you down anymore! No
matter who is in government, you
are going to make it! There may be
a global economic crisis, but God will prosper you!
Isaac begun to have political problems with the community.
Is it not interesting that after a person works hard to build something, someone else claims
the rewards? Some people always want to reap what they have not sown! Isaac’s well was
taken from him on two different occasions. He lawfully built a well, but lazy and
ungrateful people contended with him over it. Laziness and ingratitude are vices that cause
a gloomy cloud of despondency and retrogression to settle. They lead to recurring curses
of poverty.
Isaac continued building, in spite of having been cheated.
God’s prosperity for your life will happen despite what people do and say. No matter your
background, family or education, God can lift you up. God is a specialist at taking you out
of the dust and placing you among princes. No circumstance is too difficult for the Lord.
225
Day 218
One of the sure ways to shorten
your life is to dishonour fathers
and mothers. Look around carefully
and you will find this to be practi-
high
cally true.
esteem
In the ministry, your longevity is
also determined by your relationship
with your fathers. Longevity speaks
READ:
of how long you last in the ministry.
Matthew 11:1-11
You will always meet people ahead
..Honour thy father
of you. It is important to honour
and mother…That it
these people as fathers. Even when
may be well with thee,
you have a different ministry, you
and thou mayest live
must respect the fathers for who
long on the earth.
they are.
Ephesians 6:2-3
Two examples of long-lasting
ministries are those of Jesus and David. Jesus’ ministry has spanned thousands of years
and is getting stronger. The ministry of King David is still being felt through the Psalms he
wrote and the life he led. He submitted himself to Saul, who was king before him.
Jesus submitted Himself to the ministry of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:13-15) and spoke
highly of him. After Jesus had submitted Himself to the ministry of John the Baptist, a
voice from Heaven said, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus had
not won any souls when He received the appellation: “This is my beloved son”! All He
did was to submit Himself to someone ahead of Him in ministry.
This is an important point for those who love to fight anything older or bigger than they
are. If you want to survive and persist through the years, learn this principle now!
226
Day 219
One of the primary reasons
evangelism does not happen is
because Christians keep to them-
selves. You cannot keep to yourself
PersuasioN if you want to be an effective witness for the Lord Jesus Christ.
READ:
Begin talking to the people
Exodus 14:
10-17, 27-31
around you. I always try to share the
Gospel with people around me. I
And from the days of
have always believed that I have
John the Baptist until
some good news about Jesus. He has
now the kingdom of
heaven suffereth vio-
saved me and set me free.
lence, and the violent
I lived in London for a period in
take it by force.
1983. I felt stifled by the stiff atmos-
Matthew 11:12
phere in England because I realized
that one couldn’t easily relate to the
people around. Everyone seemed so unfriendly and uninterested in his or her
surroundings. I was used to preaching anywhere and everywhere.
One day, while sitting on the top level of a double-decker bus, I stood to my feet,
maintained my cool and delivered a complete full Gospel sermon. The bus was quiet for a
few minutes as they listened to this young mad man preach. I took my seat after preaching
and got off at the next stop. One gentleman, who got off the bus with me, said to me, “I
admire your courage! But I don’t think you got very far.” Whether I got very far or not is
not what matters. What is important is that I preached the Word, and the Word always
accomplishes something when it is preached (Isaiah 55:11).
You see, any form of soul winning in our modern day and age, is going to have to be of
the forceful type. Gentleness and meekness will not take you very far.
227
Day 220
The entire human race descends
from Noah’s sons: Shem, Ham
and Japheth. Noah’s curse was not
against all his children; it did not
Noah’s
affect the whole human race. Noah
curse
actually blessed his two sons,
Japheth and Shem.
The curse was simple and it was
READ:
to Ham’s son Canaan. He was told,
Genesis 9:20-27
“You will be a servant to the others.”
…the curse causeless
This section of the human race
shall not come.
(descendants of Ham) was cursed
Proverbs 26:2
with extra frustration through the
pronouncement of Father Noah.
A curse is a generalized word of
frustration spoken against a group
of people. This curse of Noah was a proclamation against the ability to lead and develop in
a section of the human race. A servant of servants is someone who is far from being a
leader!
Some of the differences we see in the world result from curses that are operational in
certain regions. The masses of people in such nations flounder in poverty, under-
development, suffering, senseless wars and corruption. All these are signs of a lack of
good leadership. People who are aware of this curse must teach on leadership and train
themselves and others to become good leaders. This will help greatly to alleviate the
effects of this curse.
The absence of good leaders is one of the greatest curses that can ever befall any group of
people. Notice what the Scriptures say will happen to Israel for their disobedience - God
said He would deprive them of all kinds of leaders (Isaiah 3:1-7).
228
Day 221
In today’s passage of Scripture,
you will realize that David acted
like a poor man, and then he
pretended to be a mad man.
adJustiNg
Was he really mad? No. He was
the king’s son-in-law. He was from
READ: 1 Samuel
a good family. He was certainly not
21:1-15; 22:1
out of his mind. However, for that
…I have learned, in
occasion, David had to behave like a
whatsoever state I am,
madman in order to survive.
therewith to be con-
I constantly marvel at how some
tent. I know both how
to be abased, and I
Christians are unable to adapt in
know how to abound…
order to break through in life. You
Philippians 4:11-12
may have to do without a car for a
season so that you can have fewer
bills to pay. You may have to live in
a smaller apartment so that you can save some money. Unfortunately, there are those who
want to impress others at all costs.
Many thought our church, the Lighthouse Chapel International, was non-existent for about
ten years. We hardly advertised and rarely spent money on expensive outward things. We
have rather invested that money in church buildings and evangelistic projects.
Today, people think that Lighthouse Chapel is rich. Years ago, I compared the income of
our church with the income of other churches and I noted that it was relatively lower. The
leadership of the church was prepared to adapt to a lower standard of living so that the
ministry could move ahead into prosperity.
229
Day 222
Christians must learn to be
generous by giving offerings to
the Lord. Once again, money must
not be more important to us than it
givers
really is. The Bible says that there
are two types of people in the world.
READ:
One group gives a lot, and the
Proverbs 11:24-26
other group tends to keep rather
…remember the words
than to give.
of the Lord Jesus,
God’s book, the Bible, tells us that
how he said, It is more
blessed to give than to
the givers become richer and the
receive.
keepers become poorer. This is a
Acts 20:35
divine principle. The God who cre-
ated the universe has set in place the
law of giving and receiving. Our
little minds cannot accept that this is
real. The more you give, the richer you become. It is just a matter of time!
Give, and it shall be given unto you…
Luke 6:38
After giving your tithe (which is not really giving, because it belongs to the Lord), you
must now give an offering to the Lord. It is the giving of an offering to the Lord that will
invoke the laws of giving and receiving on your behalf.
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Galatians 6:7
230
Day 223
The Shunammite woman asked
Elisha to stay in her house. She
provided for him a resting place and
gave him food and shelter. This
Jewels
provoked a divine response. The
man of God was provoked to
READ:
minister a miracle of childbirth to
2 Kings 4:8-17
her. It was not Elisha who gave her
He that receiveth a
the child; it was God.
prophet in the name
Consider also the testimony of
of a prophet shall re-
Elijah. He met with a widow who
ceive a prophet’s re-
was about to die from a famine. Eli-
ward…
jah wanted to minister a miracle of
Matthew 10:41
supernatural supply of food to her.
Before the blessing could come, she
had to invoke the laws of divine pro-
vision by ministering to the man of
God (1 Kings 17:13). This woman would have died if she had not obeyed. God was
merciful to her and divinely supplied what she needed.
Anytime you minister personally to a man of God, you invoke the laws of divine
provision. I see God supplying all your needs as you minister to the man of God in your
life!
The Bible says strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter (Matthew 26:31).
As you read the Bible, you will discover how God deals with individuals. He does not deal
with groups or institutions. He is dealing with individual men and women. God is working
with certain men in every nation. When you look after such men, you provoke divine
provision on your life. When you care for such people, you are caring for God’s precious
jewels.
231
Day 224
Asong that I love goes like this:
There’s room at the cross for you.
room
There’s room at the cross for you.
Though millions have come,
there’s still room for one.
READ:
There’s room at the cross for you.
Acts 4:1-4
A pastor must never be satisfied
The Lord is not…will-
as long as there is room in the
ing that any should
church. The presence of empty
perish, but that all
should come to repen-
pews should motivate the pastor to
tance.
reach out to lost souls until the
2 Peter 3:9
house is full. The whole essence of
evangelism is to have a full church.
…compel [anagkazo] them to come in,
that my house may be filled.
Luke 14:23
Evangelism is not intended to be done in a vacuum. It should be related to church growth.
All our efforts to lead people to the Lord should bear fruit. We must see our efforts filling
church buildings.
Whatever the case, a minister must see that there is room at the cross for one more soul. I
believe that if we have this mind, God will use us to fill the church.
I think a pastor will get tired of preaching to the same few people after awhile. We must be
motivated to have a fuller house. These words keep ringing in my soul, “That my house
may be filled!” “That my house may be filled!” Dear Christian friend, never forget that
there is still room at the cross.
232
Day 225
As you can see, Stephen was full
of something positive. That is
why he became a great evangelist.
emPtiNess
Unfortunately, there are many
Christians who are empty. They
have little of the Word of God in
READ:
them; neither are they filled with the
Acts 6:1-8
Holy Spirit or with love. They may
…I am no better than
speak in tongues, but the Bible says
echoing bronze or the
whenever they do so, they are just
clash of cymbals.
making a lot of noise.
1 Corinthians 13:1
I think the Ronald Knox Transla-
(Ronald Knox
Translation)
tion of 1 Corinthians 13:1 really
brings out the concept of spiritual
emptiness. The word “echo” in this
Scripture depicts emptiness. If I
have no love, “I am no better than echoing bronze or the clash of cymbals.” The echo and
the clash are a result of the emptiness within. Empty Christians are loud and noticeable but
not substantial.
A spiritual vacuum (emptiness) will be filled with spiritual things, either positively or
negatively: Luke 11:25. The devil will try to fill you with evil and backsliding tendencies
because of the emptiness within you.
Fill your spirit with the Word of God, with faith, with good Christian music. (By the way
don’t mess around with non-Christian music; it will fill your mind with junk!) Fill your
time with church activities. If you don’t fill your life with these good things something
else will fill it.
Drive away the emptiness from your spiritual life (1 Timothy 4:12). This is a fundamental
key to staying power for the Christian race.
233
Day 226
One of the greatest desires of all
serious Christians is to know
the will of God. We often come to
the crossroads and ask, “Which way
god’s
is best?” If you take the wrong road,
will
the implications may be devastating.
If you marry the wrong person, the
consequences may be terrible. If
READ:
you join the wrong church, the
John 16:12-15
consequences may be eternal.
For as many as are led
Many times when we take deci-
by the Spirit of God,
sions, we are unable to retrace our
they are the sons of
steps. In other words, many deci-
God.
sions are irreversible. Because of
Romans 8:14
this, we need to know the will of
God so that we can be guided along
every step of the way.
Unbelievers consult soothsayers, astrologers and fortune tellers. They put their trust in
false prophets and occult power.
They also see the need to know what to do next. You will notice however, that none of
these things have taken them very far.
As Christians, we do not need to consult satanic powers to know the future. God has
graciously given us the Holy Spirit to guide us. Being led by the Spirit of God is a sign
that you are a true Christian.
In the Old Testament, only the prophet seemed to know the will of God. You see, the Holy
Spirit was not given to everyone at that time. We are living in a blessed dispensation.
We all have the Holy Spirit in us and can be led by the Spirit of God. It is possible for us
to know the will of God.
234
Day 227
Iwant to show you why it is such a
difficult thing for you to be
anointed. One reason why God does
not readily give His anointing to just
welcome anyone is because the anointing is him
the Holy Spirit (God Himself). The
Holy Spirit is a precious gift from
God to the Church. However, God
READ:
does not haphazardly bestow that
Isaiah 61:1-3
higher anointing needed for ministry
…how much more
on just anyone. If you don’t value
shall your heavenly
the anointing, God will not give it to
Father give the Holy
you!
Spirit to them that ask
him?
God has a very precious commod-
ity! He is looking for someone who
Luke 11:13
really wants it and will appreciate it.
Often, those who should be obvious
recipients miss the blessing. The anointing then passes on to someone else, to the surprise
of others.
Have you ever asked yourself why God loved Jacob and hated Esau (Romans 9:13)? Jacob
desired the anointing.
Was Jacob not a heel snatcher and a deceiver? He was, but Jacob strongly desired the
birthright (anointing), for which Esau had little regard. Something that should worry us is
the fact that God hated Esau. If God hated Esau, then it is possible that God can hate you!
If God hated Esau because he didn’t care about the gift, then God can hate you because
you don’t care about the gift of His anointing.
Often, earthly desires drown the desire for the anointing.
You may be surprised that failure to meet this qualification (of desiring the anointing)
eliminates many people from receiving God’s gift.
235
Day 228
Moses was breaking down
under the burden of leading
the entire flock of God’s people.
God saw this and decided to take of
get
the “spirit” that was on Moses and
iNvolved to put it on the seventy leaders so they could “bear the burden” with
him.
READ:
The burden of leading sheep, of
Numbers 11:10-17
accounting for hundreds of different
For the perfecting of
people, cannot be borne by one
the saints, for the
person or just a few people who sup-
work of the ministry,
posedly have a “call”. The saints for the edifying of the
body of Christ:
must be perfected (prepared, trained)
to do the work of the ministry.
Ephesians 4:12
Every Pastor will have a lot to
answer for when he stands before the Lord in Heaven. Your burden is to lead all your
sheep to Heaven. Make sure you lose none of them. Every true pastor’s motto should be,
“Of all that you have given me, I have lost none” (John 6:39, John 17:12
and John 18:9).
The Lord wants us to be fruitful in His Kingdom no matter what we do in this life.
Involving students, workers, and professionals helps to distribute the burden to all saints in
the church. In the universities, I have established Lighthouse churches and have entrusted
the preaching and pastoring responsibilities to a few students. I am very proud of these
student ministers because of the great job that they have done on their respective
campuses.
Ordinary saints should please join in and let us work together. Ordinary saints can do the
work of the ministry.
236
Day 229
God will pass over a thousand
people who don’t care much for
the anointing and will give it to a
person who strongly desires it.
yearNiNg
Did you know that Elijah’s first
servant was not Elisha? Did you
READ:
know that Elijah’s first servant was
1 Kings 19:19-21
bypassed when it was time to be
Follow after charity,
anointed? This servant was active in
and desire spiritual
ministry but he was not chosen to be
gifts…
anointed by God. It was this servant
1 Corinthians 14:1
who Elijah sent seven times to see if
the rain clouds had appeared:
1 Kings 18:42, 43.
Why did this servant not receive
the anointing? Why did Elisha, who
was not even in the ministry, receive the anointing? Elisha was involved in business. He
was plowing a field with his other business partners. What happened to the servant? Why
wasn’t he anointed? Why didn’t he become the next great prophet?
Please learn this important principle right now! God will pass over a thousand people who
don’t care much for the anointing and will give it to a person who strongly desires it.
Desire the anointing more than anything else in this world.
That is the first step to becoming “anything” in the Kingdom of God. God told Pastor
Timothy to look for people with a desire to be bishops. People with strong desires are
those who get spiritual gifts.
But covet [desire] earnestly the best gifts…
1 Corinthians 12:31
237
Day 230
You are supposed to check on
what pastors preach to you
from the pulpit (Acts 17:11). Is it
accurate? Is it the Word? This will
deFectors help you to know whether to remain loyal to them or not.
READ:
You are also supposed to compare
Titus 1:5-16
what they are preaching now to what
Hold fast the form of
they used to preach. This is because
sound words, which
some start out with Bible-based
thou hast heard of
preaching and end up with all sorts
me…
of weird doctrines. When it is not
2 Timothy 1:13
the Word of God anymore, you are
supposed to “defect from the
defector”.
Some ministers have drifted off
from the mainstream of Bible doctrines into extreme versions of some fundamental truths.
There are great truths about the Holy Spirit, prayer, prosperity, etc. But all of these can be
perverted and misinterpreted. Let’s stay with the mainstream.
We have to analyze the type of messages that our man of God gives us. We are supposed
to preach the Word of God and not our opinions. You see, there is a difference between
your opinion and the Word of God. Do not just accept what anybody says because of who
he is. Some preachers are clever with words. The Bible says they sway the hearts of the
simple with their nice-sounding maxims. Anything that you say must balance up with the
written Word, or else it is unacceptable.
Analyze the form of words you are receiving - somebody’s opinion or the Word?
238
Day 231
Iwant to share with you about min-
istering to the man of God with
your substance. You must be able to
minister to the man of God out of
suPPort your own substance. If money is a problem to you then you cannot be a
READ:
minister. The Bible teaches that peo-
Mark 14:3-9
ple who have been taught should
And certain women …
share their good things with those
which ministered unto
who teach them: Galatians 6:6.
him of their sub-
The man of God will minister
stance.
spiritual things to you and you will
Luke 8:2, 3
minister back to him in physical
things. The anointing is provoked
when you minister to the man of
God. Anytime I have had the oppor-
tunity to be near those who have
been a blessing to me, I have ministered to them out of my substance.
When the woman with the alabaster box of ointment ministered to Christ, He said that she
would be remembered.
When you pour an “alabaster box” on a man of God you will provoke a blessing and be
remembered. Your ministry will have a longer life span as you decide to honour those
before you. Your ministry will be remembered by many. You will provoke the favour and
anointing of God over your life.
Notice what great men like Abraham did when they met with greater men of God. They
immediately ministered to the man of God out of their substance: “…And he [Abraham]
gave him tithes of all” (Genesis 14:18-20).
239
Day 232
The ministry is not an alterna-
tive source of employment for
anyone. It is a special job that God
gives to those whom He has called.
surreNder As the church becomes larger, it often deteriorates into a source of
READ:
employment for the unemployed. It
Luke 5:4-11
becomes full of seekers of wealth
I am crucified with
and lovers of silver. These pastors,
christ: nevertheless i
who are seeking for gold, end up in
live; yet not I, but
one long fight for better salaries and
Christ liveth in me…
conditions of service.
Galatians 2:20
A minister who is going to serve
God properly must have died to the
love for silver and gold (Ecclesiastes
5:10). The Bible teaches that those
that love silver are never satisfied
with silver. The more you give them, the more they want.
Why is it that the richest people in this world are often the biggest thieves? It is because of
the greed for more and more and more!
I believe that full-time ministers must be people who just want to serve the Lord at heart.
This does not mean that people will be poor but it means that the heart is not craving
endlessly after more and more.
Anyone entering into full-time ministry must be open for whatever the future will bring.
There must be a total surrender for all possibilities. You may have abundance or you may
live in the “want of all things”. Are you ready for anything?
240
Day 233
Jesus taught us that God is
prepared to give us what we want.
God knows that you have a will. You
can choose to serve Him or not! God
loNgiNg wants to work with people who have chosen to and are willing to serve
READ:
Him.
Psalm 107:31-43
The fact that you are a Christian
My soul breaketh for
does not mean that you no longer
the longing that it
have a will or a desire for certain
hath unto thy judg-
things. God knows that and He
ments at all times.
encourages you to come to Him and
Psalm 119:20
ask for what you wish.
Of course, there are some condi-
tions. John 15:7 is one of the Scrip-
tures I love. When you abide in
Christ, your desires will line up with the Word of God. I came to know the Lord years ago.
My desire now is to win more people to Christ. I desire to experience church growth and
the blessings of the Holy Spirit.
There is a certain level of spiritual maturity where carnal things do not mean so much to
you. As you abide in Christ and His Word abides in you, you will desire things that are
consistent with the Word of God. When you name them and claim them, you will receive
them.
When you have the right heart, wealth and riches cannot destroy you. All the patriarchs
who served the Lord were blessed with abundance and wealth.
From today, begin to name all the things that you desire from your heavenly Father. He is
standing by to respond to your faith. Don’t forget that God is impressed with people who
believe in Him.
241
Day 234
When you analyse your past
sins, you will find out that
you will not be so hasty to judge
anybody. This is because you might
leNieNcy have done the same thing (or something worse) before. Probably, you
READ:
might have acted the same way if
Galatians 6:1-5
you had been confronted with the
This is my command-
same issue.
ment, That ye love
The Bible cautions:
one another, as I have
loved you.
When you consider yourself, you
will be more willing to forgive:
John 15:12
Galatians 6:1. When you think
about your past sins, you will realize
that you are not any better.
In the time of Jesus, some people
who felt they were “holier” brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. They
wanted to punish her by stoning her.
Jesus, who understood this principle of analysing people’s past, asked for any man who
had not sinned to throw the first stone.
No one dared throw a stone because they all knew they had past sins.
When you consider your own self, you will not be so hasty to judge other people.
As a born-again believer, you should be forgiving, especially when unbelievers offend
you. Just remember what you did as an unbeliever. If it had not been for Christ, perhaps
you would have done worse things.
Jesus said, “Father, forgive the unbelievers for they know not what they do.” So analyse
your past when you find it difficult to forgive your neighbour.
242
Day 235
Did you know that there is power
in your tongue? Moreover, it is
no ordinary power! The power of
life and death is found in the tongue.
sNare
The power to live on is in your
tongue.
READ:
There are two types of confes-
Judges 11:29-40
sions or claims: conversational con-
Death and life are in
fessions (claims) and commanding
the power of the
confessions (claims). You must be
tongue: and they that
careful with what you say, even in ca-
love it shall eat the
sual conversation. Often, it is in ca-
fruit thereof.
sual conversation that you declare
Proverbs 18:21
the things that you really believe. At
other times, you can make deliberate
commanding confessions. During
these commanding claims, you lay
hold on victories and breakthroughs by conscious and deliberate confessions. Both of
these types of confessions (conversational and commanding) have power.
You must know from today that your words will trap (snare) you whether you spoke
intentionally or unintentionally (Proverbs 6:2). A trap is a trap! Whether you put your foot
in the trap intentionally or unintentionally does not matter. The trap will still function and
grip your leg.
I remember how a distant relation would jokingly speak about a pimple on his face. He
would point to the pimple and say, “This is my cancer.” Obviously, he did not expect to
develop cancer on his face. A few years later, this same man developed a cancer on his
face and eventually died of it.
You are trapped by the words that you speak. Don’t say things you don’t mean.
243
Day 236
Iencourage people to marry young.
The more Christians delay the
marriage ceremony, the more likely
they are to end up living in sin.
matrimoNy What are you waiting for?
Do not use the lack of money as
READ:
an excuse, because you can marry if
Proverbs 5:15-21
you really want to. Marry whilst
And the LORD God
you are still young.
said, It is not good
Do not wait until you have all the
that the man should
be alone; I will make
comfortable things in life before ven-
him an help meet for
turing into marriage. I have been
him.
through some really hard times with
Genesis 2:18
my wife, where we did not have any
money. We had to warn our visitors
to sit in a particular way because our
chairs were weak and broken. She even had to go abroad to work to buy us some furniture.
I have truly struggled with my wife, so I love her. I did not have to wait until I was an old
man to get married.
I love the people with whom I have been through struggles and difficulties. They are
different from those who have come in a time of total blessing. When you are already
established in life, you will have people interested in you because you are already blessed.
However, it is likely that the wife of your youth would have married you not because of
what you had, but because of who you are.
It is a blessing to marry young.
244
Day 237
The Bible tells us that when we
are born again, we become
“new men”, or “new creatures”.
ForgiviNg
When a man becomes a doctor or
an army officer, he is expected to be-
have in a certain way. In the same
READ:
way, a certain pattern of behaviour
Ephesians 4:23-32
is expected of anyone who claims to
Forbearing one an-
be a Christian or a “new man”.
other, and forgiving
One of the primary qualities of a
one another, if any
man have a quarrel
new man is that he forgives. The
against any: even as
new man should not live in unfor-
Christ forgave you, so
giveness.
also do ye.
According to biblical principles,
Colossians 3:13
the new man must not live his life
according to what goes on in this
world. In the world, people hardly forgive. It is natural for a person not to forgive, but to
seek revenge. However, when you become a new man, God expects you to forgive.
Indeed, one cardinal difference between the Christian and the unbeliever is that the
Christian has the ability to forgive and release the offender.
Sometimes best friends become worst enemies. Yes, even husbands and wives can become
sworn enemies. The closest person who told you he loved and cared for you, can become
your worst enemy.
As new people in Christ, we need to remember that God has forgiven us for lots of
horrible things.
245
Day 238
This verse tells us that if a man
has a piece of land right before
him, and works on it or makes use of
it, he will have more than enough
FaNtasies food to eat. But if this man rather chases after what he imagines he can
READ:
get from somewhere else, then he
Hebrews 13:5
will be poor forever!
He who works his land
For this man, the difference be-
will have abundant
tween abundance and poverty will be
food, but the one who
determined by whether he works on
chases fantasies will
have his fill of
the piece of land he has, or whether
poverty.
he runs after imaginary things. The
Proverbs 28:19 (New
piece of land here could be his pro-
International
fession, job, or property. He may
Version)
own a shop or restaurant. He may
be a teacher, doctor, or a photogra-
pher. Whatever the profession, he must make good use of it.
Unfortunately, many people waste their lives chasing fantasies. Fantasies are things that
are not real; they are things that are not in your hands.
Instead of concentrating on going to school, some people rather chase after visas to travel
to Europe and America. I know a young man who was brilliant academically. I personally
encouraged him to go to school, and even promised to pay his school fees. But he insisted
on travelling to America. For the next six years, he was waiting for his visa. Chasing the
fantasy of travelling to America for six years! Imagine that!
People are looking for something elsewhere, when there is something right before them.
246
Day 239
Iwant you to affirm and attest to
the fact that you are what the
Bible says you are. I want you to
declare that you can do what the
voice your Bible says you can do. I want you to claim
insist to all and sundry that you have
what the Bible says you have.
I am born-again: Romans 10:9
READ:
Luke 17:5-6
I am complete: Colossians 2:9, 10
I am delivered: Colossians 1:13
…I
believed,
and
therefore have I spo-
I am blessed: Ephesians 1:3
ken; we also believe,
I am an heir: Galatians 4:6, 7
and therefore speak;
I am a king: Revelations 1:6
2 Corinthians 4:13
I am the righteousness of God: 2
Corinthians 5:21
I tell you, your faith will become effective and powerful as you make these claims, which
are in line with the Word of God.
Faith that works is the faith that makes confessions. Faith that is effective is the faith that
vocalizes its claims. It is not enough to think or dream, you must speak out! This is an
eternal principle of the Word of God.
Stay with the Word of God. God will not back foolish and childish claims. Your earthly
father would take no notice of you if you claimed certain unrealistic and impractical
things.
If you spend time confessing foolish imaginations, even the devil will take no notice of
you!
Command your intelligence to respond to your confessions!
Command your decisions to line up to the positive claims you are making! You can win!
You are indeed a successful person!
247
Day 240
Satan’s main strategy is to capture
the world into groups of
“strongholds” which think in a
certain way, so that he can lead
two
them into self-destruction. The
weaPoNs great philosophies of this world: humanism, atheism, communism
and Marxism are manifestations of
READ:
the imaginations of the devil. These
Acts 6:1-7
imaginations (trends of thinking),
…he went out…and
lead masses of people into self-
there prayed…Let us
destruction (2 Corinthians 10:4, 5).
go into the next
Ministers must understand the
towns, that I may
preach there also…
role of the Word in spiritual
warfare and must ensure that the
Mark 1:35,38
Word of God gains pre-eminence.
As the Word of God increases, Satan
loses his grip over the souls. Read this amazing Scripture and believe in the power of the
Word (Acts 6:7).
As the Word of God increases, the number of Christians will multiply. That is why I write
books and preach as hard as I can and as many times as possible. I know what it does to
the kingdom of darkness.
Christian leaders must use the two-pronged weapon of prayer and the Word to defeat
Satan in spiritual warfare. True ministry is the ministry of the Word and prayer. The
apostles practised this! They refused to be drawn away from the ministry of the Word and
prayer.
The best example of spiritual warfare was Christ Jesus. He taught and He prayed. If we
want to have the results that Jesus had, we must use the methods that He used; His
methods were praying and teaching.
248
Day 241
It is a known fact that we all need
a blessing from the Lord. It is
important to understand the law of
the timing of miracles. Why did
right oN Jesus come to the earth only two time
thousand years ago? The Bible says
when the time was right, God sent
His Son.
READ:
Jesus was a gift of God to the
John 11:1-45
Jews, but in the day of their divine
But when the fulness
blessing, they did not receive Him.
of the time was come,
It is important for you to recognize
God sent forth his
the time of your visitation. Just as
Son…
you have a time when you do certain
Galatians 4:4
things, God has a time on His
timetable when He is going to bless
you with certain gifts.
In 1988, God placed me in the office of a teacher. At another time, He placed on me the
anointing to pastor. He then gave the healing anointing to minister the power of God. Why
didn’t He do it all at once? God has a time for your breakthrough. As you “flow” with
Him, you will come into special days for your life and you will be truly blessed. Mary and
Martha called for Jesus to heal their brother Lazarus. Jesus did not come till it was “too
late”. But it is never too late with God. Jesus got there four days “too late”. But God
wrought a powerful miracle for all to see.
Do not be angry with God because He is keeping to His schedule. God may not come
when you want Him to come.
But He will come in time. Be a man or woman of understanding. Trust in the Lord with all
your heart and understand the time. When it is your time, walk in it and be blessed.
249
Day 242
The anointing oil is another
supernatural method of minis-
tering the supernatural power of
God. In Mark chapter six, Jesus sent
oil
His disciples out to anoint people
with oil and to pray for them.
READ:
In James chapter five, the Bible
James 5:13-15
calls for elders and pastors to pray
for us and anoint us with oil. There
And they cast out
must be some power available
many
devils,
and
through the oil, when you believe in
anointed with oil
many that were sick,
it. There is something in the oil for
and healed them.
you if you can only believe in it.
Mark 6:7-13
Blessed are you when your
thoughts and feelings are not insen-
sitive to the supernatural. The
supernatural power is all around you. I pray your eyes and ears will be open to receive
God’s power.
As soon as you begin to have faith in the methods of the supernatural, they will come alive
to you. But please do not misunderstand me; I am not saying that if you do not feel
anything you are not experiencing the power.
There are many times when the supernatural power is experienced without any feeling
whatsoever. Nevertheless, that also does not rule out the existence of legitimate feelings
that are real.
250
Day 243
The different names of God
show the different attributes of
God and illustrate the diverse ways
He demonstrates His power to His
god’s
creation. He introduced Himself
Names
differently to Abraham and Jacob.
But He used another name when He
introduced Himself to David. All
READ:
through the Scriptures God uses
Exodus 3:13-22
different names as He appears to
And God said unto
different people.
Moses, I AM THAT I
The name of God that is used in
AM…
Genesis chapter one is Elohim.
Exodus 3:14
Elohim describes God as the Creator.
Man’s creative ability is from God.
The power of invention is God-
given. The creation story therefore
reveals God’s creative nature.
Later on in the Bible, we see God introducing Himself to Abraham (Genesis 17:1) as El
Shaddai, that is, “the mighty, breasted one”. You see, the female breast meets every need
of a baby. So God was saying that, “I am the Almighty One who has everything that you
would ever need.”
At another time, we see God revealing Himself to Moses (Exodus 3:14). He described
Himself as “Jehovah, I AM
THAT I AM”. This means, “the God who is existing”. It also means “the Lord who keeps
promises”. God was going to bring Moses and the Israelites into the Promised Land and
He was telling him, “I am the God who keeps covenants and makes agreements. I don’t
break my agreements.”
Clearly, God introduces Himself in different ways as different situations come up.
251
Day 244
Paul had a desire to help the Jews.
He was constantly burdened by
this desire. All true leadership stems
from the burden to help people
helPers whom you love. The greatest sign of leadership is the overwhelming
READ:
burden and desire which compels the
Romans 9:1-3;10:1-3
leader into action.
…He that believeth on
Some people go through difficul-
me, the works that I
ties in life. After they have recovered
do shall he do also;
from their pain, they have a strong
and greater works …
desire to help others avoid the pain
John 14: 12
and suffering they went through. A
true father wants his children to
have what he couldn’t have. A true
leader wants his followers to be
better than himself.
Jesus wanted His followers to do greater things than He had done. If you do not have a
desire to help people to become great, perhaps you are not a leader. If you just have a
desire to help yourself, that is not leadership! Leadership is a desire to help other people
achieve great things for themselves. A man who has a desire to win the lost at any cost is a
leader for the cause of the Gospel.
In the earlier days of my ministry, I did not even know what the offices of a pastor,
evangelist or apostle were. I thought these were far-fetched positions which I could never
occupy.
All I wanted to do was to help people to meet Jesus. All I wanted to do was to help people
to grow in Christ. I felt that if people grew up in the Lord, many of their problems would
go away. A desire to help people is a symptom of the call of God.
252
Day 245
Many people do not respect the
visions they see. Many have
had dreams, which they took no
notice of. Paul said, “I was obedient
diviNe
to the heavenly vision.”
haPPeNiNgs One night, God spoke to me and told me, “Respect your dreams from
today.”
READ:
1 Kings 19:9-18
I responded, “But Lord, I don’t
have spectacular dreams!”
…I was not disobedi-
ent unto the heavenly
The Lord told me to look in the
vision:
book of Daniel. So I opened my
Acts 26:19
Bible and He showed me that even
King Nebuchadnezzar, an unbeliever,
respected his dreams greatly. As a
result, he was able to receive an
instruction from the Lord.
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream revealed a mighty tree being cut down. If you had a dream in
which you just saw a tree being cut down, would you take much notice of it? Probably
not!
You may take more notice of a dream in which cows were chasing you, birds were flying,
and snakes were appearing all over the place!
How did Elijah experience the supernatural voice of God?
What did Elijah experience? He experienced the still small voice of God. When God
spoke to him, it was not through the wind, the earthquake or the fire. God spoke to him
through a still small voice.
The supernatural is real, even if it is not spectacular.
253
Day 246
Notice that in the above
Scripture, Paul talks about the
“manifestation of the Spirit.” The
word “manifestation” used here is
made
the Greek word phanerosis which
visible
means, “to make visible.” In other
words, the making visible of the
Holy Spirit is given for everybody’s
READ:
benefit. The Holy Ghost is alive in
1 Corinthians
12:1-11
us, and there are times when He
makes Himself visible to the Church.
But the manifestation
Everyone needs the Holy Spirit to be
of the Spirit is given
made visible from time to time; that
to every man to profit
is, to be made tangible and available.
withal.
Phanerosis which is translated
1 Corinthians 12:7
also means, “a sign, an expression, a
demonstration, the symptom, the ap-
pearance and the materialization of an invisible thing”.
Many times you can feel the presence of the Holy Ghost at meetings; He is making
Himself visible. Sometimes in my meetings, I have sensed the Holy Spirit move on the
stage, move to the back of the auditorium or sweep through the balcony. I have seen the
Holy Spirit bring healing to people in the congregation. There are times that I can feel
Him in the car with me and then I start to cry like a baby. When He is present, He does so
many things in our lives.
He can become real to you today in Jesus’ name! The Holy Spirit is given for your benefit.
God knows this need of a comforter who can be contacted. He knows we need a Holy
Spirit who is made visible whenever necessary. From today, phanerosis is going to happen
in your life in the name of Jesus!
You will see Him moving practically in your life!
254
Day 247
Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
When the Holy Spirit is in
manifestation, there are sometimes
demonstrations of joy. The obvious
Joy
manifestations of joy are: smiling,
laughing, dancing, running, jump-
READ:
ing, clapping, singing and even
Psalm 126
crying.
Then he said unto
Should it be any wonder if you
them…the joy of the
see any of these manifestations of
LORD
is
your
joy because the Holy Spirit is at
strength.
work? Don’t be surprised if you see
Nehemiah 8:10
people laughing uncontrollably in
the Holy Spirit.
I remember watching a man of
God as he ministered. He preached
in a certain church for six weeks. No matter what he was talking about people just started
laughing. They just broke into uncontrollable laughter and received the Holy Spirit as he
preached. It is wonderful to see laughter in the Holy Spirit.
It is a wonder. I see God anointing you with holy laughter!
The Bible says “When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that
dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter. .” (Psalm 126: 1,2).
Joy brings strength. The joy of the Lord is your strength.
When you are down and depressed, you are weak.
Depression is a loss of hope. It is depression that makes people think of killing
themselves. When you have lost hope in an extreme way, then you begin to think of
killing yourself.
You want to die because there is no hope. A Christian who is full of joy is different from a
depressed Christian. God wants to give us a revival of joy in the Holy Spirit!
255
Day 248
Paul discovered when he was
struck down on the road to
Damascus that it was actually the
Lord (Acts 9:5) he had been
god’s meN persecuting all along! Some people may need some of this “Pauline”
READ:
treatment in order to be cured of
Acts 5:1-16
their interfering and blaspheming
And he said, Who art
spirit. You may think that you are
thou, Lord? And the
dealing with man, but you will find
Lord said, I am Jesus
out to your surprise and embarrass-
whom thou perse-
ment that you are actually dealing
cutest: it is hard for
with God.
thee to kick against
the pricks.
Apostle Peter had a similar expe-
Acts 9:5
rience. Peter did some fund-raising
in his church, and two of his church
members, Ananias and Sapphira
came along with a lie about the amount of money they had pledged. This mistake cost
them their lives. The cause of death was simply lying to a man representing the Holy
Spirit.
A man of God told the story of a skeptic who sat in the congregation and kept thinking to
himself that the preacher was a con man and a liar. The Lord opened his eyes, and he saw
a huge angel assisting the man of God as he ministered, sometimes whispering
instructions into his ear. This skeptic was very surprised to discover such heavenly support
for this pastor he thought was a charlatan, and recounted the vision was an eye-opener for
a potential blasphemer.
Listen to me, friends. Be careful what you say about men of God. You have no idea of the
spiritual approval they may have from Heaven.
256
Day 249
As a high school student, I
remember organizing a meet-
ing for those who wanted to receive
the Holy Spirit.
sPeakiNg
The meeting was held one Satur-
iN toNgues day. As we gathered in the class-room, I was very hopeful and
expectant. After preaching on the
READ:
baptism of the Holy Spirit, this min-
Acts 19:1-7
ister prayed for us. Afterwards, I
But the natural man
realized that almost everybody had
receiveth not the
received the Holy Spirit and was
things of the Spirit of
speaking in other tongues, except
God…because they are
spiritually discerned.
me. I couldn’t believe it!
1 Corinthians 2:14
Later one morning while lying on
my bed, I routinely asked the Lord to
fill me with his Holy Spirit. Before I was aware, I heard a beautiful language coming out
of my spirit. I was speaking in tongues at last. I was so happy that I didn’t stop praying in
tongues for three hours. I was afraid that the Holy Spirit would go away if I stopped
praying! I was afraid that if I stopped praying in tongues, I would not be able to start
again.
The question is, “Why did it take me six weeks before I received the Holy Spirit?” The
Bible gives us the answer: the natural man receives not! If you are very logical,
calculating, critical, analytical and judgmental, you are being natural.
When you are natural, you will not and cannot receive (1 Corinthians 3:1).
The Bible says that supernatural things are foolishness to people who are natural. Spiritual
people are those who can receive the supernatural. A truly mature Christian is a spiritual
person. A mature person knows God.
257
Day 250
Jesus’s miracle brought about a
surprising division. You would
have thought that a classic miracle
that could not be disputed (the
PreachiNg healing of a man born blind) would make everybody believe.
READ:
The fact is that no matter what
John 9:1-41
God does, certain people will never
For…it pleased God by
believe. God is therefore not in a
the foolishness of
hurry to impress anyone. I know
preaching to save
that there are people who will still
them that believe.
not believe what I preach even if
1 Corinthians 1:21
they see an angel appear by my side
as I preach.
I heard of a man of God who
had fire appear over his head in a
halo when he was preaching. Do you think that everybody believed in his ministry?
Certainly not. We must understand then that miracles or no miracles, the work of God still
goes on. Those who will believe will believe with or without the miracles.
The Bible says that people are saved by the foolishness of preaching and not by the
stupefying nature of miracles. God has determined that people should be saved by
preaching and not by miracles. Dear minister of God, keep on preaching!
Evangelise and tell the truth because it is the method by which God has determined that
people should be saved.
We have miracle services in my church. We see God doing miracles and we witness the
power of God moving, but we know that God is not trying to replace the need for
powerful preaching. Decide today to allow preaching to affect you.
Decide to believe the preaching of the Word.
258
Day 251
The world is constantly
changing. Old systems and
approaches no longer work.
Computers have re-fashioned the
New
way we do things. Seasons change.
thiNgs
Our needs change, and people
change. That is why God constantly
introduces fresh and new things.
READ:
I am very open to new ideas. I do
Luke 5:33-39
not mind changing things I have
Behold, I will do a new
been doing in a particular way for a
thing; now it shall
long time. I find that God is a God
spring forth; shall ye
of positive change! God is a God of
not know it?…
improvement!
Isaiah 43:19
I notice how people laugh at me
when I suggest new ideas. I have
heard these statements and sensed these messages even when they are not voiced out.
Openness to new ideas is a secret to moving ahead as a leader. God is a God of change. He
is doing new things.
Embrace new ideas with honesty. Try a new method. A new way of doing things may be
the key to pushing you out ahead of everyone else in your field. When I practised the lay
ministry, I didn’t do it because I saw others doing it. I did it because it needed to be done
even though it was new. I am following my heavenly Father who is a God of new things.
Be like your heavenly Father. There is no better mentor.
God does new things; He has new projects, new schemes, new ideas, new plans. God
gives brand new instructions to His servants (John 13:34). Every instruction has an expiry
date.
God makes us into brand new people who have never existed before (1 Corinthians 5:17).
259
Day 252
Knowing about someone is
different from knowing the
person. There are many people who
know about me but do not know me.
iN his
Knowing God from afar is very
PreseNce different from knowing Him personally. The way you can develop that
personal relationship with God is
READ:
not in public at a church service. You
Jeremiah 9:23-24
cannot develop a personal relation-
Seek ye the LORD
ship with anyone by interacting in
while he may be
public. There has to be communica-
found, call ye upon
tion at a personal level. There has to
him while he is near:
be a personal interaction! There has
Isaiah 55:6
to be a quiet time with God. You can
know God personally by spending
time with Him during your quiet
time.
The strongholds in most Christians’ lives cannot be broken down by one powerful sermon.
Anyone who does not have a regular quiet time has many things in his life that need to be
burnt and broken down. A daily quiet time breaks down evil strongholds (Jeremiah 23:29).
Christians who just listen to sermons on Sundays are very different from those who have a
regular quiet time. A daily quiet time leads to the cutting away of unwanted aspects of our
lives and character (Hebrews 4:12).
When you expose yourself to the Word of God, you are exposing yourself to a
supernatural power. God is actually in His Word.
260
Day 253
Irealize that many Christians, and
even pastors, do not notice the
harvest of souls around them. I see
the multitude of people all around
Field oF and wonder if these people know
souls
Christ!
When driving to church, I see
crowds of people streaming down
READ:
the road. I often ask myself, “How
John 4:35-38
many of these people know Christ as
Then saith he unto his
their Saviour? How many will really
disciples, The harvest
die in Christ? How many of them
truly is plenteous, but
go to church on Sunday morning?”
the labourers are few;
Matthew 9:37
Sometime ago, my wife and I
drove through the streets of Johan-
nesburg (in South Africa), which is a
very beautiful city. We saw many nice buildings. At one point during the ride, we had a
good view of the entire city beautifully lit with thousands of lights. As I looked down, I
suddenly thought to myself that there are so many people in the world.
South Africa is full of souls. Adam and Eve have done a good job in filling the earth!
I did not only see the nice buildings, but I saw the vastness of the harvest, which lay
virtually untouched. Dear friend, there are millions of people around you. I don’t know if
you notice that there are so many precious souls who have just a short time to live before
tasting eternity. How many people will die in Christ? How many will live again?
The Lord Jesus testified of Himself that He is the good shepherd (John 10:11). He also
said that He came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). A good pastor is one who seeks
and saves the lost.
261
Day 254
The greatest secret about vision
is this: Your vision will make
you into what you desire to become.
Every great leader moves towards
visioNary the vision and goal that he has set.
Your vision is what drives you
READ:
and propels you on. It is what I see
Hebrews 11:7-13,
24-27
ahead that keeps me going. In my
mind’s eye, I see a megachurch! I see
Where there is no vi-
thousands of people being brought
sion, the people per-
to Christ. I see many miracles tak-
ish: but he that
keepeth the law, happy
ing place in my life and ministry.
is he.
You do not make your vision; it is
Proverbs 29:18
your vision that makes you!
What is the key to having a great
vision? I’ll give you a good secret.
Look around you and see anyone doing the things you like to do. Make it your vision to
achieve what that person has achieved and more. Without a vision, you will flounder in
the sea of aimlessness.
Be loyal to your vision. Nobody wants to follow someone who is unpredictable. Many
years ago, I declared my interest in soul winning and establishing people in Christ. I am
still moving with the same vision.
Keep the same vision. The Bible teaches that you should not associate with people who
are prone to sudden mutations and sharp turns. It is dangerous to sit in a car when the
driver constantly makes sudden turns.
My son, fear thou the Lord and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to
change:
Proverbs 24:21
262
Day 255
The Bible tells us clearly that
Satan is the god of this world
(1 Corinthians 4:4). Satan seems to
have legal control over the nations
iNvitatioN of this earth. Before God can inter-vene in the affairs of men, He has to
READ: Genesis
be invited through prayer, by a legit-
20:1-18
imate citizen of this world. You and
I exhort therefore,
I are legitimate members of the
that, first of all, sup-
world community. If the Lord gets
plications,
prayers,
involved without a legal invitation,
intercessions, and giv-
Satan can accuse Him of the crime
ing of thanks, be
of illegal takeovers, such as hap-
made for all men…
pened with Iraq and Kuwait.
1 Timothy 2:1-3
Once, Abraham’s wife was ille-
gally taken by the King of the day.
God appeared to the king called
Abimelech, and told him: “Tell Abraham to pray for you.”
Why did God not deliver Abimelech right away? After all, he knew about the prayer that
Abraham was going to pray. God has to wait for the invitation of men before getting
involved in the affairs of this world.
When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, one of the offers that Satan made to Him was
to give Him all of the kingdoms of the world. If Satan could not have given the kingdoms
of the world to Jesus, it would not have been a temptation. It was a real temptation to
Jesus because Satan was actually the one in control of the kingdoms of the world. You
cannot give something that you do not have!
God is waiting for our invitation through prayer. When we invite Him to build our nations
in freedom, justice and peace, He will do just that. Christians pray and God brings change.
263
Day 256
When ministers of the Gospel
give themselves to the min-
istry, it is always seen as unnecessary.
What is more fleeting than the
sacriFicial making of money and the building giviNg
of houses on this earth? We in the
ministry have given ourselves to the
highest and most worthy calling.
READ:
In the midst of the war in the
2 Corinthians 4:8-15
Democratic Republic of Congo, a
For we which live are
Congolese diamond mine was listed
alway delivered unto
on the London Stock Exchange.
death for Jesus’ sake…
This means that active business was
2 Corinthians 4:11
being conducted in the midst of war.
It’s amazing what people will do
even in the midst of war!
Yet, were I to ask someone to start a church in certain African countries, the person’s
family would develop hysteria.
There would be all kinds of reasons making me out to be an unreasonable and heartless
leader.
This is the point: People are sacrificing, but they are sacrificing to the devil! The sacrifices
are being made, but they are being made to the devil. Many can give much more for the
work of God but they won’t. They would rather spend this money on a house, a car or
even on a funeral.
Men will honour scientists, doctors, beauty queens, boxers and athletes but they will not
honour preachers. God has, however, promised that when we set our love on Him, He will
honour us. I am looking for the honour of God (Psalm 91:14, 15). Seek the honour of God
and not the honour of men!
264
Day 257
In Romans 16, we read an account
of men and women who laboured
in the Lord, were helpers of Apostle
Paul, and commended by him. At
womeN iN least seven women are named here: miNistry Phebe, Priscilla, Mary,
Tryphena, Tryphosa, Persis, Julia and an unnamed sister of Nereus. In my
READ:
church, I have found that women are
Romans 16:1-16
very good shepherds and pastors.
…I will pour out my
Some of my best pastors are women.
spirit upon all flesh;
However, you will notice that
and your…your daugh-
there seem to be more men actively
ters shall prophesy…
involved in ministry. We see the dis-
Joel 2:28
ciples becoming successful apostles,
prophets, and teachers. In the sec-
ond chapter of Acts, we see the dis-
ciples receiving the anointing and speaking in tongues. It took them longer to receive the
anointing. But when they did, the results were dramatic. We watched them become
ministers in the book of Acts.
I believe that women receive the anointing far quicker than men do, but the cares of this
world choke the Word and it becomes unfruitful (Mark 4:19). There are three areas where
women are particularly affected: in the area of finding husbands; in ensuring that their
marriages are successful and peaceful; and thirdly, as regards the bearing and raising of
children.
I have watched women with great anointing lose their ministry as they succumbed to these
realities. When they are able to overcome these three challenges, they become extremely
useful.
265
Day 258
It is easy for us to lift up our hands
in worship. But Jesus is makes it
clear that we need to sort out our
relationships before we come to Him.
relatiNg This is a priority for the Lord. Why ProPerly is it so important for us to leave
our gifts at the altar and ensure we
have good relationships before
READ:
worshipping Him?
Matthew 5:21-26
Having good relationships proves
…first be reconciled to
that you are not a liar (1 John 4:20).
thy brother, and then
If you claim to love God but cannot
come and offer thy
love the people you see, you are
gift.
actually a liar. God does not want a
Matthew 5:24
bunch of liars lifting their hands in
prayer. Would you feel happy if a
large group of liars came to your
gate seeking help? Would you not call the police?
Having good relationships proves that you are not a murderer (1 John 3:15). The Bible
teaches that when you hate your brother, you are a murderer. God does not want murderers
knocking at His door. How would you feel if a large group of murderers assembled at your
home seeking audience with you? Would you not be terrified?
Having good relationships proves that you have forgiven those that have wronged you
(Mark 11:25-26). Without forgiveness, God will not hear your prayer. Without
forgiveness, you are wasting your time at the altar.
These are some reasons why God insists that we straighten out our relationships first.
266
266
Day 259
One of the first things a real
leader does is to make friends.
It is these same friends who will
help you. The people who support
real
you will become your followers. Are
FrieNds
you a person who makes friends, or
scatters people? Your friendships
form a basis for acts of loyalty,
READ:
support and even sacrifice.
1 Samuel 19:1-7
What is the secret to having
A friend loveth at all
genuine friends? Be a genuine friend
times, and a brother is
yourself.
born for adversity.
A man that hath friends must shew him-
Proverbs 17:17
self friendly: and there is a friend that
sticketh closer than a brother.
Proverbs 18:24
Never forget that you reap what you sow. If you are a traitor, traitors and rebels will
surround you. If you are a loyal person, loyal people will surround you. No matter how
loyal you are, you will still have some traitors. Betrayal is a part of real life. Jesus was a
loyal friend and leader, but He had Judas.
In spite of this, decide to be a real friend so that you will gather genuine people around
you. If you are honest, dishonest people will not flow with you. If you are holy, unholy
people will not feel free to become your friends. As the saying goes,
“Birds of a feather flock together.”
267
Day 260
One of the characteristics of the
strange woman is stubborn-
ness. She will not obey instructions,
and does not take advice.
Negative
The Bible says a wife should sub-
traits
mit to her husband. The word “sub-
mit” means “to yield, bend, agree, or
to obey”.
READ:
Proverbs 7:4-27
A good wife is supposed to yield,
but if she is a strange woman, she
Can a man take fire in
will be stubborn. God’s order is for
his bosom, and his
the husband to lead, and the woman
clothes
not
be
burned?
to follow. However, in these days of
Proverbs 6:27
women’s liberation, you have some
women rising up to fight every es-
tablished authority!
Dear women, you are not wiser than God; there can be only one head in a home. Any
animal with two heads is abnormal and a freak.
A strange woman is a dangerous person to marry. She is stubborn in the church, stubborn
at home and stubborn at work. She always has a reason or an excuse for not doing what
she ought to do.
Pharaoh was so stubborn that God had to speak to him through flies, frogs, deaths,
tragedies and disasters! You do not need to go through similar experiences. Do not be too
hard and stubborn. These are traits of a strange woman.
268
Day 261
It is important for every married
couple to understand that people
usually do not change much when
they get married. Couples can
accePtaNce choose to be happy in their marriages when they learn to accept
READ:
what they have (Ecclesiastes 7:13).
1 Peter 4:8
A man must accept that he is
In every thing give
married to a woman; so he must not
thanks: for this is the
try to suppress her natural feminine
will of God in Christ
traits, like excessive talking. She is
Jesus concerning you.
also the weaker vessel and must not
1 Thessalonians 5:18
be expected to behave and function
like a man (1 Peter 3:7).
A woman must also accept that
she is married to a man. Men by
their make-up are more robust and less chatty. They are interested only in the major facts
of an issue and not in the details.
She should learn to accept what men like, such as sex and food.
Accept these natural differences and go along happily with them. Each partner must also
accept the negative things in your spouse’s character.
You also need to accept the physical structure or looks of your spouse. We all change
physically as the years go by. Your love for your spouse must not be dependent on
physical changes. Nevertheless, every spouse must make the effort to maintain good
looks.
God wants us to be joyful and happy. Happiness comes from accepting what we have and
getting along with it. Conflicts come about when we struggle with certain things we
cannot change.
269
Day 262
Consider the amazing Scripture
you just read in the book of
Philemon. Faith becomes effective
when you acknowledge and affirm
Faith iN the good things that are in you
oPeratioN because of Christ.
Many Christians want to know
how to have faith that works. Faith
READ:
that works is the faith that makes con-
Philemon 1:6
fessions. The faith that is effective is Now unto him that is
the faith that vocalizes its claims. It
able to do exceeding
is not enough to think or dream, you
abundantly above all
must speak out! This is an eternal
that we ask or think…
principle of the Word of God.
Ephesians 3:20
I have all things (2 Peter 1:3).
I have dominion (Genesis 1:26).
I have the desires of my heart (Psalm 37:4).
I have the spirit of power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).
I have the blessings of Abraham (Galatians 3:13, 14).
I have the Greater One in me (1 John 4:4).
I have the power of God working through me (1 Corinthians 1:24).
I have the wisdom of Christ operating through me (1 Corinthians 1:24, 30).
The Scriptures you are reading are the legal and scriptural basis for making these
confessions. You can declare these things repeatedly because they are Bible-based. These
are not the words of an irresponsible dreamer. These are the words of a faith-filled
Christian.
270
Day 263
God has promised that those
who win souls and turn many
lives to Christ will enjoy a
permanent status of stardom in
Prizes
Heaven. The glory of the film stars
and pop stars of this world is
READ:
fleeting; some of them were so
Revelation 2:7-11
famous in their lifetimes, yet a few
And they that be wise
years down the line, they were
shall shine as the
forgotten. God has promised every
brightness of the fir-
soul winner that he will be a star
mament; and they that
forever. Several other special
turn many to right-
rewards are listed for those who
eousness as the stars
lived and worked for Jesus.
for ever and ever.
Daniel 12:3
There is going to be a special oc-
casion where dinner will be served at
the Tree of Life. Make sure that you
are invited to the dinner at the Tree of Life. Everyone that overcomes in the ministry will
receive this special invitation (Revelation 2:7).
Inclusion in the royal family of Heaven is another reward.
A crown separates royalty from the commoners (Revelation 2:10). Fortunately, you and I
have a chance to possess a crown and become royalty in Heaven. Missionaries who have
been faithful unto death can expect to be members of the royal family of Heaven.
Yet another reward for the faithful is escape from the second death (Revelation 2:11).
Everyone that overcomes has this great promise: you will not be hurt or experience
damage through the process of the second death.
I hope you see your advantages piling up as you overcome in the ministry. These things
look like insignificant prizes.
One day, it will matter whether you have them or not.
271
Day 264
Aregular quiet time puts a
weapon into the hand of the
believer. You arm yourself daily
with the sword of the Spirit. Satan
FortiFied! has a good laugh at Christians who are unarmed. Prayer is good.
READ:
Fasting is good. Going to church is
Psalm 119:9-24
good. But none of these can replace
And take the helmet
the daily arming of God’s soldier.
of salvation, and the
The Word of God has a way of
sword of the Spirit,
slipping out of our hands. This is
which is the word of
because of the pressures of the
God:
world in which we live. The opin-
Ephesians 6:17
ions of unbelievers and worldly
Christians have a way of eroding the
effect of the Word of God on our
lives. This is why it is necessary to
regularly place the sword into our hands so that we will be ready for every trick of the
devil.
A daily quiet time will give great spiritual growth because it exposes you regularly to
spiritual food. The Word of God is milk for your soul (1 Peter 2:2). It is bread for the
hungry (Matthew 4:4) and it is meat for the men (Hebrews 5:12) and it is sweet honey for
dessert (Psalm 119:103).
A spiritual x-ray of a large charismatic church will reveal tiny undeveloped Christians who
shout Christian slogans and clichés and hail their pastors as though they were superstars
who have the answers to everything. This should not be. But there is so much carnality,
which is a sign of immaturity. The reason for this is that most Christians do not have a
daily quiet time. Having a daily quiet time is the best habit you can learn as a Christian.
272
Day 265
Jesus came into this world so that
we would know Him and trust
Him. That’s why He allowed us to
hear Him, see Him and touch Him.
geNuiNe? Does anyone have the chance to hear you, see you or handle you? Are you
READ:
a mysterious superman who has no
1 John 1:1-3
faults? Openness produces a great
Behold, thou desirest
following.
truth in the inward
If you are a leader, you must
parts: and in the hid-
allow people to know you as you re-
den part thou shalt
ally are. Let the people know that
make me to know wis-
dom.
you are real! Everybody will readily
follow a genuine leader.
Psalm 51:6
Nobody wants to follow a
mystery. A mystery speaks of the
unknown. A mysterious person smacks of something forebod-ing. Who wants to follow a
mysterious person into a dark valley where something bad may happen to him?
Let me tell you an important secret about leadership. The more open you are, the more
readily people will follow your leadership. I did not say that the more perfect you are, the
more people will follow you. Everyone knows that his neighbour is not perfect. It is no
secret that there is no perfect person on the earth.
Someone who is open and honest about his weaknesses is more likely to have a following.
If you are a pastor, let the people know that you are real! Everybody will readily follow a
genuine leader.
273
Day 266
When a man gropes about in
darkness, he often hurts
himself by bumping into unexpected
or unforeseen objects. How painful
the lamP it is to hit your shin against a table!
The pains and hurts we experience
READ:
in our lives are because we have not
1Corinthians 10:1-14
picked up the lamp of God.
There will I make the horn of David to
That was the true
Light, which lighteth
bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine
every
man
that
anointed.
cometh
into
the
Psalm 132:17
world.
What is this lamp that God has
John 1:9
specially prepared for His anointed
ones? It is the Word of God!
The sorrows that some have ex-
perienced in marriage have come because they did not use the lamp of God to guide them
into marriage. Many people pick up the lamp of God after they have been severely injured
by the experiences of life. A lamp is not intended to soothe your pain but to prevent you
from getting hurt. How much better a life we would have if we would pick up this lamp on
a daily basis.
Much of the pain and hurts of this life would have been avoided if we had used the light of
life (John 8:12). It is only a quiet time that can provide you with constant illumination.
If you live in darkness from Monday to Saturday and only receive a little light on Sunday,
surely your life will not be the same as someone who lives in constant illumination. Begin
to have a regular quiet time!
You will reduce the sorrow of your life by using the true light that God has ordained for
you.
274
Day 267
Many people are held in
bondage because their think-
ing patterns agree with demonic
deceptions. People are kept in
thiNkiNg bondage as long as their minds agree PatterNs with the ideas that come from
Satan.
Satan seeks to gain control over us.
The only way he can do this is
READ:
through our minds.
Genesis 3:1-13
Unfortunately, the thoughts of
…Jesus answered and
many believers are in agreement
said unto him, Get
with Satan because we do not study
thee behind me, Satan:
or believe the Word. When a person
for it is written…
is full of thoughts of discontent-
Luke 4:8
ment and criticism, the demon of ha-
tred can easily take over. Our
natural thoughts for revenge, unfor-
giveness, depression and fear are very much in consonance with the spirit of sickness,
disease and even death. This is why the Word of God is so important. It keeps us in full
disagreement with the devil’s suggestions.
It is very easy to agree with delusions of demons. The devil’s deceptions are very similar
to the truth. Many times, we are caught unawares as we drift along and agree with
suggestions, which are not biblical.
That is where steadfastness must be applied. Steadfastness is actually derived from a navy
term, which means, “to stay on course”. It also means to come back to course after you
have made a deviation. We all tend to go on excursions from time to time but the spirit of
steadfastness must bring us back to the Word. Put your foot down and disagree with
everything that is not biblical.
275
Day 268
Jesus was placed in a position of
honour. He is the only one who
sits at the right hand of God the
Father. He was the one who was
god’s
allowed to open and to read the
choice
book. He was found worthy to do
these things because He is the “lamb
that was slain”.
READ:
When you listen to an evangelist
Revelation 5:4-9
preaching, you may think that you
…according to the
could preach better than he does.
purpose of him who
Nevertheless, it is God who gives the
worketh all things
room to the minister.
after the counsel of
his own will:
There are questions and specula-
tions about many successful minis-
Ephesians 1:11
ters. Many wonder why such people
are so successful. Why does anyone listen to this person? Why does anyone come for his
crusades? This person is occupying a room of ministry given to him by the Lord.
One day, as I observed a famous evangelist preach at a crusade, I thought to myself, “I
could probably preach this message better.” I marvelled that so many thousands had
gathered to hear such a message. When it was time to pray for miracles, there were hardly
any healings. Yet the crowds kept coming, night after night. As I mused over this, I knew
that if this were my crusade, no one would attend to hear my “good preaching”.
The Lord spoke to me and said, “I have given this man of God a room. He occupies a
position that he did not create for himself. He has paid a price to be in that room. It is not
by his preaching, organization or even healings, but by the room that I have placed him
in.”
276
Day 269
When you read your Bible, it
will deliver you from delu-
sions and deceptions about whom
you are (Isaiah 6:5). It will show you
No
what you are to do to please the Lord
decePtioNs (James 1:22).
As we correct people and see
other people’s faults all the time, may
READ:
God help us to see our own failings.
Matthew 7:1-5
May we see ourselves the way God
…for that which is
sees us. Do not be impressed by
highly
esteemed
what people say to you. Do not
among men is abomi-
receive the flattery of men. What is
nation in the sight of
God.
highly esteemed in the sight of men
is often an abomination in the sight
Luke 16:15
of God.
God shows Himself to you every time you read the Bible.
When Isaiah saw the Lord, he had no deceptions about what he was. Pray that God will
reveal Himself to you as you read the Bible everyday. Many church members would not
be as proud, arrogant and presumptuous as they are if they knew what they looked like
before God. Many Christians would not accuse their leaders if they had just a glimpse of
what they were really like in the sight of God.
The Word of God is a mirror. It will show us the real picture and will reveal the truth to us
every time we read it.
We are so subject to delusions and deceptions that we need a regular input of the Word of
God in our lives. I cannot overemphasize the need for regularity for the ministration of the
Word in our lives. Only a daily reading of the Bible can give you the regular input that is
needed for a constant deliverance from deception.
277
Day 270
God allows all Christians to be
offended. He will then observe
whether you will obey His Word or
not. Will you forgive the one who
No staiN has offended you? When you walk in forgiveness, you attract God’s
READ:
mercy. Blessed are the merciful
Acts 16:16-34
because they shall receive God’s
To those who by per-
mercy. If you fail the test of hurts
sistence in doing good
and offences, you exclude yourself
seek glory, honor and
from the mercy of God. When
immortality, he will
bitterness is in your spirit, you will
give eternal life.
no longer receive from God and He
Romans 2:7
no longer answers your prayers.
New International
Years ago, a minister said some-
Version
thing, which I took seriously. He
said, “It is important to always main-
tain a sweet spirit!” We must learn to live without bitterness.
When you go through the fire of financial difficulties, please do not succumb to the
pressure. Do not become a murmurer.
Do not become a complainer and do not become a thief ! When you come under pressure
in your marriage, please do not give up. Do not separate or divorce. Fight to achieve
happiness.
To survive, you need determination and a whole lot of faith.
Be a survivor! I see you making it!
Someone asked me, “What have you been through? What have you survived?” “What
have you suffered?” You see, the things a person has survived speak volumes about him.
The credentials of survived tests are greater than the credentials of any educational
institution.
278
Day 271
Ihave realized that as human
beings, most of us want people to
be impressed with us. We wish the
people around us would be
hyPocrisy impressed with what we have: our cars, our appearance etc.
READ:
Sometimes, people go to the ex-
Matthew 23:23-28
tent of going for bank loans in order
When a man’s ways
to live a certain kind of lifestyle to
please the LORD, he
impress friends.
maketh even his ene-
mies to be at peace
Many people live above their
with him…
means because they want to present
a certain image of themselves. Such
Proverbs 16:7
a person may be regarded as wealthy
and living in luxury when in reality,
he is living on borrowed glory.
Soon his creditors will catch up with him, and the image he has built around himself will
come crumbling down! That is when the people he has deceived will be disappointed and
unimpressed with him.
It is good to be liberated from that constant desire to impress others! If I had tried to
impress people, our church, Lighthouse Chapel International would not have gotten to this
stage. I would have spent our income on impressive cars, clothes and lifestyles, trying to
impress those on the outside.
There is no need to impress anyone. If you are a worthy person, people will get to know
who you are, what you are, and what you are made up of ! It is just a matter of time! Do
not be impressive on the outside and unimpressive on the inside.
279
Day 272
Another instruction Solomon had
from his father was to deal with
Joab. Joab was someone who had
disobeyed
David
on
several
a Father’s occasions. David asked Solomon to wish
eliminate Joab.
When the opportunity presented
itself, Solomon executed Joab. David
READ:
also asked Solomon to deal with
1 Kings 2:1-10,
28-46
Shimei.
Shimei cursed King David when
If ye keep my com-
mandments, ye shall
he was running away from Absalom,
abide in my love…
his son. Solomon dealt with him as
well. Life is too short not to learn
John 15:10
from your fathers. You need to be-
lieve what they are telling you.
Solomon did not waste his life discovering what evil would come to him through Joab and
Shimei. He just believed what his father said and executed them.
You will notice that after Solomon fulfilled his father’s instructions, the kingdom of Israel
became established under his rule (1 Kings 2:46).
Although Solomon thought that he was just obeying his father’s instructions, he was
actually stabilizing the nation without even knowing it! Obey your father’s instructions,
even when you don’t understand them. You will unknowingly bring a blessing upon your
life.
A sweet spiritual blessing follows a man who honours a father. It cannot be explained
logically. It is a spiritual law that has been set in place for thousands of years. Don’t fight
it because you cannot! Flow with it and you will come into the type of success that
Solomon enjoyed!
280
Day 273
Many things you have experi-
enced are supernatural. The
supernatural is both real and biblical.
In the ministry of the prophet
see god Elijah, you see a widow who received moviNg! a supernatural miracle.
Elijah prophesied that she and her
household would lack no food
READ:
throughout the period of the famine.
1 Kings 17:8-24
That prophecy came to pass! How-
…this is the LORD; we
ever, she secretly did not believe that
have waited for him,
the supernatural had occurred in her
we will be glad and re-
life.
joice in his salvation.
Isaiah 25:9
However, when her child died and
Elijah brought him back to life, she
made a very significant statement.
She said, “Now I know that you are a man of God.” An analysis of her words is very
revealing.
This means that all along she didn’t really believe that she was experiencing the
supernatural. The miracle of multiply-ing food did not seem supernatural to this woman.
Many Christians make this mistake. They want the spectacular.
They want things to be dramatic; otherwise, they will not believe that God is moving. If
you have this attitude, you will miss the supernatural move of God.
I believe I had a supernatural call to serve the Lord, although I did not experience the call
of God with thundering and lightning and I have not seen Jesus in person.
The call of God on my life has simply been a conviction, a conviction to serve Him; a
conviction to do my best, a conviction to obey the desires that He has placed on my heart.
281
Day 274
The Bible teaches us that
Abraham believed in God.
That is one of the most notable
things about him. He is called the
security father of all those who believe.
Because Abraham had faith in God,
READ:
God was pleased with him.
Romans 4:16-25
In the ministry of Jesus Christ,
And he believed in the
many people were healed. Jesus
lord; and he counted it
often told those who were healed,
to him for righteous-
“Your faith has made you whole.” It
ness.
was the use of faith that brought the
Genesis 15:6
miracles to these individuals.
In order to experience the success
that Abraham did, you need to
operate in faith. How is it going to
be possible for you to own a house? How is it going to be possible for you to own a car?
How much does a car cost? A good car costs thousands of dollars. You must know how to
believe even when it seems impossible. What do you have to lose? Faith will bring you
many blessings!
People talk about riches and the power of the occult. What about the power of God? You
must choose to believe that God’s power will destroy the power of the enemy. But why
think about that? Why live in fear? Why not exercise faith in the goodness of God?
When you see evil all around, you can easily be frightened.
But you must be able to speak the words of King David in Psalm 23:4. Choose to believe
that God will keep you.
282
Day 275
There is a general lack of
knowledge of the Scriptures
and an inability to quote Scriptures
among many Christians. Every
immaturity Christian should have a version of the Bible from which he quotes
READ:
accurately. Jesus Christ memorized
Philippians 1:6-11
Scriptures. In Matthew 4, when the
And I, brethren, could
devil tempted Jesus, He accurately
not speak unto you as
quoted Scriptures from Deuteron-
unto spiritual, but as
omy and paralysed the devil with
unto carnal, even as
them.
unto babes in Christ.
After a while, a believer is ex-
1 Corinthians 3:1
pected to be a teacher of the things
he has received (Hebrews 5:12). The
failure of the majority of believers
to rise into Christian leadership is
simply a sign of shallowness, which is caused by failure to interact with the Lord.
Many Christians mumble along as the congregation is led in worship. They do not know
God and have no personal desire to learn the songs and to worship God. They wait for the
pastor’s jokes, and find entertainment in them. Again, the shallowness of many Christians
is manifested in their inability to regularly fellowship with the Lord and with others. They
struggle to attend church every Sunday and often arrive late.
It is almost as though they have a chore to do.
As you read your Bible and Christian books and listen to recorded preaching messages,
you will increase your knowledge of God. Anyone who has some depth with God spends
at least an hour everyday in the presence of the Lord.
Shallowness will be stamped out and Christianity will have more meaning for us all.
283
Day 276
Snakes know that they cannot
survive in the presence of
human beings. This is the reason
why snakes live in grass and under
debate
rocks where they cannot be seen.
The snakes do all that they want to
READ:
do and multiply in their protected
James 3:2-13
environment. They do not attract
The Lord shall fight
human beings who are enemies they
for you, and ye shall
cannot handle.
hold your peace.
The wisdom of a snake is the
Exodus 14:14
wisdom to hide and to flourish. For
example, I once stopped my national
TV programme from being telecast.
Upon analysis, I felt that the growth
of our ministry was stirring up too
many potential enemies, like the gov-
ernment and the Press. I knew that my ministry did not need television per se to be
fulfilled. So I cut it off ! I don’t need enemies I cannot handle.
Every successful minister must learn to overcome the rumours, stories, questions and
controversies that he may face.
Here are some ways to do that:
1.
Never mention the controversial subject.
2.
Stop talking about your past mistakes.
3.
Recognize that everyone is limited in one way or the other.
4.
Do not magnify a question or rumour about your life or Ministry. There is no need to
speak about it.
5.
Do not advertise the rumours manufactured by your enemies, by repeating them.
6.
Leave the issue to God. He will fight for you.
284
Day 277
Whenever we gather in the
Name of the Lord, the Holy
Spirit is there. He is always ready to
help many people. Not only does He
miracle heal the sick but He also raises up worker several people to do His work and
His will. There is no greater work
than the work of Jesus.
READ:
Isaiah 61:1-3
As Jesus was praying and coming
out of the water after His baptism at
And when Herod saw
the Jordan, a dove descended from
Jesus, he was exceed-
ing
glad…and
he
Heaven upon Him. That was a sym-
hoped to have seen
bol of the Holy Spirit of the Lord.
some miracle done by
When the dove descended Jesus
him.
knew that the power had arrived. He
Luke 23:8
knew that the anointing had come
(Matthew 3:16).
I want you to know that you cannot do anything for God without the anointing of the Holy
Ghost. When the Spirit came upon Jesus, He went into His own country, and preached
there.
One of the most important messages He preached was about the Spirit of God being upon
Him. He said He was going to preach the Gospel to the poor. He could sense the power
and the anointing to heal.
The secret behind the miracles is not a man. It is the mighty Spirit of God. The secret is
the Holy Spirit. That is why Jesus did not do any miracle until the Holy Spirit came on
Him.
After the mighty Spirit of God had come upon Jesus, He went about doing good and
healing the sick.
285
Day 278
One of the most common verses
engraved on many tombstones
in our cemeteries is taken from
Revelation 14:13:
be FruitFul ..Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth. .that they may
rest
READ:
from their labours. .
1 Corinthians
3:8-15
Now notice: It did not say,
“Blessed are those in the choir,” or
In all labour there is
profit: but the talk of
“Blessed are them that die in the
the lips tendeth only
church.” Friends, it is a matter of
to penury.
being in the Lord, not just in the
Proverbs 14:23
church!
The text ends with a very impor-
tant revelation: “…and their works
do follow them.”
Look, when you die you cannot take anything along with you. No, not your car, your
money, or even your clothes. After death the only thing that can follow you are your
works. Those are the fruits you have borne in your Christian life; the disciples you have
established in the Lord, your Christian children.
As you probably know, it is considered a great shame to be childless in certain societies.
Now, concerning spiritual children, we learn that:
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them [children]: they shall not be ashamed. .
Psalm 127:5
Very soon, you are going to stand before the judgement seat of Christ. Are you going to
stand there, empty-handed and ashamed? On the other hand, will you bear your fruits now,
so that your works can follow you? Think about it.
286
Day 279
When a woman applies the
wisdom of God, she will
perceive marriage in the right way.
She will have a blind desire for
haPPiNess a husband when she doesn’t
understand what God is trying to do
READ:
for her. You can be single and very
Psalm 119:30-36
happy. All women whether married
Happy is he that hath
or unmarried need to get this right.
the God of Jacob for
This is not a teaching for single
his help, whose hope is
people. It is a teaching for women.
in the LORD his God:
A woman must ask herself, “What is
Psalm 146:5
my purpose in life?”
A woman with direction is a
woman who has discovered her real
reason for being in this world. The
real reason for every woman to be in
this world is not to find a husband; neither is it to bring forth children, per se. Your
purpose in this world is to serve the Lord and to do His perfect will (Ephesians 2:10).
Many married women, who have discovered this concept no longer look to their husbands
for fulfilment. God has ordained great works for every woman. When an unmarried
woman discovers that her main purpose is to accomplish the will of God, she will be
content. When a married woman discovers that her main purpose in this life is to do the
will of the Father, she will become a fulfilled woman.
If you look to your husband (even Christian husbands) for fulfilment, you will not be a
happy person. If you look to God for fulfillment, you will be satisfied.
The secret to happiness is the same. Serve the Lord, give yourself to God, live for Him
and thereby walk in fulfilment.
287
Day 280
Children are blessings from the
Lord. Leah gave birth to four
children. In the midst of Leah’s
initial disappointment of not being
maNy
Jacob’s first choice, she received four
blessiNgs meaningful miracles.
The first blessing was Reuben.
Reuben means “behold”. She was
READ:
saying to everyone, “See, I am
Genesis 29:31-35
blessed.” Perhaps you are not mar-
Lo, children are an
ried, but you are blessed in many
heritage
of
the
other ways. There are many things
LORD: and the fruit
to behold.
of the womb is his re-
ward…
After this, Leah had another son
Psalm 127:3-5
called Simeon. Simeon means “bear-
ing”. She was affirming that she
could see the continued hand of God in her affairs. Today, I want you to see that God is
sustaining you; He is working in your life despite what you lack.
Then Leah had a third child and called him Levi. Levi means “joined”. By this time, Leah
was convinced that God was a permanent part of her affairs. God was joined to her life.
Finally, Leah had a fourth child and she called him Judah.
Judah means praise. By naming her child Judah she was sending a message to the entire
community. She was saying, “I am a happy woman.” I can praise the Lord today.
There is a miracle, a blessing in your house. Surely you can say, “Behold God has blessed
me.” Surely you can say, “God is sustaining me.” You must be able to say, “God is joined
to my life”. Finally, you must be able to say, “Praise the Lord.”
288
Day 281
The Scriptures contain many
history lessons that guide us.
God instructed His leaders to teach
history so that people would not
cycles
forget what happened in the past.
Forgetting leads to a repetition of
READ:
the same mistakes.
Ecclesiastes 1:9, 10
History repeats itself. If you
Be sober, be vigilant;
know what happened to others who
because your adver-
walked where you walk, then you
sary the devil, as a
will know what will happen to you.
roaring lion, walketh
There is a proverb that states,
about, seeking whom
he may devour:
“Those who do not know history are
doomed to repeat it.”
1 Peter 5:8
Many things are programmed in
cycles. There is an inbuilt cyclical
system of the world. The planets revolve around the sun. The moon circles around the
earth. The human body has numerous biochemical and hormonal cycles within it. The
Krebs cycle and the menstrual cycle are examples of these. Your life may be part of an
evil cycle that is playing itself out. Break every terrible cycle of your life and ministry by
studying history.
A student of history can predict the future (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Your prophetic insights will
be greatly enhanced as you study church history. Boldness and confidence are fruits of
studying history. You can lead the way with greater confidence by using the lessons you
learnt from history.
One day, an old wise man said, “The devil has just a few tricks, which he keeps using over
and over again. I am always surprised that the same trick works every time. Because
people do not know what happened in the past, they keep falling for the same old tricks.”
289
Day 282
As a doctor, I know that the
medicines that psychiatrists
give often only sedate the patient or
improve their mood. But there is no
Psychiatry real healing for the psychological and emotional problem. God
READ:
introduces Himself as a healer in the
Psalm 9:9-10
book of Exodus. God can heal you
For God hath not
and change you on the inside.
given us the spirit of
He said, “I am the Lord your doc-
fear; but of power, and
tor, the Lord your healer, the Lord
of love, and of a
your physician.” Will you receive
sound mind.
Him as your doctor and as your
2 Timothy 1:7
physician? He will heal your soul.
He is Jehovah Rophe.
Divine healing affects our behav-
iour. My psychiatry lecturer taught me that most people have some amount of abnormal
behaviour. Today, a whole range of words and definitions has been developed in order to
adequately describe the varied levels of behavioural dysfunction.
Some people are said to be eccentric; this is a polite description of an odd, queer, off-
centre, and erratic and strange person.
One of the commonest problems is fear or paranoia. Many fearful people live abnormal
lives because of various fears they constantly entertain. Others are depressed to varying
degrees at different times. Some people suffer from rage disorders, sexual disorders,
personality disorders, delusions, hallucinations, mania, and ultimately schizophrenia,
which is full-blown madness.
Divine healing tackles the full range of problems that afflict us. Through the Word of God,
we are saved from behavioural patterns that were useless and self-destructive.
290
Day 283
The two blind men in today’s
Scripture passage were people
who followed Jesus. This means
they were in His presence for a long
taP iNto time. However, they were not healed Power
or affected by the power of God.
You can be in the presence of great
supernatural power and not be
READ:
affected by it.
Matthew 9:27-31
Once, I stood under an electric
But without faith it is
pylon carrying 11,300 volts for more
impossible to please
than an hour but it had no effect on
him: for he that
me because I neither touched it nor
cometh to God must
believe that he is…
tapped into it. I could hear the
sound of electricity sizzling through
Hebrews 11:6
the cables and sensed that it was
very, very dangerous.
The two blind men followed Jesus until He asked the question, “Do you believe that I am
able to heal?”
This goes to explain that if you are in the presence of a mighty power and you do not
believe in it, it will not have any effect on you. If you sit near the anointing and you do not
have faith in it, it will have no effect on you. The way to get connected to God’s immense
power is by believing in the vessel God has chosen.
In my church, there are people who believe that I am able and there are others who do not
believe that I am able. There are people who believe that I am anointed and that God has
called me, but there are others who do not believe in such things! Those who believe,
connect and those who do not believe keep watching. You may be near and in the presence
of power, but never connect to it.
291
Day 284
An open door is a God-given
opportunity in the midst of
impossibilities. An open door is a
chance to escape or to achieve
oPeNiNg something for the Lord. An open
door is a time-related breakthrough
READ:
that gives you a needed option.
Acts 11:18-24
The first way to recognize a door
…behold, I have set
is to see an opportunity that comes
before thee an open
in the midst of other unworkable
door…
options. In the natural, a door is
Revelation 3:8
flanked on the left and right by im-
penetrable walls. When you are
flanked by impossibilities and one
niche opens up, it is often God
opening a door for you.
The second way to recognize a door is to discern that it is an opportunity that will not
always be there. In the natural, a door does not have a fixed position; it is either open or
closed.
Any opportunity that appears for a season and disappears again is a door.
The third way to recognize a door is to realize that God engineered the opportunity and
that it had nothing to do with your efforts (Acts 14:27). An open door is not of your own
making, it is just something that you benefit from.
When Paul and Barnabas gave the report of their first missionary journey, everyone was
overjoyed at what the Lord had done. They came to one conclusion: God had opened a
door to the Gentiles! They knew that only God could do it!
That is how to recognize a door. Recognize that it is only God who could have made that
opportunity possible.
292
Day 285
Different types of prayer can be
used to solve different
problems. In today’s Scripture
reading, Jesus found Himself in a
be eFFective crisis. There was no time to find a quiet place to pray for the hand of
READ:
God to move on their behalf. He just
Mark 4:35-41
prayed a short but powerful prayer
And in the morning,
and the storm ceased!
rising up A GREAT
In John 11:41, Jesus encountered
WHILE before day, he
another situation that demanded
went out, and de-
an immediate response. He needed a
parted into a solitary
place,
and
there
miracle for His family friends. His
prayed.
old pal Lazarus had been dead for
Mark 1:35
four days. He had to pray a short
prayer and He needed results
immediately.
These types of prayers come in handy when you are faced with a crisis situation and there
is no time to retreat and pray.
Pray a short and powerful prayer when you need to and believe that God has heard you.
After the short and powerful prayer, act boldly just like Jesus did! You will have one
hundred per cent results.
There are times that it is important to spend a long time in prayer. Jesus did this very
often. The Bible records in Mark 1:35 that He prayed a great while before day, and in
Luke 6:12
that He prayed all night. Develop the art of praying for several hours. Start with one hour
and graduate to three hours. Then progress to five and seven hours or more!
There are times you have to pray on the same topic for hours. Jesus did it! It is not useless
repetition; it is praying like Jesus did.
293
Day 286
Avital step to receiving one
hundred per cent answered
prayer is to use the name of Jesus.
raPid
I announce to you that there is
power in the name of Jesus! Your
results heavenly Father will respond when He hears the name of Jesus.
READ:
In my church, there are people
Acts 3:1-11, 16
who try to use my name to get
…Until now you have
certain things done. They know that
not asked for anything
the mention of my name in our
in my name. Ask and
set-up will lead to rapid results.
you will receive…
Why do people engage in name-
John 16:24
dropping? It is because names have
New International
power.
Version
The use of a name leads to rapid
results. At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow. Demons respond to the name of Jesus.
Sickness responds to the name of Jesus. Satan will bow to the name of Jesus. There is
power in that name. In the book of Acts, we see how the name of Jesus healed a man (Acts
4:10).
But it is not only bad things which respond to the name of Jesus. Our Heavenly Father
Himself responds to the name of Jesus. Jesus told us to use the “name of Jesus” to get
responses from the Father. Jesus told us to use His name to get results in prayer.
From today, whenever you pray, use the name of Jesus; not only as a ritual, but as a vital
key to receiving your blessings from Heaven.
294
Day 287
The world has two types of
people: those who believe in
you and those who have no
confidence in you. Learn to turn
scorNers away from people who despise you.
I can always tell when someone
READ:
despises me at heart. Every leader
Psalm 68
should learn to detect the spirit of
Blessed is the man
critical and hateful people (1 John
that walketh not in
4:1). Rejection is a spiritual thing
the counsel of the un-
and can be discerned spiritually.
godly, nor…sitteth in
the seat of the scorn-
I once spoke to a doctor in the
ful.
USA. I had always known that this
Psalm 1:1
fellow despised me. Though he
never said much to me, I knew it in
my spirit. Just like David, I turned
away from him and “flowed” with those who believed in me.
He confirmed this and said, “What you are saying is true.
Somehow, in those days I didn’t like what you were doing. But now, I have come to
appreciate your ministry.”
No one can flourish in an environment of spitefulness. In some churches, professionals are
neither regarded nor respected as far as the ministry is concerned. If you are a lawyer,
doctor or accountant, the ministers may consider you incapable of ministry work. I advise
such people to attend a church where they can be involved in ministry without being
despised. Some full-time ministers simply do not recognize the role of lay people.
In some places, poor and uneducated people are despised. It is important to turn away
from an environment where you are despised. You can only flourish where people respect
and love you.
295
Day 288
Ibelieve that some of the apostolic
and prophetic anointings of the
early Church are being reintroduced
into the Church at this time. There
god’s
is therefore a resurgence of the
iNteNtioN miraculous and the prophetic.
The Bible predicts that two
prophets with a peculiar anointing
READ:
will arise in the Last Days to chal-
Romans 11:29-36
lenge the Antichrist (Revelation
For the LORD of
11:3-6). A closer look at the min-
hosts hath purposed,
istry of these two latter day
and who shall disannul
prophets reveals a great similarity
it?…
between their anointing and that of
Isaiah 14:27
Moses and Elijah.
It looks like God is reintroducing
a former anointing in order to do a vital job. The anointing on Moses’ life was introduced
to fight against a despotic and repressive Pharaoh. The anointing on Elijah’s life
contended with one of Israel’s most detestable and incorrigible kings, Ahab. The
Antichrist, one of the most tyrannical and evil men the Bible speaks about, will need to be
trounced by a combination of these two strong anointings. Perhaps the Antichrist himself
will combine the evil spirits that worked through both King Ahab and Pharaoh.
You will learn from this study, that God does specific things for specific reasons. You can
only line up with God’s purpose.
God will not do anything outside His purpose. When you fulfil God’s purpose for your
life, Jesus will call you “great”. Find out the purpose of God and flow with it. It is the
purpose of God that will be achieved at the end of the day, and not your purpose.
296
Day 289
The “honour of man” is the
single greatest influence on
ministers, apart from the Holy Spirit.
Virtually every decision a ministry
admiratioN makes is a decision between following the Holy Spirit or following the
READ:
honour of men. The honour of man
John 5:31-47
is simply the respect and admiration
For do I now persuade
that comes from other men in
men, or God? or do I
society.
seek to please men?
Jesus made it clear that He did
for if I yet pleased
not receive respect and admiration
men, I should not be
the servant of Christ.
from men. This means that He did
not do anything because men would
Galatians 1:10
honour Him. He explained, “How
can you believe, which receive hon-
our one from another?” In other
words, how can you flow with God when it is important for you to have the respect and
the honour of men?
Without knowing it, most of us have a group of human beings whose admiration and
respect we crave. We long for them to approve of us and to admire our achievements. Our
schooling, our spouses, our cars, houses, food, and our clothes are all designed to attract
the endorsement of people around us. The honour of man will lead you to possess things
you should not possess.
Perhaps you fear the scorn and disapproval of men. I tell you that if there is any one thing
that guides us, it is this disease I call “seeking the honour of men”.
Just like the Holy Spirit, the honour of man is an invisible influence, but it is very real.
297
Day 290
You must have heard the saying:
“There is an exception to every
rule.” Whether this is true or not,
Jesus introduced numerous scrip-
variaNts tural exceptions to well accepted principles. A failure to understand
READ:
these exceptions made the Pharisees
Luke 5:27-35
vehemently oppose Christ. A lack of
Jesus answered and
knowledge of the whole Scripture
said unto them, ye do
made them so right that they became
err, not knowing the
wrong.
scriptures, nor the
Jesus was accused of spending a
power of God.
lot of time fellowshipping with
Matthew 22:29
sinners. The Pharisees were not
comfortable with a religious leader
who was at ease in the midst of well
known criminals. They confronted
Him with this well accepted divine principle: “Bad company ruins good morals” (1
Corinthians 15:33). Jesus knew this principle but He knew a little more. He knew the
biblical exception and He told them, “They that are whole need not a physician; but they
that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”.
Almost every biblical rule has biblical exceptions and variations. When you walk with
God, you will need to know not only the biblical principles but also the biblical exceptions
and variations to the rules. Otherwise, you will become a New Testament pharisee. In my
walk with God, I have found that many things that were right became wrong when the
Lord was not leading me there. Error sets in when we know the Scriptures without the
power or the power without the Scriptures. We need both to keep us on the path of
righteousness.
298
Day 291
The human race has forsaken the
living God and therefore God
has given human beings up to
become dead and darkened in their
humaN
spirits, so that they may follow their
Frailty own desires and perverted feelings (Romans 1:21, 24).
As you read this passage of Scrip-
READ:
ture further, you will discover that
John 3:18-21
the sinful human race is filled with
The good man is per-
every conceivable evil. Consider the
ished out of the earth:
long list of evil characteristics
and there is none up-
(Romans 1:29-31).
right among men…
Micah 7:2
The unsaved spirit is desperately
wicked and this condition of man’s
heart is manifest all around us.
Why are human beings so wicked and evil at heart? Why is it that when the opportunity
presents itself, we see incredible acts of savagery? These acts of barbarism are
manifestations of a depraved and reprobate human race. Why is the world filled with
homosexuals? Why do millions of people commit fornication and adultery on a daily
basis? Why does stealing, killing and injustice abound everywhere? The world has over
five billion greedy, corrupt, degenerate and selfish people.
God has given up the human race to its perverted way of life. It is this unsaved and
degenerate people that Jesus came to the earth to save. This is why Jesus said a man has to
be born again because the first time round, we were conceived in evil and born in sin.
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Psalm 51:5
299
Day 292
It is children who receive the most
precious gifts from their parents.
It is children and not equals
or colleagues who receive an
outFlow inheritance from their fathers.
There comes a time in the life of
READ:
a woman when she tends to
Romans 15:13-14
challenge the authority of a man. I
There is no fear in
do not blame her because many men
love: but perfect love
are irresponsible and are not trust-
drives out fear…The
worthy.
one who fears is not
made perfect in love.
However, fighting against men
1 John 4:18
and campaigning against their au-
thority may easily keep you from the
New International
Version
anointing. You will have a perpetu-
ally resistant attitude towards God’s
gift. A woman therefore needs to ensure that she does not erect a barrier that would hinder
the flow of God’s blessings to her from His chosen vessel, who is likely to be a man. You
see, many of the vessels that God uses are men.
Sometimes, a background of sinful experiences with different men makes it difficult for a
woman to trust any man.
She has little confidence in her father, her pastor or any man of God. She simply cannot
believe in the existence of goodness and purity. Sometimes, just by growing up in a
culture of suspicion and gossip, the seeds of mistrust are sown forever.
Such women tend to be perpetually doubtful, unbelieving, sceptical and suspicious.
Typically, a woman who is unable to trust is unable to love because she is full of fear.
However, perfect love casts out fear.
The Bible says that love “…believeth all things…”
(1 Corinthians 13:7).
300
Day 293
Wisdom is different from
human rights. It is by
wisdom that hopeless marriages can
be turned around. God is trying to
rights
teach you wisdom. Wisdom is
justified of her children.
READ:
Where has God established you?
Esther 1:9-20
Has He made you a wife or a queen?
Doth not behave itself
If you do not respect what God has
unseemly, seeketh not
given you, you may lose it. I often
her own, is not easily
tell people that there are two hun-
provoked, thinketh no
dred people who are ready to replace
evil;
them. No one needs to be proud or
1 Corinthians 13:5
to feel indispensable. We are all
where we are by the grace of God.
Vashti made a tragic mistake.
The one great asset God had given to her was her physical beauty. Every woman has been
given her beauty as a gift from God. You used your beauty to attract the man. You must
use it to keep him and to keep your place as a wife. Christian women are supposed to take
care of themselves so that they look beautiful. Do not think for one moment that your
husband does not notice beautiful women in town. Every Christian man is fully aware of
all the beautiful women around him. Christian ladies should stir up their husbands’ interest
in them with their physical beauty. As cases of adultery and divorce occur, people will
take these things seriously.
When Vashti was called upon to display her beauty, she did not! She refused to do so and
she was suddenly removed from her high position. Decide that you will not allow anything
or anyone to take your place. A woman with direction understands the principle of divine
displacement and replacement.
301
Day 294
Aleader is someone who sees
ahead. Generally speaking, a
good leader is able to predict what
will happen in the future. Jesus said
PredictioN that the disciples would experience persecution. And they certainly did!
READ:
You don’t need to be a special
Ecclesiastes 1:9-10
prophet to know that the members
A prudent man fore-
of a new group will experience some
seeth the evil, and
trouble.
hideth himself: but
Using a combination of history,
the simple pass on,
common sense, the Word of God
and are punished.
and the Spirit of God, every leader
Proverbs 22:3
can generally predict the way things
will go. The Bible teaches us that
there is nothing new under the sun.
The Bible says explicitly that what is
going to happen is only what has happened already.
A good manager should be able to predict from the general trend of affairs that certain
businesses are going to go out of date in the near future. Certain politicians must see that
the course on which they are walking will only end in disaster.
Ministers of the Gospel must be able to predict the future in a general way. I am not
talking about predicting events and dates. I am talking about using common sense!
Years ago, I began metropolitan churches. Today, we have thousands of members in these
citywide churches. If I had not acted on my observation and predicted the need for these
churches, I would have lost thousands of members. I am not talking about predicting when
Jesus will return. I am talking about predicting the obvious and seeing ahead as a wise
leader.
302
Day 295
We know from God’s Word
that the wages of sin is
death; everlasting separation from
God (Romans 6:23). Another word
seParatioN for “wages” is salary. Your salary is what you are entitled to; that is what
READ:
you get for what you have done.
Romans 5:12-21
What we get for being sinners is
Enter ye in at the
eternal separation from a righteous
strait gate: for wide is
God. That is why man in his natural
the gate, and broad is
condition is considered spiritually
the way, that leadeth
dead, instead of being spiritually
to destruction, and
alive to the things of God.
many there be which
go in thereat:
All over the world the dead are
Matthew 7:13
separated from the living. That is
exactly how it is with God. Spiritu-
ally dead man is separated from a
Holy God. Unless he is born again spiritually, and reconciled to God through Christ, man
is headed for Hell. God’s Word explains it simply (Romans 5:12).
Adam’s sin turned men into natural born sinners, which resulted in a death sentence being
passed on all men. This makes us all automatic candidates for Hell. In other words, every
unsaved soul is bound to end up in Hell, from the President to the poorest man in the
village. You see, it’s very easy to arrive at this fearful destination. It’s automatic. Our
“Adamic” nature ensures that.
Jesus, in His compassion for mankind, urged men to believe on Him and flee from sin so
that we would not perish but have everlasting life. Alas, multitudes have literally poured
into Hell over the years because they have not accepted this invitation, and have died in
their sins.
303
Day 296
The New Testament Church
prayed fervently for the power
of the Holy Spirit to be upon their
leaders. God heard their prayer and
FerveNt look at the results. The Word of Prayer
God is preached when prayer goes
forth. Churches spring up when the
Word of God is preached.
READ:
It is important to stress that
Acts 4:23-31
fervent prayer is what makes the dif-
And when they had
ference. Sometimes, I look at people
prayed…they spake the
who claim to be having a prayer
word of God with
meeting. You see some of them
boldness.
sleeping and others just whiling
Acts 4: 31
away the time. How would you feel
if someone fell asleep while talking
to you? You would think that he is
either disrespectful or very uninterested in you.
Jesus prayed passionately for the will of God to be done in His life (Hebrews 5:7). The
ministry of Jesus was a great success! Two thousand years after these prayers, churches
are still being started, books are still being written, songs are being composed about
Christ, and more people are volunteering their lives to the service of our great God.
You will have great success in your ministry when you learn how to pray fervently.
Whenever you do not know what to do, do what Jesus did! Jesus shouted when He prayed!
He prayed until He was sweating! Read it for yourself !
And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops
of blood falling down to the ground.
Luke 22: 44
Fervent prayer always works.
304
Day 297
Many people waste precious
years of their lives oscillating
between one location and another.
Where you live is very important for
moviNg
your success. No one is successful
everywhere! Even Jesus did not suc-
READ:
ceed everywhere. He never stayed
Luke 4:14-32
where He was not wanted. I used to
And he went out from
think that Jesus did powerful mira-
thence, and came into
cles everywhere, but I found out that
his own country; and
He didn’t. The Bible says that He
…he could there do no
could not do miracles in His own
mighty work…
country.
Mark 6:1, 5
Jesus’ Ministry blossomed when
He moved away from His birthplace
and set up His headquarters in Ca-
pernaum. The people in His home-
town were angry when he preached. However, the people of Capernaum loved His
ministry. In Capernaum, Jesus taught, preached and did many of His mighty works.
Joseph, is another example; he became successful when he moved to live in Egypt.
Sometimes we are unwilling to go where God wants us to be. Like Joseph, we sometimes
have to go there as prisoners (Genesis 39:1).
I have seen the greatest miracles of my ministry in certain places. I know that God has
specific places where He will do great things.
Be willing to go to places where you have never been, if God is calling you there. We all
love our familiar surroundings and our comfort zones. God’s promotion is waiting for you
when you are prepared to obey and to relocate for His purpose.
305
Day 298
You can have prodigal (wasteful)
sons, businessmen, wives,
Christians and even pastors. The list
is endless. The “wasteful” tag can be wastage fixed on anyone who misuses money,
opportunities and resources, as
READ:
though they were in endless supply.
2Corinthians 10:4-5
In all cases, wasteful people do not
And ye shall know the
seem to realize what they have.
truth, and the truth
They seem to walk away from very
shall make you free.
good opportunities, and simply
John 8:32
waste the blessings of life.
You may have a good church, a
good pastor, a good mother, a good
father, a good husband, a good wife,
or a good job. Do you realize how
blessed you are?
A wasteful person may turn against the very people who helped him and walk away from
excellent opportunities. What makes people behave in this way? Why did the prodigal boy
walk away from his golden position, opportunities, riches and a bright future? I believe he
was influenced by the devil. When someone is under the influence of evil spirits, he often
does not pay heed to advice but will continue in his sin.
There are evil spirits, which influence people to waste away great opportunities that come
their way.
If you are having problems in this area, do not despair. Pray and come against these evil
spirits in the name of Jesus. Ask God to show you how to pray, and His Holy Spirit will
teach you. Believe and confess the Word of God and you shall be delivered!
306
Day 299
The story of the healing of the
paralytic in John 5 proves to us
that Jesus only did what He saw God
doing. Let us learn great lessons
Follow
here by studying Jesus’ comments
Jesus
after the miracle (John 5:17). The
words of Jesus give us direction.
Jesus knew that He could fulfil the
READ:
purposes of God better by restrict-
John 5:1-20
ing His activities to what the Father
John answered and
did. He did not feel embarrassed
said, A man can re-
that He would be allowed to heal
ceive nothing, except
only one person. If God wanted one
it be given him from
heaven.
miracle, He would do no more than
one.
John 3:27
Jesus knew that the Father would
show Him (make visible) the miracles, the moves and the works that He, the Father was
doing. When God loves you, He will show you whom He is calling and whom He is
sending. When God loves you, He will show you whom He is healing and whom He is
touching. If the Father is not showing you this love, you will be left to stumble in the dark
and experiment with unworkable options. Occasionally, you will find something that
works. Nevertheless, most of the time, you will be found beating the air, sweating away to
no purpose.
I have learnt one thing. You cannot do anything that God is not doing. If He is not making
your church grow you cannot make it grow yourself. If He is not healing you, you cannot
be healed. If He is not delivering you, you cannot be delivered. The point I am making is
that God is always doing something in particular. We must see and flow with what He is
doing. We must move away from what He is not doing!
307
Day 300
Some Christians may die before
their time because of blasphemy.
With their own mouths, they cut
their lives short. You may think that
blasPhemer because someone is a controversial figure, he must be doing something
READ:
wrong. But I have discovered that
Acts 18:5-11
the higher you go in ministry or
For men shall be
public life, the more controversial
lovers of their own
you appear to outsiders.
selves,
covetous,
I know many ministers who have
boasters, proud, blas-
become known as controversial fig-
phemers, disobedient
to parents, unthank-
ures because of the Gospel. The
ful, unholy…
more they did God’s work, the more
2 Timothy 3:2
controversial they became.
Everywhere Paul went, he was
considered a controversial person. The crowds did not like him in most of the cities he
ministered. At one point, soldiers had to escort him away because the crowds were so
angry with him.
People were filled with so much hatred for him (Acts 16:19, 20).
Paul also experienced much blasphemy in his ministry. Perhaps, if Paul had lived in our
time, he would have hit the head-lines in the tabloids time and time again. Many
Christians would have said, “If you were really doing the right thing you would not have
so much trouble all the time.”
As a minister or Christian, do not be too concerned about having people think and speak
well of you all the time (Luke 6:26). Jesus is our example. Jesus is our Commander-in-
Chief.
We take instructions from Him. If anyone speaks against us, he will have the Holy Spirit
and Jehovah El’Shaddai to reckon with.
308
Day 301
Christ did not come to bind the
demons that ravage the human
race. There is an appointed time for
that. That is why the demons
a New
shouted, “Are you come to torment
kiNgdom us before the time?”(Matthew 8:29).
In the book of Revelation, the angel
Michael bound the devil in chains for
READ:
1,000 years. It is only then that we
Matthew 4:1-17
see the devil being bound. Until
…Who forgiveth all
then he is loose (Revelation 20:2).
thine iniquities; who
When Christ healed the sick, He
healeth all thy dis-
was only trying to show us that a
eases;
new kingdom had come. The fullest
Psalm 103:2-3
manifestation of that kingdom will
happen when we go into eternity.
On this earth we only see glimpses
of that new kingdom. When Jesus was about to begin His ministry, He announced that the
kingdom of Heaven was at hand.
The devil is the father of the kingdom of darkness. With Jesus’ announcement about the
kingdom of God, the Lord was saying that, the times when demons controlled you, killed
you, and destroyed your life are over.
Jesus had announced a new regime! It was a new regime of healing! This meant that
everything associated with the old regime had been dismantled. The things of the old
kingdom: the diseases, the cancers that kill, the blindness of the eyes, the deafness of the
ears, the broken hearts, the despair and the hopeless situations, had ceased. The evidence
of this new kingdom became evident as people were healed and delivered.
309
Day 302
The word “bed” in the Hebrew is
Arsi, which refers to a dining
couch, and not a sleeping bed.
Food
l have decked my bed with coverings of
tapestry. .
Proverbs 7:16
READ:
1Corinthians 10:1-13
The woman in Proverbs 7 was
saying that she had laid the table.
And to knowledge
This “strange” woman was appeal-
temperance; and to
ing to the young man through food.
temperance patience;
and to patience godli-
Such strange people will often invite
ness;
those they target to eat with them.
2 Peter 1:6
If you are a young single brother,
you may be exposing yourself to
such strange people if you just go
about eating all over the place.
A pastor visiting his members must remember that his business with them concerns the
salvation of their souls. You are not supposed to go around eating from home to home.
Sometimes, your stomach can contribute to your fall. As a Christian, a pastor, and a
husband, I do not go out to lunch with just anybody.
Once, I saw a Christian brother who already had a fiancée, sitting with another lady over a
candlelight dinner. I was very surprised, because he was inviting trouble for himself. I
really did wonder about his fiancée. Was she safe?
To some extent, the saying is true that, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”
Food is good, but it can be used to trap you.
Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye,. .
Proverbs 23:6
310
Day 303
If a country places more value on
athletes and beauty queens than
professionals and nation-builders, do
you think that these professionals
valued
and nation-builders will be attracted
PersoNs to the nation?
People are attracted to places
where they are valued. Many organ-
READ:
izations undervalue the people they
John 17:6-23
have. Every person who feels under-
And the LORD hath
valued will move away.
avouched thee this day
Every developed nation values its
to be his peculiar peo-
ple, as he hath prom-
citizens. What you respect will come
ised thee…
towards you. What you attack will
Deuteronomy 26:18
run away from you. People are the
most valuable thing a leader has. A
nation that attacks its leaders will be void of leaders. A nation that attacks its wealthy
citizens will be poor. All the rich people will run away to countries where wealth is not a
hazard.
You must value people because people are more valuable than money. Invest in people
financially and educationally. Pay people well and spend time teaching and training them.
People are more valuable than buildings. See them as gifts from God.
People are more valuable than computers. Try not to lose the people that God gives you.
Do everything to prevent the loss of even one person. People can sense it when you value
them (John 17:12).
See people as being worth more to you than objects and projects. Jesus saw His followers
as gifts from God: “I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of
the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word” (John
17:6).
311
Day 304
There is no way you are going to
do anything in this secular
world without dealing with the
authorities that be. You have to
Powers
recognize this fact and prepare
that be yourself to deal with them. You
cannot avoid them or go around
them.
READ:
Notice how Nehemiah was able to
Romans 13:1-7
acquire permission from the king to
Obey the government,
do what he wanted (Nehemiah 2:4,
for God is the one who
7). Some people are not able to get
put it there…
approval or permission for anything.
Romans 13:1 (New
A good leader must be successful in
Living Translation)
this area of leadership; otherwise,
you will build nothing for God.
Use the appropriate people to help you to deal with these authorities. For instance, if you
are dealing with legal issues involving the government, you will have to employ good
lawyers or people with legal minds.
Decide to comply with existing laws and regulations. The Bible says that these authorities
are there for our good (1 Timothy 2:1, 2).
Develop and maintain personal and cordial relationships with every relevant authority.
Give them gifts at Christmas and other important occasions.
It is also important to deal with authorities spiritually, by praying for them. Over the years,
I have learnt to deal with authorities by praying for them. There is a direct promise in the
Word for those who pray for authorities. The promise is that you will be able to live in
godliness, honesty and contentment.
312
Day 305
Years ago, I heard about an
aircraft in crisis. As it flew over
some mountains, it crashed and
everyone on board was killed. It
the maiN seemed as if they had about fifteen thiNg
minutes before they eventually
crashed. Many of the passengers
wrote notes and messages to their
READ:
loved ones while they could. I won-
2 Timothy 4:2-5
dered what those last notes con-
…How beautiful are
tained. Anyone who knows he’s
the feet of them that
going away forever would probably
preach the gospel of
give a very important message as his
peace…
last word.
Romans 10:15
So what were Jesus’ last words?
He said the Church should go out
and preach the Gospel in as many
countries as possible.
Every institution must know what its principal role is! You would surely be unhappy if
you sent your child to school and the main thing he or she did was to attend long prayer
services everyday without learning anything. The school is supposed to educate the child
primarily, and not to conduct all-day prayer meetings. There is nothing wrong if the school
has a weekly service or a daily prayer time. When you make a secondary role the primary
function, the institution becomes completely confused and irrelevant.
The head of the Church, Jesus Christ, gave us clear instructions to go into the world and
preach! Preaching and teaching the Gospel is what makes the Church relevant. When we
preach and teach, people are saved and their lives are changed.
This is our best contribution to our society!
313
Day 306
When Jesus got to Jairus’ house,
the place was filled with
people who were crying. You may be
in anguish but Jesus is asking you,
oNly
“Why are you crying?” I want to
believe! announce to you that there is hope because of Jesus. He is saying to you
today, “Don’t be afraid; only believe.”
READ:
He will turn your night into day. He
Acts 10:36-39
will turn your darkness into light.
The Spirit of the Lord
Perhaps, you are dying but I want
is upon me, because
you to know that you will come into
he hath anointed me
contact with the power of Jesus.
to…set at liberty
them that are bruised,
Maybe your daughter or son is not
well; but I want you to know that
Luke 4:18
Jesus is alive with the power of the
Holy Ghost. The power of Jesus is
entering into you now. He is the Lord that healeth thee.
Wherever you are, the Holy Spirit is present with you.
Receive your miracle! Place your hand where you have pain.
Place your hand on the disease. The power of God will fall upon you like heat, and like
the wind. You will feel like the power of electricity passing through you. You will feel the
touch of God. The power of the Spirit is with you right now.
Sometimes, you may not feel anything but you will notice that the power of God has
healed you in the name of Jesus.
Receive strength. God is lifting you up. God is touching you and healing you because He
is the Lord that healeth thee.
You may be in hospital. Receive your healing. Rise up in the name of Jesus! You will not
remain in the hospital! You will not remain in that stretcher or wheelchair! God is healing
you.
314
Day 307
Everyone God has made is
beautiful. But this beauty can
be enhanced by several factors.
Beauty depends on your hair, your
boosters clothing, your make-up, and even the time of day.
READ:
As a Christian brother looking for
Esther 2:7-17
a beautiful wife, you must remember
Favour is deceitful,
that the beauty of that lady can in-
and beauty is vain:
crease or decrease depending on cer-
but a woman that
tain things: her dressing and
feareth the LORD, she
hairstyle, for instance. Even the
shall be praised.
happiness of the lady affects her
Proverbs 31:30
looks! Pimples are often caused by
emotional disturbance.
Many young men become con-
fused about the looks of their fiancée/beloved. They oscillate in their feelings towards her.
What is happening here is that they are confused by the apparent variations in beauty. If all
that you are looking for in a woman is physical beauty, you are likely to be confused.
Years after the wedding, Christian wives and husbands must still look attractive. The
Christian wife should not use pregnancy and babies as an excuse for being careless about
her looks. I want to tell all women to make every attempt to dress nicely. Beauty is very
variable.
If you are a wise husband, invest in your wife’s clothes. Do whatever you have to do to
make her look even more beautiful.
If you do so, you will reap great dividends. Beauty depends on many factors, so invest in
those factors. Some of you husbands do not even care what your wives look like!
However, you admire other people’s wives on television. What a shame!
315
Day 308
When a doctor is learning to be
a surgeon, he has to study
what his professor does. Soon, he
gets an opportunity to carry out the
Follow
surgery himself and he does so
closely
gingerly, following the procedure
he has learnt from his professor. He
may make a few mistakes, but
Read:
soon he can perform the operation
1 Timothy 4:11-16
perfectly. With time, he develops his
Be ye followers of me,
own additions or improvements
even as I also am of
to what he has learnt. Has the
Christ.
professor produced a clone?
1 Corinthians 11:1
Certainly not! He has trained an-
other competent surgeon.
When Paul was training Timothy
for the ministry, he asked him to
preach the same things that he had preached (2 Timothy 1:13).
Was Paul producing a mindless clone? Certainly not! Watch out for people who try to re-
describe godly things and make them appear stupid.
Expose yourself to the anointing by listening to recorded preaching messages by God’s
servants. Many good things happen to you. You learn how to preach and you catch the
anointing. Someone once said that he did not want to listen to tapes because he did not
want to “lose his personality”. How would you lose your personality by exposing yourself
to the influence that comes from special men of God? Why do some people try to confuse
God’s sheep with clever-sounding phrases?
Remember what Paul said to the Corinthian Christians: he told them to follow him! It is
okay to follow people and to soak in their messages as long as they are following Christ
closely.
316
Day 309
The Bible assures us that all
things work together for our
good (Romans 8:28).
ultimate
Esther had no father or mother.
She was an orphan in the care of her
good
cousin Mordecai. She could have
moaned and whined that she was not
receiving motherly and fatherly care
READ:
at the hands of Mordecai. Many
Psalm 119:49-63
people would have given up on life
…that we through pa-
after being orphaned at an early age.
tience and comfort of
Please notice the second part of the
the scriptures might
Scripture: Romans 8:28. It says that
have hope.
all things work together for good to
Romans 15:4
them that love God. Do you love the
Lord? You should have your heart
set on the Lord.
Perhaps your life has taken many different twists and turns.
You ask yourself, “Shouldn’t I have married the other brother/sister?” Your mind races as
you think of missed opportunities. I want you to know that all things work together for
good.
Perhaps you are well advanced in years and are not yet married. Perhaps you have been
married for years and do not have a child. Perhaps you are married to a beastly husband or
wife. I tell you that all things are going to work together for good! It is going to be well
with you.
Esther had no father, mother or beloved. She only had a cousin. If God could elevate
Esther from nowhere, then God can raise you up. He is doing it right now as you read this.
I predict that it shall be well with you!
317
Day 310
When Peter said to Jesus, “You
will not die on this terrible
cross. We will do everything to
prevent you from having such an un-
eJect!
pleasant experience,” Jesus rebuked
him publicly. Unfortunately, decent
READ:
Peter had been used by Satan to sug-
Matthew 16:21-27
gest the need for self-preservation.
Gather my saints to-
Jesus showed us that men’s craving
gether unto me; those
for self-preservation is of the devil.
that have made a
Satan’s entry into our lives is
covenant with me by
through the power of suggestion.
sacrifice.
When Jesus was attacked by Satan in
Psalm 50:5
the wilderness, He had to defend
Himself against clever suggestions.
First, is the suggestion to yield to
fleshly desires (Luke 4:3). We are constantly urged by the voice of Satan to succumb to
our flesh. Jesus was hungry after forty days of fasting and the devil urged Him to follow
His flesh.
This is the first and basic entry point of demons into your life.
Second, is the suggestion to worship and serve something other than God. This is also a
suggestion to choose the quick and easy route to your goal (Luke 4:6-7). It is the voice of
no other than Satan which urges you to spend your life, your time, your energy and your
money on everything but God’s work.
Satan does not mind if you spend your money on politics, foot-ball, clothes etc.
Perhaps men are urging you to do certain things but God is urging you to die for Him. We
must have the character of Christ. We must take up our crosses and follow Jesus to
Calvary. We must embrace the plan of God and reject the deceptions of Satan.
318
Day 311
Jesus had a busy schedule. He
handled great crowds and had a
team of pastors He was training.
Yet, when He met the woman of
helP the Samaria, He took a little time and Needy
spoke to her as an individual
(John 4:7-9, 13-15).
A leader is someone who knows
READ:
how to relate with individuals. Jesus
Psalm 138:6
did not know whether this woman
But to do good and to
was rich or poor. He just treated her
communicate forget
as a human being who needed His
not: for with such sac-
help.
rifices God is well
pleased.
Every human being is a complex
Hebrews 13:16
composition of spirit, soul and body.
Every human being has his fears,
mistakes and successes. Jesus spoke to a woman with a whole lot of problems. He was
able to help her. If God has called you to be a leader, you must help individuals with
needs. Do not treat a human being as a mere number. Anyone who treats his members as
“just one of the masses” will soon discover that he loses their support.
People like to feel respected. Even the tone of your voice can indicate whether you respect
the people or not! As you sow love and respect, you will reap admiration and many
“following” hearts.
Jesus started His ministry fully aware that He was going to relate with poor people. He
was going to minister to the broken-hearted and to people that were bound. Dear leader,
remember that each individual needs special attention.
319
Day 312
My little experience in the
ministry shows me that the
inability to be faithful, loyal, stable,
consistent and constant is the great-
divisioN est killer of ministries. It is the greatest killer of businesses. All
READ:
men are tempted to feel that there is
Genesis 33:1-17
a shorter, quicker and easier way.
It is better to trust in
Satan capitalizes on that tendency.
the LORD than to put
I was really intrigued by the rev-
confidence in man.
elation, which the Lord gave to Rick
Psalm 118:8
Joyner in his book “The Final
Quest”. He described a vision of a
large demonic army marching
against the Church. The main aim
of this demonic army was to cause
division on every possible level of
relationship: churches with other churches, congregations with their pastors and even
husbands with their wives. Another notable aspect of the revelation was the weapons that
this demonic army was carrying. I noted in particular that the spears they were carrying
were called “treachery”. Do you know that treachery is actually the highest form of
disloyalty? Dear friend, I believe that Satan’s principal spear against the Church is this
weapon of disloyalty and treachery.
Many Christians are tricked into following rebels and dissident visionaries. Without
knowing it, many church leaders are essentially rebellious and disloyal. They teach their
followers rebellion by the things they say and do. They do not understand why anyone is
unfaithful or disloyal to them. You see, deception is such a strong thing. When you are
deceived you think that black is white and white is black.
320
Day 313
In this passage, you see Abigail’s
attempt to preserve both her
husband and her relationship with
God’s servant. You do not have to
seNsitivity be very intelligent to see that her husband was hard-hearted and
READ:
insensitive to the things of God.
1 Samuel 25:10-35
Yet, she was married to him and
The heart of the
it was not the will of God for her to
righteous studieth to
break up! A woman with direction
answer: but the mouth
wants to preserve her marriage and
of the wicked poureth
her ministry. Her relationship with
out evil things.
God is very important and she is not
Proverbs 15:28
prepared to give it up for anything.
How do you balance these two when
you are married to a carnal Christian
or an unbeliever?
Please imbibe the wisdom that comes from above and learn the strategy that Abigail
adopted for the ministry. Abigailism is a term I use to describe the art of practising what
Abigail did to prevent tragedy from coming to her family. Below are six goals of
Abigailism.
1. To prevent your husband from committing sin.
2. To prevent your entire family from being destroyed.
3. To preserve your marriage.
4. To preserve your relationship with God and the church.
5. To preserve your ministry.
6. To prevent a confrontation between your husband and the church.
The types of husbands that existed in times past are the same types of husbands that you
find today. That is why every woman needs the art of Abigailism today.
321
Day 314
Husband and wife may not al-
ways agree on everything. If
they did, it would be a miracle. A
wife may not agree with something
resPect that her husband is doing, but she should support him publicly. When
READ:
they are in private she will bring up
Proverbs 31:10-31
the issues and discuss her point of
Nevertheless let every
view. There is always a time and
one of you in particu-
place to argue or discuss the issues.
lar so love his wife
The Bible teaches that the virtu-
even as himself; and
ous woman’s husband is respected in
the wife see that she
reverence her hus-
the city. He is respected partly
band.
because of how his wife treats him.
How will your husband be respected
Ephesians 5:33
in the city if you are rude to him in
public? People will think that he
cannot control his own household. People will also think that he made a mistake and
married an “Ama Tarzan”, “Ekua Rambo” or “Adjoa Terminator”!
Women, I submit to you that when your husbands are disgraced, you are disgraced as well.
That is one of the mysteries of the marriage covenant. When your husband goes up you go
up with him. When his face is dragged in the mud, so is yours!
If you oppose your husband publicly, he will never listen to you and he will never consider
your opinion in any important decision! What you do not realize is that no one takes
advice from his enemy. When you constantly oppose your husband, you occupy the
position of an enemy. You are the man’s opposition party. A good wife does not oppose
her husband publicly. “. .wisdom is justified of her children” (Matthew 11:19).
322
Day 315
Rophe is a Hebrew word that
means, “to heal, to restore, to
mend, to fix, to cure, or to repair”.
the healer “To heal”, means “to become or make something healthy again, to
cure somebody who is ill, to make
READ:
someone feel happy again, to put an
Exodus 15:22-26
end to something or make some-
But he was wounded
thing easier to bear.” Many aspects
for our transgressions
of healing go beyond having a phys-
…and with his stripes
ical disorder and a physical cure.
we are healed.
“To repair”, means, “to mend
Isaiah 53:5
something that is broken, damaged
or torn”. God is the one who can re-
pair His damaged and blotched
handiwork.
“To restore”, means “to bring something back to a former condition, place or position”.
When God manifests as Jehovah Rophe, He brings back a state of well-being that existed
before.
“To mend”, means, “to repair something that has been damaged or broken so that it can be
used again”. God is repairing your broken life and your damaged relationships so that His
glory will be manifested fully in your life.
“To fix,” means, “to repair or correct something”. God introduces things into our lives to
adjust and correct every crooked situation and to bless us greatly.
“To cure”, means, “to make someone healthy again after an illness”. God is in the process
of making you healthy again.
God is able to heal the complex burdens of the human race.
He is Jehovah Rophe!
323
Day 316
Every good doctor must be able
to diagnose the problem of his
patient, which constitutes eighty per
cent of the solution. Your job is to
diagNosis listen to the story, think about the problem, examine the situation and
READ:
come up with an analysis of what is
Ecclesiastes 4:1-4
going on.
A prudent man fore-
When you do not think about the
seeth the evil, and
work you are doing, you often cannot
hideth himself: but
do it well. You must be consumed
the simple pass on,
with your work, and you must think
and are punished.
about it all the time. As someone
Proverbs 22:3
said, “You will only be remembered
for your obsession.” I notice that
some of my employees hardly think
about the jobs that they do. They
are not obsessed, and it shows. A great thinker always comes up with solutions to
intractable problems (Ecclesiastes 4:1).
A person who thinks about his work constantly comes up with improvement. A person
who thinks a lot about his work will hear the Spirit of God whispering direction. A person
who thinks will be open to brilliant and life-changing ideas (Ecclesiastes 9:13,16).
A person who thinks a lot will come up with new goals and visions (Ecclesiastes 1:16). A
person who thinks a lot will receive wisdom (Ecclesiastes 1:13).
324
Day 317
Aprinciple is a fundamental rule,
which becomes the basis of our
reasoning and actions. A principle is
a general law, which is the
eQuity
foundation for a decision.
To build a lasting organization,
READ:
church or nation, you must base your
1 Samuel 16:1-13
reasoning, actions and decisions on
…thou shalt not re-
principles.
spect the person of
Principles outlive favouritism,
the poor, nor honour
the person of the
partisanship and political expedi-
mighty: but in right-
ency. When a leader decides to place
eousness shalt thou
members of his family in certain
judge thy neighbour.
positions they do not qualify for, he
Leviticus 19:15
has set aside principles and is gov-
erning his organization by emotion-
alism. The Bible teaches that partiality and hypocrisy are not wisdom (James 3:17). Your
nation, business or church will be destroyed when you deal with people based on family
relationships rather than important principles.
An organization ruled by a leader who takes decisions to gain personal financial advantage
will become highly indebted and eventually collapse. An organization ruled by ethnicity
rather than by principles is destined for division and war.
Consider these three principles that will help you to build your organization:
1. Everybody must have an equal opportunity to make the best of his life in your
organization.
2. Everyone must be promoted and rewarded based on merit rather than anything else.
3. Hard work, productivity, loyalty, and a good attitude musst always be rewarded.
325
Day 318
Sometime in the year 1988, I had
to fulfil what is called a commu-
nity health rotation in a smaller
town called Suhum.
desire the
At about 3 a.m. one morning, I
aNoiNtiNg was kneeling by the bed praying and listening to a tape by Kenneth
Hagin, whom I greatly admired and
READ:
followed. Suddenly, something liter-
Mark 3:1-15; 6:30
ally jumped out of the tape recorder
How God anointed
that was playing at the other end of
Jesus of Nazareth
the room and moved into my belly. I
with the Holy Ghost
could feel it entering me. Then I
and with power…for
God was with him.
heard a voice saying, “From now you
can teach.” I didn’t know what that
Acts 10:38
was but I thought to myself, “That’s
good, because I want to teach.” I
received a major impartation of anointing.
I was invited to teach at a Full Gospel Businessmen’s break-fast meeting in Suhum. This
was my first ministration after my impartation experience and I noticed a difference.
Within me, I knew that something had happened that was making a difference. When I got
back to the church after a month, I noticed a difference in my ability to teach and preach; I
noticed there was some life and Spirit in the ministry. The anointing is a bit like beauty.
When you see it, you know it!
I have no reason to say what I am sharing except to help you. My ministry has grown in
leaps and bounds because of an anointing. The anointing changes you from a normal
person to an abnormal person. I see that anointing coming upon your life!
326
Day 319
Perhaps the commonest tempta-
tion of women is the temptation
to be fearful. The Scripture above
teaches that the daughters will do
Faith or well if they are not afraid.
Fear
Fear is the opposite of faith. Fear
influences many women to do the
things they do. Humbly analyse
READ:
your thoughts. See if you are acting
Psalm 46:1-7
out of fear.
…whose daughters ye
Below is a list of some of the
are, as long as ye do
common fears of women:
well, and are not
afraid with any amaze-
The fear of not getting married
ment.
The fear of marrying the wrong
1 Peter 3:6
person
The fear of your husband becoming
interested in someone else
The fear of your husband not loving you anymore The fear of investing your all into
marriage and losing it all The fear of not having a child
The fear of your children not doing well
The fear of poverty and financial difficulties
The fear of becoming a widow
The fear of in-laws
The fear of not being liked by others
The fear of being mistreated in the future
The fear of experiencing what you’ve seen happen to others Fear is a demon (2 Timothy
1:7). A demon should never make you do anything. Fear should never make you criticize
and accuse your husband. Do things for the right reasons and God will bless you.
327
Day 320
In Mark 1, a perfectly normal
person began screaming in the
temple while Jesus was preaching.
When Jesus came on the scene, the
exPose aNd demons within the madman were
attack
agitated. They cried out against the
Lord.
The presence of God is the envi-
READ:
ronment which evil spirits are not
Mark 1:21-27
comfortable with. The presence of
For the word of God
God will always stir up evil spirits.
is quick, and powerful,
That is why perfectly normal people
and sharper than any
suddenly show strange manifesta-
twoedged sword…
tions when they are in church.
Hebrews 4:12
Let me tell you why the presence
of God stirs up evil spirits. In the
presence of God, the Word of God is preached and taught. As the Word of God comes
forth, swords are thrown out in the realm of the spirit. No demon enjoys having swords
thrown at him. This is why the man in the synagogue reacted to the preaching of Jesus.
Jesus did not pray; He just preached. Jesus did not bind any demon; He just preached the
Word of God.
The Word of God is truly a sword in the spirit.
The Word of God is light and the light exposes the activities of demons (John 1:5). When
the Word is preached, the light shines forth and demons are exposed. The more of the
Word you have, the more the enemy is exposed. Satan can never operate effectively
against you in the light. Darkness is essential for demonic activity.
When you understand that the presence of God drives away evil spirits, you will
constantly cultivate the presence of God in your life.
328
Day 321
Moses was alone when he met
the Lord in a burning bush.
He was also alone when he went up
to the mountain (Exodus 24:2).
wheN he
Elijah was alone in the wilderness
calls
when the ravens fed him. That is
where he heard the call of God (1
Kings 19:4, 5).
READ:
Exodus 24:1-2, 9-18
John the Baptist lived a lonely life
in the wilderness. He was described
For the gifts and call-
as a voice crying in the wilderness
ing of God are with-
(Luke 3:4).
out repentance.
Romans 11:29
Jonah was the only person cast
out of the ship. He went alone into
the belly of the fish. He prayed out
of that dark hole and God heard him
(Jonah 2:1).
Abraham was selected out of his family. God separated him into a life of loneliness away
from the country and the family that he knew (Genesis 12:1).
Do not be depressed if you seem to be a lonely voice in a wilderness. It is part of the call
to leadership. Will you pay the price to make your dreams come true? Will you pay the
price when God calls you?
If there is a leader in you, rise up and pay the price to have your dreams come true. What
is the key to realizing your visions and dreams? You must be determined and ready to
make great sacrifices.
329
Day 322
Obadiah was the governor of the
house of King Ahab. This
means that he was a very important
person to the king. He was a trusted
traitors confidant. Yet unknown to Ahab, Obadiah was secretly feeding
READ:
hundreds of prophets. He was
1 Kings 18:1-16
probably using King Ahab’s food to
But my servant Caleb,
support the prophets who were the
because he had an-
arch-enemies of King Ahab.
other spirit with him,
Obviously, Obadiah did not believe in
and hath followed me
the policies of King Ahab. His heart
fully, him will I bring
was not with the king.
into the land where-
into he went…
There are many people who work
closely with their superiors but do
Numbers 14:24
not believe in them. They under-
mine them all the time! How can a
person be so close, yet so disloyal? Can you believe that Ahab’s money was being used to
finance the very thing he hated? This happens when there are disloyal people in important
positions.
Many important positions are filled with disloyal and traitorous people. Obadiah was in a
similar position. He did not believe in what Ahab was doing. His real allegiance was to
Almighty God.
Why? I believe that the fact that Ahab was a rebellious king who did not obey the Lord,
was a signal to everyone around that rebellion and disloyalty were acceptable. As soon as
the spirit of disloyalty is manifested from the top, it begins to filter downwards. When the
overall leader does not care for God or His principles, this attitude is transmitted down the
ranks.
Disloyalty breeds disloyalty!
330
Day 323
Every leader will give account for
what he or she is doing. Are
you ready to account to God for the
sheep He gave you? Jesus kept on
day oF
saying that He had lost none of the
reckoNiNg sheep God had given him except the son of perdition. Paul kept saying
that he would have to give account.
Read:
These were leaders who were
Titus 1:5-16
constantly thinking about the day of
…for they watch for
accountability.
your souls, as they
Leadership is a great responsibil-
that must give ac-
ity. I remember years ago, watching
count, that they may
on TV as several Ghanaian heads of
do it with joy…
state and ministers were executed by
Hebrews 13:17
a firing squad. It was pathetic to see
important people being humiliated
and murdered. Most ordinary citizens did not receive such treatment. This is because most
ordinary men had not taken up the responsibility of ruling the country. However, those
who had taken up responsibility of leadership had to pay with their lives.
If you are constantly reminded that you will account for your leadership, you will become
a better leader. Always remember that the day of accountability is coming. This will make
you do the right thing. I am constantly aware that I will have to account to God for my
ministry. I know that I will have to account for the members in my churches. This is why I
make great efforts to look after them.
Are you a leader? Are you constantly thinking of your day of accountability? Please do! It
is the key to the greatest inner motivation.
331
Day 324
Esther sent an important
message back to Mordecai. She
explained that it would not be
possible for her to walk into the
destiNy king’s parlour without being invited.
She explained that she would lose
READ:
her life if she did so.
Esther 3:5-6; 4:7-17
But Esther put God before her
Is not this the fast
marriage. She obeyed the Word of
that I have chosen? to
God. She was prepared to sacrifice
loose the bands of
her life if that was what it meant.
wickedness, to undo
She remembered where she came
the heavy burdens,
and to let the op-
from. How many women would be
pressed go free…
prepared to make such a sacrifice for
a spiritual cause? If you put God
Isaiah 58:6
first, you will invoke a blessing upon
your life.
Esther asked the people to fast and pray. She believed that prayer and fasting would bring
solutions. Wives, in all your getting, get prayer and fasting. Perhaps, no one can change
your husband’s mind. But I know one thing that can help to break every barrier down -
prayer and fasting.
Your destiny is determined more by prayer than anything else. Jesus determined His
destiny by prayer. Three hours of prayer in the garden of Gethsemane ensured that
everything would go as planned.
People of God: learn from Esther’s example. Shape your marriages through prayer. Carve
out your future with hours of prayer. Pray in the day, pray in the night. Pray all the time.
Pray without ceasing!
332
Day 325
Have you ever wondered at the
immense fruit that Christ Jesus
bore? Have you ever wondered how
thousands of churches have been
sPeNd aNd planted as a result of His three years be sPeNt of ministry? Two thousand
years have gone by and He has more fruit
than He has ever had. What did He
READ:
do that brought about so much fruit?
2 Corinthians
11:23-28
He did six things: just three years
of preaching, teaching and healing,
And I will very gladly
humility, obedience and the sacrifice
spend and be spent for
on the cross. Significant among
you…
these things was His sacrifice on the
2 Corinthians 12:15
cross, as this opened the door for our
salvation.
If you are a senior pastor, don’t be afraid to send out the best that you have. God gave His
Son and today He has millions of sons. If God has called you to plant a church don’t be
afraid to die. Unless you die, you will never bear much fruit.
It is time to spend and to be spent for the Lord. Spend your best leaders and workers on
the harvest fields of the world.
Allow yourself to be spent for Jesus.
This was David Livingstone’s philosophy. He allowed himself to be spent so that unsaved
tribes and peoples could be discovered and evangelized.
The sacrifice of great men like David Livingstone brought about a great expansion of the
church into Africa. Truly there is no other way than the sacrificial way laid down by
Christ Jesus. The true church is perpetuated by sacrifice!
333
Day 326
There is a great difference
between giving up something
and having it taken from you. In
both cases, you end up losing the
doN’t drag thing. To give something is a your Feet blessing but to lose something is a
curse.
I have watched as people tried to
READ:
preserve themselves and their fami-
Matthew 10:34-39
lies but ended up losing them. Many
Whosoever shall seek
have also tried to prevent financial
to save his life shall
loss as they avoided going into full-
lose it; and whosoever
time ministry. Somehow, they lost
shall lose his life shall
preserve it.
what they were trying to keep.
Luke 17:33
Dear friend, be it known unto you
that he who keeps his life will lose it
and he who loses his life for Christ’s sake will find it. These are the irrevocable words of
our Saviour.
There are people who think they are preserving their family lives by not getting too
involved in church activities. They give themselves to secular pursuits thinking that they
are safe-guarding the future of their homes. Many of these people have ended up losing
their children and their spouses as they followed money on a wild goose chase.
It takes wisdom to see ahead and to know that you are going to lose something (Proverbs
22:3). Foolishness often keeps us blinded from this reality. Give up your life or it will be
taken from you.
334
Day 327
It is better to obey instructions
that don’t require your wisdom
than it is to sacrifice. Walking with
the Lord requires that you put aside
a better your own reasoning and trust in His way
wisdom. To work for God requires
faith.
Years ago, I engaged in a conver-
READ:
sation with an American missionary.
1 Corinthians
9:7-14
I told him proudly, “I am not the
kind of pastor who depends on
…The labourer is wor-
thy of his reward.
offerings. I work as a doctor and do
private business. I don’t need any-
1 Timothy 5:18
one’s money.”
He looked at me quizzically and
said, “I see the wisdom in what you
are doing but God’s wisdom is higher than yours. God has a plan and a pattern by which
He is building His church. Your plan and your idea will never be superior to His plan.”
God’s way is simple! They that preach the Gospel must live off the Gospel (1 Corinthians
9:14).
He said to me, “You are depriving your congregation of a blessing which they receive
when they bless the man of God.”
After that conversation I recognized that I could not be wiser than God. He must know
how to build His church better than I do. Today, I preach the Gospel and I live off the
Gospel.
I humbly depend on the method of sustenance that God has designed for pastors. I am not
better than any of God’s servants. Instead of sacrificing extra time, doing business and
other moneymaking deals, I give myself wholly to the ministry of the Word and prayer. It
is better to obey than to sacrifice.
335
Day 328
Saul was a classic example of one
who thought he was wiser than
God and could compensate for his
disobedience. No sacrifice, no matter
the
how big is acceptable to God if it is
outcome done in disobedience. Read the Bible. There are many sacrifices that
God is not pleased with (Isaiah 1:11).
READ:
Joshua 11:18-23
God is not against sacrifice, but He
wants your obedience first.
But
if
ye
will
Joshua had a clear mandate from
not…those which ye
let remain of them
the Lord to wipe out all the heathen
shall be pricks in your
nations in the Promised Land. It
eyes, and thorns in
was explained to him that disobey-
your sides…
ing this command would result in
Numbers 33:55
these very nations becoming a snare
to the Israelites.
However, Joshua left the heathen in three key cities. He obeyed God everywhere except in
Gaza, Gath and Ashdod.
Read it for yourself. It is very interesting to note the three groups of people that Joshua left
alive gave birth to a significant enemy of the people of God. The Lord foresaw this and
that is why He gave that instruction.
These cities became the breeding grounds for future enemies. The city of Gath produced
Goliath. Delilah, who was a thorn in Samson’s flesh, was from Gaza. The god Dagon, into
whose temple the Ark of the Covenant was taken, was in the land of Ashdod. These
enemies lived to fight God’s people and no one has ever forgotten about these three evil
agents.
Perhaps, by your disobedience, you are giving birth to future enemies of God. A sacrifice
will not prevent the emergence of future enemies; obedience will.
336
Day 329
Have you ever wondered why
there is very little of God’s
power in the Church today? It is be-
cause of the sin that is in the Church
soothiNg (Ephesians 5:5, 6). Thank God that eFFect
a daily quiet time provides cleansing
(John 15:3).
A daily quiet time also produces
READ:
faith in the average Christian.
Isaiah 55:1-11
So then faith cometh by hearing, and
How sweet are thy
hearing by the word of God.
words unto my taste!
yea, sweeter than
Romans 10:17
honey to my mouth.
Faith comes by hearing the Word
Psalm 119:103
of God. The more you read the
Bible, the more you will believe in
God’s power to save. The Bible is re-
plete with hundreds of stories of God’s deliverance. You will read about people at the
brink of death who were saved by God.
You will read about people in difficult and complex situations who were saved by faith.
Do not take it for granted. Do not think that you know everything about God. A daily dose
of the Word of God will increase your faith.
Again, a daily quiet time drives away weariness, dejection and depression. The Word of
God is like rain and snow that cools and refreshes. You will be blessed by the cooling and
refreshing effect of a daily quiet time. As I go about my daily tasks, I often become weary
and unhappy if I have not been able to have time with the Lord. I cannot explain it. You
have to experience it for yourself. The refreshing and calming effect that a time in the
presence of God produces, cannot be compared with anything.
337
Day 330
Shallowness is the disease of the
Charismatic Christian. There is
a lot of talk but no depth. Even our
churches are shallow and without
little or depth. For instance, we have no real No dePth outreach to the places of greatest
need. It is time to come out of
shallowness.
READ:
Christians do not know what the
Mark 4:3-20
Bible says about many things. This
…ye have need that
is truly a symptom of shallowness.
one teach you again
Quoting Scriptures is different
which be the first
principles of the ora-
from knowing where things are in
cles of God…
the Bible. Any Christian of depth
Hebrews 5:12
will also be able to quote Scriptures.
I was recently preaching in a very
large Charismatic church and I began to ask questions. I said to one, “Please quote John
1:12.” I said to another, “Please quote 2 Corinthians 5:17.” I said to yet another, “What is
Romans 6:23?” Amazingly, most of the Christians who fill Charismatic churches cannot
quote these Scriptures, which are basic Scriptures for every believer’s foundation. There
can be no progress with God unless we have depth. Scripture memorization is essential
Shallowness is caused by failure to interact with the Lord.
Anyone who has some depth with God spends at least an hour every day in the presence of
the Lord. Conduct a survey in any large Charismatic church. Ask how many Christians
have spent at least one hour in prayer and Bible reading on that day.
You will find out that very few people spend more than a few seconds with God. No
wonder most of them are shallow and don’t know God.
338
Day 331
It is very important to interpret
the Bible correctly whilst you
are having your quiet time. The
Holy Spirit is the author of the
correct Word of God and therefore He is the seNse
one who can lead us into correct
understanding of the Word.
READ:
Here are some keys to interpret-
2 Peter 1:19-21
ing the Bible correctly.
Study to shew thyself
1. Read the text in its context.
approved unto God, a
Each word must be read in the con-
workman that needeth
text of other words in the verse.
not to be ashamed,
Each verse must be read in the con-
rightly dividing the
text of the chapter. Each chapter in
word of truth.
the Bible must be read in the context
2 Timothy 2:15
of the whole book. You can make
the Bible say almost anything you want it to. Anything that is taken out of its context
becomes an oddity.
If you take some Scriptures from the book of Song of Solomon out of context, you may
even think the Bible is discussing pornography. However, within its context you will
discover a beautiful message of the love that God has created.
2. Do not spiritualize meanings of words.
If you take the language of the Bible at face value, you will save yourself from deception.
There is no reason to spiritualize or allegorize the meaning of any word. When the Bible
says that Moses stretched out his rod over the Red Sea and the sea parted, you must
believe that is exactly what happened (Exodus 14, 21, 22).
If you spiritualize the meaning, you will immediately stray into deceptive waters.
339
Day 332
Many churches, businesses and
individuals need to tap into
the key of loyalty in order to
expand. If you are a businessman
loyal
you can only make a certain amount
PeoPle
of money from one community.
That is what we call localized
growth. After a while, the commu-
READ:
nity will be saturated with what you
Matthew 25:14-30
are selling. That is why you need to
A wicked messenger
expand into different geographical
falleth into mischief:
locations.
but a faithful ambas-
Years ago, our church was di-
sador is health.
rected by the Lord to expand into
Proverbs 13:17
different communities in the city. I
followed the direction of the Holy
Spirit and moved into several locali-
ties within the city. This has resulted in tremendous growth.
Today, the strength of Lighthouse Chapel International has immensely multiplied into the
different communities of our city. Besides, we have also expanded into several regions of
our nation Ghana and into several other countries.
God is a God of expansion. God wants you to have big dreams. You can fill the city with
your shops, businesses or whatever you trade in. If you are a pastor, what you are doing
can be expanded into many places. You can have many churches. It is possible to expand
but you must grasp the principles that make expansion possible.
One of the keys to expansion and growth is loyalty. You will need loyal people at all the
outlets you establish. Without loyal people in position, everything you do will crumble
after a while.
340
Day 333
Today, we want to examine one
common factor that leads a
person to disloyalty. This is what
I call an erratic personality or
character character.
trait
Some people have a disposition to
make sudden decisions. They can
alter the plan of their lives within
READ:
minutes. This is a very dangerous
Psalm 15:1-5
trait. Such people can be with you
My son, fear thou the
today but can desert you tomorrow.
Lord and the king: and
When they speak of their commit-
meddle not with them
ment to a cause, you will be im-
that are given to
change:
pressed by their speech. But don’t be
fooled! These people are usually
Proverbs 24:21
gifted speakers and orators. They
will change direction without any
major provocation, to your surprise! I am convinced that this is a character or personality
trait, and this is what the Bible speaks of in Proverbs 24:21.
Do you have a tendency to change course suddenly after you have been extremely
committed to something? A Christian must be a person who makes a statement and sticks
to his word no matter what it costs. God is faithful to us even when we are not faithful to
Him (2 Timothy 2:13). Nothing makes Him change His mind!
God is trying to build a breed of Christians who do not change their minds easily about the
convictions they have.
Thank God that Jesus did not change His mind when He came into this world and
experienced such hatred and animosity from the people He loved. The ministry of the
Lord Jesus Christ is not safe in the hands of erratic leaders. If you have an erratic nature,
decide today to be a steadfast believer.
341
Day 334
Inflexibility is a manifestation of
disloyalty. An inflexible person is
stubborn and defiant; watch out for
inflexible people in your set-up.
deFiaNce They do not want to go beyond what is stipulated in their contract and are
READ:
not prepared to adapt to any new
2 Samuel 2:18-24
situation. A sulking face is the trade-
He, that being often
mark of such inflexible workers.
reproved hardeneth
Stubborn people are also not pre-
his neck, shall sud-
pared to take correction when they
denly be destroyed,
are confronted. You will see this in
and that without rem-
edy.
the life of Saul. When Samuel con-
fronted him about the war with the
Proverbs 29:1
Amalekites, he was inflexible and un-
yielding in his discussion with Saul.
He insisted that he had obeyed the
Lord. The evidence of his disobedience was obvious and yet Saul argued with Samuel (1
Samuel 15:13-21).
Some years ago, I had a worker who misused some church property. Initially, he denied
everything! Because of this, I collected a lot of documentary evidence to prove that he was
actually misappropriating the equipment and the church’s money. When I had gathered all
the documents, I called for a meeting. I presented all the documents that showed
unambigu-ously that this gentleman had disobeyed instructions. Would you believe that in
spite of the evidence, this man argued with us for three hours? I watched as an inflexible
and unyielding attitude was flagrantly displayed.
Indeed, it was only a matter of time before this stubborn individual became openly
rebellious. Truly, stubbornness is a manifestation of disloyalty!
342
Day 335
It is essential that Christians pray
for the will of God to be done
(Matthew 6:10). Anyone who prays
that God’s will should be done in his
key
life cares for himself. If you love
Prayer
yourself, pray that the will of God
be done in your life. I have come to
believe that God’s will is better than
READ:
my will or anybody else’s will.
Matthew 26:36-47
God knows the future and what
And this is the confi-
He has in store for you. Jesus prayed
dence that we have in
for three hours in the garden of
him, that, if we ask
Gethsemane that the will of God be
any thing according to
his will, he heareth us:
done. After you have prayed this
prayer you can relax and allow
1 John 5:14
events to unfold. When Judas and
the Pharisees came to arrest Christ,
He did not resist them. He believed and accepted what was happening to be the will of
God, and indeed, it was. This was leading Him to His greatest victory over Satan.
In 1985, during the first term of my third year as a medical student, I spent many hours
and several weeks praying that the will of God be done in my life. I believe that today I
am walking in God’s answers to those prayers. The very fact that Jesus taught us to pray
about it means that it is not automatic that the will of God will happen.
If you want to have peace and confidence in this life, spend time praying that the will of
God comes to pass in your life. I see your future unfolding in a positive way! I see God
lifting you up as you pray about His will! I see you marrying the right person as you spend
time praying for the will of God to be done!
343
Day 336
Real sons and daughters will
always belong to the house. No
matter what your natural child does,
he always belongs to the house. He
soNs aNd may even live elsewhere, but he
daughters belongs to the house. In his heart he knows where he belongs. Although
it has happened before, a true son
READ:
will rarely rise up against his own
1 John 2:19
father.
And
the
servant
The real sons are filled with lots
abideth not in the
of trust. At a normal workplace,
house for ever: but the
there is a lot of mistrust. The junior
son abideth forever.
staff do not trust the manager. But
John 8:35
in a family, the children usually trust
their father absolutely. I have never
heard of children going on strikes or
demonstrations against their parents.
The constant exhortation to us as children of God is that we may have faith in our
Heavenly Father. The more we trust Him, the more of His blessings we will experience.
Differences between children of the same family usually stem from different levels of trust
that they have shown for their father.
In the ministry, I notice the same thing. More of God’s blessings and anointing flow
through me to sons and daughters who are more trusting. Some sons and daughters are
wary, suspicious and cautious. Others are more trusting and faith-filled. These always get
more of their father’s blessings (Luke 11:13). These differences come from the different
extents to which they trust me and what I say.
344
Day 337
King David acknowledged Saul
as being the anointed king
before him. Even though Saul had
many problems, David did not attack
revereNce him. He called him “father” and not
“the mad man of Jerusalem”. He
READ:
called him the Lord’s anointed and
1 Samuel 24:1-22
not the “demonized daddy”. That is
Honour thy father and
why his throne is established forever
thy mother: that thy
(Luke 1:32).
days may be long upon
In spite of great provocation,
the land which the
David maintained his stance toward
LORD thy God giveth
thee.
Saul. He refused to see him as any-
thing other than a father. There are
Exodus 20:12
many ignoramuses who launch furi-
ous attacks against fathers because
of the faults they see in them.
There are four things about Saul that would have driven any normal son to rebel against
his father:
1. Saul was rejected by God through the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 15:23b).
2. Saul was demon-possessed. He came under the influence of evil spirits and David knew
it (1 Samuel 18:10).
3. Saul killed pastors. He had become a murderer and his victims were none other than
God’s priests (1Samuel 22:21).
4. Saul was into witchcraft. His last night on earth was spent in a witch’s house (1 Samuel
28:7).
David knew the verse in Exodus 20:12 that his longevity depended on how he related to
the fathers. Why not learn from King David whose throne is established forever? Surely,
you do not have better reasons than he had, to rebel against a father!
345
Day 338
When Ham exposed the
nakedness of his drunken fa-
ther, he forgot that if his father had-
n’t built the ark, he would have
meN oF
drowned with the rest of the world.
hoNour
What he did not know was that God
had recorded his father’s single act
of faith and imputed it to him as
READ:
Genesis 27:1-29
righteousness. Ham was disgracing
someone that God had honoured.
The eye that mocketh
Unfortunately, natural men have
at his father, and de-
spiseth to obey his
mistaken physical weakness for spir-
mother, the ravens of
itual weakness. They presume that
the valley shall pick it
old age, sickness and problems
out…
reduce a person’s spiritual authority.
Proverbs 30:17
That is one of the highest kinds of
deceptions.
Isaac was an old blind man who could no longer tell the difference between his two sons,
Jacob and Esau. Jacob deceived Isaac and received the pronouncement of a blessing from
his father. Do not be misled by the blindness and weakness of your father. If a blind father
can speak a blessing for it to happen, then we must fear the words of fathers.
You often hear people speaking against their fathers. They describe them as irresponsible
men who didn’t look after them.
Unfortunately, some young people take up the hurts of their mothers and champion the
fight against their fathers. This is a terrible mistake for which they pay a high price. Some
pay the price of barrenness; some pay the price of death. Yes, he may be blind,
irresponsible, and deceived, but he is still a father.
May we never be part of the team that dishonours the fathers that God has honoured!
346
Day 339
In Genesis chapter 1, God reveals
Himself as Elohim, which means
Creator. At another point, God
reveals Himself as Jehovah, which
god’s
means “I AM THAT I AM”, the one
suPPly
who makes promises and covenants
and keeps them (Exodus 3:14).
God progressively revealed Him-
READ:
2 Corinthians
self to humanity. When He showed
9:6-11
Himself to Abraham as El’Shaddai
(which means “The Almighty God”),
He that spared not his
own Son…how shall he
He was trying to reveal that He is
not with him also
able to do all things. God was show-
freely give us all
ing Abraham that although he was
things?
ninety years old, He could still give
Romans 8:32
him a child.
When Abraham went to war with the five kings, God revealed Himself as Adonai, which
means “Master and Owner”. He was the Master of the battle! When the Lord revealed
Himself to Moses in the burning bush, He showed Himself as Jehovah, the one who keeps
promises. Later on, God decided to reveal Himself a little more as Jehovah Rophe:
“The Lord that heals”.
You get to know more about a person as you continue the relationship. Similarly, there are
many aspects of Christianity that we have to experience. I want you to encounter yet
another important dimension of the Lord - to experience God as your provider. God can
supply all your needs: He can provide food for you; He can provide cars and houses for
you.
It is important that you work hard! However, there are things that your hard work cannot
provide. That is why you need God’s divine provision.
347
Day 340
We all need divine provision.
We need God. We cannot
put the Lord Jesus on a side plate; He
must be the main course! God
cheerFul must be central to our lives and He giviNg
must be a part of both our financial
and social lives. If you want God to
divinely provide for you, then you
READ:
must accept that there are divine
2 Corinthians
8:1-15
laws and principles in place. These
divine laws must be set to work on
For if there be first a
your behalf, otherwise God will not
willing mind, it is ac-
get involved in providing for you.
cepted according to
that a man hath…
An important condition for hav-
ing your offering accepted by God is
2 Corinthians 8:12
this: The offering will be accepted
according to what you have. This
means that everyone is supposed to give in proportion to what he has. When a person
gives out of proportion to what he has, it may be unacceptable to the Lord.
Another important condition for an acceptable offering is this: You must not give offerings
having in mind things you do not have. If you think about the things you intend to buy,
you will not be happy to give. In fact, you will start penalizing God for not having certain
things, and you will end up not giving an acceptable offering. You need to forget about all
the things you lack when it’s time to build the Lord’s kingdom.
Forget about your own projects and give freely to the Lord.
May the Lord give you the spirit of revelation to grasp these powerful truths. Once you
live by this revelation, God will always accept your offerings. You will be propelled into
divine provision and unbeatable prosperity!
348
Day 341
It is important to use faith every
time you pray.
. .What things soever ye desire, when ye
believe! pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Mark 11:24
READ:
Mark 11:12-24
Jesus taught great lessons on
faith throughout His ministry. He
Now the just shall live
often emphasized that people were
by faith: but if any
being blessed because they were
man draw back, my
soul shall have no
using faith.
pleasure in him.
God is saying that if you draw
Hebrews 10:38
away from faith, He will not be
pleased with you. There are those
who tend to draw away from the
faith message and faith people. They
feel that there must rather be an emphasis on patience, gentleness, holiness and on the
other qualities of the fruit of the Spirit. I strongly believe that these qualities are important
and play a special role in the Christian life.
However, the importance of the fruit of the Spirit to the Christian experience should not
make us play down on the importance of something like faith. The fact that the heart is
important does not make the kidneys any less important. Both are necessary, and have
special, unique roles to play in the proper functioning of the human body.
Faith is a very special virtue which has a role in every Christian’s life. It is interesting to
note that Hebrews 11:6 does not say: “Without love it is impossible to please God.” The
Bible does not say: “Without peace it is impossible to please God.”
The Bible is very clear on this fact: Without faith it is impossible to please God!
349
Day 342
Inasmuch as human beings are
trying to develop and help
themselves, you will realize that
frustrations abound everywhere.
a curse
Many prevailing conditions have
spiritual roots, and that is why they
READ:
must be dealt with spiritually. That
Philippians 4:11-19
is why you need God to break
…In the world ye shall
through in this life! Never-ending
have tribulation: but
problems are often rooted in a curse.
be of good cheer; I
The whole world is cursed to strug-
have overcome the
gle and sweat in order to survive. It
world.
is something that will not just go
John 16:33
away. Christians must understand
that there are curses at work in the
earth.
There is what I call a global curse. Adam was cursed to sweat and struggle in order to
survive. The earth was cursed to bring forth painful thorns and thistles for Adam’s
children.
This curse affects all people and that is why God said to Eve in Genesis 3:13, “What is
this that thou hast done?”
This curse has sentenced us all to years of very hard work in order to survive. No part of
the human race is exempt from this curse. That explains why we all have to toil and labour
for most of our lives.
This curse came about at the origin of the human race. The existence of these curses
makes it necessary for us to apply wisdom and spiritual strength to have victory and
unbeatable prosperity in this life.
350
Day 343
The Greek word anagkazo means
to compel and to drive people
to God. Anyone operating with the
spirit of anagkazo (a compelling
overcomiNg drive) is able to achieve a lot for God.
excuses
One of the ways by which I
assess leaders is to see how they han-
dle the excuses of people. I know
READ:
the problems that young pastors
Judges 6:6-16
must be having: the problem of
…pass the time of
some people coming this week and
your sojourning here
not coming the next week, the prob-
in fear:
lem of people coming late to church
1 Peter 1:17
and the problem of backsliding
Christians! They also have the prob-
lem of new converts not remaining
in church, the problem of not having
enough time to pray and the problem of not being able to do outreaches.
If you are a pastor, shepherd, or cell leader, you will have experienced some of these
problems. Dear friend, the Bible teaches us that there is nothing new under the sun. What
dif-ferentiates the successful from the unsuccessful is the ability to overcome excuses.
Notice that the man in Luke 14 was not moved by any of the excuses and reasons given.
He made a way out of every circumstance that was produced by the unwilling guests.
If you really want to do something you make a way; if you do not want to do something
you make an excuse. An anagkazo person is not moved by unfavourable circumstances.
Learn to make a way where there’s no way. Find a way to overcome every excuse that
people place before you.
351
Day 344
Some cases of fornication need
deliverance. Other cases do not.
If you are always being unfaithful to
your husband or wife, you need to be
settiNg
delivered from the evil spirit that
Free
drives you to do that.
Some people need to see a pastor
and undergo deliverance from evil
READ:
spirits, especially the chronic forni-
Luke 8:26-39
cators. If you have a chronic prob-
He that covereth his
lem, then you need deliverance. If
sins shall not prosper:
something drives you to fornicate,
but whoso confesseth
certainly it cannot be God who
and forsaketh them
shall have mercy.
drives you.
Proverbs 28:13
When something drives you to
sin repeatedly, you probably need de-
liverance. It is only the devil who drives people. God does not drive people! Even when
you need to be saved, God will not force you to be saved.
I believe that what we need to do is to be humble enough to admit that we need
deliverance and ask our pastors to help us.
God does not force us to do anything. I have come to see that if you want to go to Hell,
you will go to Hell and God will not stop you. I learnt years ago not to force people into
Heaven.
God will not force you to get your deliverance, you must seek God yourself.
352
Day 345
The best leader is someone who
has been a follower for many
years. Because you have done menial
jobs, you are more reasonable with
First
your subordinates. You understand
Phase
what they are going through and do
not give impossible commands.
Some leaders do not know the
READ:
implications of their instructions.
Luke 16:10-13
They just say, “Get this done!” You
Whatsoever thy hand
must understand that getting certain
findeth to do, do it
things done may have far-reaching
with thy might…
implications.
Ecclesiastes 9:10
When studying the life of David,
you soon learn that though he
became king, he first performed
many menial jobs.
In his father’s house, he was a shepherd. Whilst at the king’s palace, he did the work of a
musician, servant, errand boy and armourbearer (1 Samuel 16:21). He wasn’t even a
soldier!
There are so many Christians who want to start out on top!
But the only job that begins at the top is grave-digging!
If you study the background of many great people, you will discover that they once served
at the lowest level in their profession. I have done nearly every kind of menial job in the
church. I was a drummer, organist, cleaner and odd jobs man.
All these have helped me to become a better leader. Do not shy away from menial jobs.
353
Day 346
Once, a young man came to me
and boldly stated, “I have
decided to be in your church because
I believe this is where God wants me
hurts
to be.”
I queried, “Why did you leave
READ:
your former church?”
Matthew 18:21-35
He replied, “I was led by the
Looking
diligently
Spirit to come here.”
lest any man fail of
the grace of God; lest
As I continued talking with him,
any root of bitterness
I immediately knew that what I
springing up trouble
suspected was true. This man was
you and many be de-
hurt, and his unresolved hurts had
filed;
caused him to be cut off from his
Hebrews 12:15
church. This is one of the common-
est reasons for people backsliding
and leaving churches.
Married couples also backslide in their relationships towards each other. They start out
with hot, strong and fiery love, which is often blind and unseeing. However, many couples
after several years of marriage either just co-exist or even hate each other.
How did they backslide from love to hatred? Often the hurts and offences of marriage
were never fully resolved until they were virtually cut off from each other. This is one of
the favourite tricks of the devil.
If he can isolate you through hurts, he will have the opportunity to speak to you and make
you backslide. You see, you are more vulnerable when you are isolated. The book of
Hebrews warns us that bitterness can trouble us greatly (Hebrews 12:15).
354
Day 347
It is interesting to note that God
describes David as a man after his
own heart. We all know that David
was far from being perfect. Could it
Pride
be that God was not looking for
perfection? I believe that what
READ:
makes us great in God’s sight is the
1 Samuel 15:16-29
manner in which we deal with our
…be clothed with hu-
mistakes. Almost every person in
mility: for God re-
the Bible made mistakes. From
sisteth the proud, and
Adam to Peter, the Bible is replete
giveth grace to the
with stories of impeachable offences.
humble.
Yet, God has been merciful to his
1 Peter 5:5
children.
When Saul made a mistake, he
was confronted by the pastor of his
day. Notice how Saul argued with
the prophet Samuel. He insisted that he had not done anything wrong.
He argued that he had done the right thing. The evidence was there, yet he denied any
wrongdoing. Compare this to David. When David was confronted by the pastor of his day
(Nathan), he immediately said, “I have sinned.” He admitted his wrongdoing, although no
one could have even proved it: 2 Samuel 12:9,13).
From my experience with handling people, I know that these two types of people are
found in every day life. Decide to be a David who sees and admits faults easily.
Remember this: Failure to admit faults is a manifestation of pride and stubbornness. God
does not like proud people. The Bible says that He resists the proud!
355
Day 348
The voice of the Holy Spirit is
the most important voice that
we need to hear. Jesus promised to
send us the Holy Spirit to guide us.
the holy The Holy Spirit speaks the mind of sPirit
God (John 16:13). One of the cardi-
nal duties of the Holy Spirit is to
transmit God’s plan or mind to you.
READ:
Whatever He hears God say, He will
John 14:26; 15:26
relay it to you. From today, there is
…the Spirit of truth;
no need to consult the astrologers or
…ye know him; for he
the stars. The Holy Spirit will show
dwelleth with you, and
you things to come.
shall be in you.
The Holy Spirit is on duty
John 14:17
twenty-four hours a day. It is our
duty therefore to learn about His
voice and how to distinguish it from
other voices. It is important for us to receive from the Holy Spirit in whichever way He
chooses to speak to us.
When the Holy Spirit speaks to your mind, it sounds a little different from when He
speaks to your physical body. When the Holy Spirit speaks to your spirit, you do not hear
an audible voice. This is what people call “the inner witness”. The Bible also tells us that
the Holy Spirit is in our hearts (spirit) crying
“Abba Father”, which is the cry of a child to his real father. By the voice of the Holy Spirit
in your heart, you know that you are a real child of God (Galatians 4:6). What is the effect
of the Holy Spirit crying “Abba Father” in our heart? It creates a silent assurance of your
salvation. You know that you are a Christian and you know that you are going to Heaven.
The voice of the Holy Spirit to your spirit creates a relaxed knowing about something.
356
Day 349
The Spirit enters a person as he
receives the Word of God.
That is why many people experience
radical transformation by just
chaNge
listening to a powerful message of
the Word of God. That is how come
READ:
people are saved when they hear the
Acts 9:1-22
preaching of the Word of God. The
That which is born of
Holy Spirit enters into them as the
the flesh is flesh: and
preaching goes forth and they are
that which is born of
born again. The Bible says that we
the Spirit is spirit.
are born of the Spirit.
John 3:6
Being born again is not an
educational experience. Being born
again does not mean that you have
learnt something new. It means that
a spiritual change has taken place.
Your spirit is recreated by the Holy Spirit. This experience of being born again completely
and forever changes a person’s life.
In the same way that you become born again and experience a spiritual transformation,
you can experience a further spiritual transformation that will convert you into a minister.
This spiritual transformation that makes you a minister is what some call “receiving an
anointing” or “being anointed”.
When you have not been anointed, you are dry and lifeless.
You do not become a minister by obtaining a certificate. You become a minister when God
calls you and anoints you! You will not succeed in the ministry by being clever.
Intelligence and education are no substitutes for the anointing! Desire the anointing! Go
for it! It is the main thing! And the main thing is still the main thing!
357
Day 350
The territory-taking ministry of
a pastor is embodied in his
vision. If the pastor is a visionary,
he will always want to take more
oNslaught territories for Christ. This is possible through prayer and fasting.
READ:
A pastor must lead his sheep into
Exodus 17:8-16
spiritual warfare.
…we wrestle…against
I always have a new vision for my
principalities, against
church. When I had twenty mem-
powers, against the
bers, I had a vision to have fifty.
rulers of the darkness
When I had five hundred, I desired
of this world, against
spiritual wickedness
a thousand. It is the duty of the
in high places.
pastor to dream about greater terri-
Ephesians 6:12
tories for the kingdom of God.
People who take new territories
are people who fast and pray. I believe in praying for long periods. I believe in fasting as
the Spirit leads. Moses, the shepherd of God’s people, stretched out his rod in warfare
against Amalek. Moses’ rod symbolized the power of intercessory prayer. It is the art of
travailing in prayer for the ministry. What you see happening in the physical is only a
manifestation of what has taken place in the spiritual realm.
We are not a social club. We are into spiritual warfare against evil spirits. Anyone who
calls himself a pastor must learn to fight with prayer in the realm of the spirit. Every
physical territory is occupied by evil spirits who dominate the area. Any shepherd who
wants to do the work of the ministry will come face to face with the territorial spirits of
that area.
If you want to have a big church, you must learn to fight for it in the spiritual realm.
Develop the art of intercession for taking more territories for God.
358
Day 351
Many of us do not realize the
link between the temptation
of Jesus Christ and the preaching of
His first message in the synagogue.
Power!
In an instant, the devil showed
Him the world He had come to save.
READ:
The devil said, “Listen, let’s make a
Luke 4:1-21
deal. I will give everything to you
right now. You can have it all now.
But ye shall receive
There is a quicker, shorter and sim-
power, after that the
pler way. You do not have to go
Holy Ghost is come
through all those struggles with the
upon you…
Pharisees and Sadducees.”
Acts 1:8
When He came out of that temp-
tation and went to church, Jesus
began to preach. His first message
was, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.” Jesus was announcing that He was going to
accomplish the salvation of the world by the power of the Spirit of the Lord that was upon
Him.
Jesus was saying that He could accomplish what He had to accomplish without bowing to
the devil and without going about His mission in another way. He said also, that God had
anointed Him to heal the broken-hearted.
When John the Baptist sent a message to Jesus asking if He was the Messiah, Jesus sent
back a message saying that the blind were seeing, the deaf were hearing and the dumb
were speaking. He said that lepers were being cleansed, and the dead were being raised.
He knew that John the Baptist would understand that the healings were the sign of Christ.
The sign of the Messiah was clear.
The Old Testament ministers predicted the healing anointing on Jesus. That is why Jesus
announced that He had been anointed by the Spirit of God to preach and to heal.
359
Day 352
Ihave discovered that God is our
greatest friend. Traditionally,
people have blamed the Lord for
every bad thing that happened.
great
Even in legal jargon, events like
FrieNd
earthquakes, floods and tornadoes
are called “acts of God”. If God does all these evil things, what does
READ:
the devil spend his time doing?
Romans 8:32-39
God’s real nature is revealed to us
Greater love hath no
in the Word. The devil wants you to
man than this, that a
believe that God is fighting against
man lay down his life
you. The opposite is true! God is
for his friends.
the best friend you have. The God
John 15:13
you serve is the God of promotion
and blessing. If God did not hold
back Jesus Christ, what good thing
will He withhold from us?
I want you to remember an experience that the disciples had with the Lord. They were in a
boat trying to cross the Sea of Galilee when a storm struck. What did Jesus do? He
rebuked the storm (Luke 8:24). By rebuking the storm, Jesus was disapproving of it. He
was stopping the agents of destruction from shortening His life and ministry. The storm
was not an
“act of God” sent to destroy them! The Bible teaches us that it is the thief or the devil who
comes to steal, to kill and to destroy (John 10:10).
God does not come into your life to destroy you! El’Shaddai does not come into your life
to kill you. He is here right now to prolong your life and to extend your days. Your duty is
to know and to believe that God is your friend who is trying to help you.
360
Day 353
Today, let us talk about the
confession of faults one to
another. Although confession of
sins to the Father results in forgive-
admissioN ness, there are times it is necessary to speak to someone else about the
READ:
problem you have. Confessing your
James 5:16
faults to someone else is not done
Rejoice not against
in order to receive forgiveness.
me, O mine enemy:
Forgiveness is received from the
when I fall, I shall
Father when you confess your sins.
arise; when I sit in
There are times when we need
darkness, the LORD
shall be a light unto
healing and restoration within our
me.
spirit. Talking about these things
Micah 7:8
and confessing them aloud helps to
heal and eventually overcome the
psychological wounds that are
acquired through sin.
The Amplified Bible Version of James 5:16 says, throws more light on this Scripture:
“Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses,
your sins) and pray also for one another, that you may be healed and restored (to a
spiritual tone of mind and heart)…”
We all need to be restored to a spiritual tone of heart and mind. When you have made a
mistake, you need restoration.
Restoration comes through confessing to one another. Of course, telling your problem to
the wrong person will only lead to complications.
I have noticed that people experience permanent healing and restoration through this type
of confession.
361
Day 354
God’s standard for the Christian
life is that no believer should
ever be involved in fornication.
Christians should not have a history
breakiNg of regularly committing fornication.
rules? Neither should they ever be involved in it. Not even once! Unfortunately,
even in charismatic circles, fornica-
READ:
tion is commonly found amongst
1 Corinthians
6:13-20
born-again Christians.
This “cancer” of fornication is
But fornication, and
all uncleanness, or
rapidly affecting the Body of Christ,
covetousness, let it
because many Christians who get in-
not be once named
volved in fornication do not know its
among you…
spiritual and physical implications.
Ephesians 5:3
They do not know its complications.
When you commit fornication, you commit sin directly against your own body; you
commit a crime against your body by destroying it, and God will prosecute you for that.
Obedience means more to God than any great sacrifice that you can make to Him. God
prefers your simple obedience to His commandments. Some argue that the commandment
not to commit fornication is an old-fashioned law, and an unrealistic instruction. Even if it
does not make sense to you, your duty is still to obey God. As a Christian, you are
dependent on God, and it is only the Lord who can bless you. If you choose to disobey and
disregard God, I do not know what kind of relationship you want to have with Him. When
you disobey God, you incur God’s curses upon your life.
Some people complain that it is difficult to obey God. “It costs so much,” they say. Dear
friend, the truth is that it pays to obey God but it costs to disobey Him.
362
Day 355
Iwas once chatting with a
taxi driver in London about
Christianity and Heaven.
eNvoys
He commented, “If Heaven is
really so nice then why don’t we all
commit suicide and go there right
Read:
now.”
2 Corinthians
5:10-21
According to Revelations 14:13,
your works will follow you into
…that ye may know
what is the hope of
Heaven. What you do on earth will
his calling, and what
determine how your stay in Heaven
the riches of the glory
will be like. If you know why Christ
of his inheritance in
has saved you, you will have a lot to
the saints,
do for Him here on earth.
Ephesians 1:18
This taxi driver brought up a
very valid point. If we are all just
waiting to enter Heaven, why not just go there right away?
Unfortunately, the journey had ended and I could not explain the hope (the reason) of my
calling as a Christian.
The answer is simple: Christians are not expected to kill themselves! Christians have an
important calling to save souls and to establish people in the Lord. We cannot just rush to
Heaven now! The hope (reason) for our calling is to bear fruit and win souls in this life.
That is why we are still here and have not left for Heaven yet.
Christians were not recreated for nothing. God intends for every one of us to fulfil our
divine call. Every Christian is called to a ministry (Ephesians 2:10). We are called to do
good works. We are called to be unmovable, steadfast, always abounding in the work of
the Lord. To me, Christianity has always been an experience of soul winning and
establishing other Christians in the Lord.
363
Day 356
There are things that are right
before our eyes, yet we don’t
want them. We prefer something
else. When God blesses you with
coNstaNcy something, use it!
When it comes to spiritual things,
people behave in the same manner.
READ:
Hebrews 3:1-6, 14
Some Christians have good churches
with good pastors, honest men and
And I thank Christ
women of integrity; but they would
Jesus our Lord, who
rather go round chasing after other
hath enabled me, for
that he counted me
things.
faithful, putting me
Whenever they hear that a pow-
into the ministry;
erful man of God is working won-
1 Timothy 1:12
ders somewhere, they jump on the
bandwagon. When they hear of a
new church, they flock there.
Jesus calls them sign seekers. He says they are evil people.
. .An evil. .generation seeketh after a sign. .
Matthew 12:39
Sometimes as a pastor, you wonder what such church members are looking for.
What counts is faithfulness. A good Christian must be able to faithfully stay or abide in
one church where he will receive nourishment.
There is one thing God will consider before He puts you in the ministry. It is not ability,
anointing, or talent - it is faithfulness!
When you are faithful and stable with what He has put right before you, He will promote
you!
364
Day 357
Sometimes unforgiveness lingers
on, long after the offence has
been committed. People even bear
grudges against dead relatives and
ill will enemies. It is a dangerous condition!
What are the signs of lingering un-
READ:
forgiveness? They are stated in
Romans 12:17-21
Ephesians 4:31.
Let all bitterness, and
The dictionary defines “anger” as
wrath, and anger, and
“a strong feeling of hostility and
clamour, and evil
displeasure”. If you have a strong
speaking, be put away
feeling of hostility when you see
from you, with all
malice:
someone who once offended you,
there is some unforgiveness
Ephesians 4:31
lingering in your heart.
“Wrath” can also be defined as
“extreme anger”. One sign of the presence of extreme anger is that the person begins to act
“wild”. Extreme anger or wrath is a sign of lingering unforgiveness.
The dictionary defines “clamour” as “loud abusive language, and loud demands or
protests”. Clamour or loud abusive language is a sign of lingering unforgiveness.
To “slander” is “to say bad things about someone, or to backbite”. Slander is usually false.
Those who slander, often intend to destroy another person. Slanderous people are often
full of bitterness.
Sometimes the emotional pain caused by an offence is almost unbearable, and as human
beings, it is not easy to forget. Nevertheless, God is saying that He commands us to
forgive no matter how traumatic the pain may be.
365
Day 358
God reveals His master plan of
salvation through Jesus Christ.
. .There is none righteous, no, not one.
biblical
Romans 3:10
For all have sinned, and come short of
revelatioN the glory of God.
Romans 3:23
READ:
For the wages of sin is death. .
Ephesians 1:3-14
Romans 6:23
For we are his work-
For God so loved the world, that he gave
manship, created in
his only begotten Son, that whosoever
Christ Jesus unto
good works…
believeth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life. For God sent not
Ephesians 2:10
his Son into the world to condemn the
world; but that the world through him
might be saved.
John 3:16, 17
As a result, Christians are released into a new life of blessings in Christ Jesus (2 Peter 1:3,
4).
The release of God’s army and the building of the Church is also revealed in the Bible.
Christ will build His Church, an army of believers who will win the lost at any cost
(Matthew 16:18).
Christ gives all believers a duty to go into the whole world and preach the gospel
(Matthew 28:19, 20).
Every single believer is a member of the army and is created specially to do good works
for the Lord. The Church is fearless, powerful, anointed and full of God’s authority:
. .He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than
these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
John 14:12
366
Day 359
How do we know that God be-
came a man? What evidence
do we have that God actually became
a man?
god
If God were to become a man,
iNcarNate His entry into this world would be unusual. And sure enough, Jesus
was born of a virgin amidst many
READ:
unusual circumstances. Jesus’ com-
Isaiah 9:6,7
ing into this world fulfilled over 109
For mine eyes have
prophecies.
seen thy salvation,
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and
Which thou hast pre-
pared before the face
shall bring forth a son, and they shall
of all people;
call his name Emmanuel, which being
Luke 2:30-31
interpreted is, God with us.
Matthew 1:23
If God became a man for a brief period, His visit to the earth, no matter how brief, would
always be remembered. It would be referred to as the time God visited us. Surely the visit
of Christ has never been forgotten. In fact, the entry and exit of Christ are marked annually
by the whole wide world. Two thousand years after the visit of Christ, Christmas and
Easter are still international worldwide events.
If God became a man, He would overcome man’s greatest enemy - death. The Lord Jesus
calmly predicted that He would die and rise up after three days. He seemed to have no fear
of death. He conquered death and the grave and Hell for us, that we might not have to go
there.
But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath
abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:
2 Timothy 1:10
367
Day 360
Ignorance is sending more people
to Hell than we imagine. No
wonder Isaiah says, “…people are
gone into captivity, because they
vital
have no knowledge” (Isaiah 5:13,
Fact
14a).
Nobody in their right minds
would go to Hell if they really knew
READ:
what it was all about. After all, most
Acts 18:5-11
people want to serve God. That is
Knowing therefore the
why they practise religion. Actually,
terror of the Lord, we
religion is man’s search for God. But
persuade men…
Jesus is the only way to God. Any-
2 Corinthians 5:11
one who desires to do business with
God can only do so through Jesus
(John 14:6, 1Timothy 2:5).
Today, many churches are full of sincere people seeking God. But without the proper
teaching from the pulpit about God’s plan of salvation, many churchgoers will be
disappointed at the last trumpet. Speaking of the Jews, Paul testified that they indeed had a
zeal for God, but not according to knowledge (Romans 10:2).
What is God’s prescription for finding Heaven and avoiding Hell? Jesus said, “. .Except a
man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God” ( John 3:3). Being born again is
not a new idea being propagated by some young churches. It is a fundamental, biblical
instruction given by Christ to everyone!
I also believe that every single Christian (especially pastors) will also give account to God,
for withholding vital information about the reality of Hell from others. If souls are
perishing because of ignorance, then those with knowledge will definitely be held
accountable.
368
Day 361
One of the major advantages of
forgiveness is that forgiveness
makes you a great person! Not only
will your prayers be answered but
double
you become more powerful spiritu-
advaNtage ally, physically and emotionally.
Forgiveness makes you a great
person.
READ:
The South African President,
Matthew 6:12-15
Nelson Mandela is considered one
But there is forgive-
of the greatest men in the world
ness with thee, that
because of forgiveness. Mandela
thou mayest be feared. w a s s e n t i n t o p r i s o n f o r 2 7 years, by Psalm 130:4
the apartheid white government. He
was separated from his home, his
wife and children. He spent the bet-
ter part of his life in prison. This is
a man who under normal circumstances should not forgive, but he was able to forgive his
white oppressors and formed a rec-onciliatory government with them. This is what makes
him great.
In forgiving, you become great. Your ability to forgive will make people fear you!
Forgiveness makes you a great person!
…to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
1 Samuel 15:22
It is better to obey God than to harbour unforgiveness. God is not asking or begging the
Christian to forgive. It is a command! The advantages of forgiveness outweigh whatever
“sweet revenge” we think we will get by bearing grudges.
Just obey and forgive, and the Lord will bless your life!
369
Day 362
Do you remember what God told
Adam and Eve? He said, “In
the day that you eat this fruit you
will die.” When Adam and Eve
corruPtioN sinned, they died. The condition of spiritual death entered their spirits
Read:
and there was no way God could
Ephesians 2:13-19
fellowship with them anymore. He
The good man is per-
had to drag them out of the garden
ished out of the earth:
and separate them from Himself.
and there is none up-
Before a man is born again, he is
right among men…
estranged from God. His nature is
Micah 7:2
essentially evil. He may look good
on the outside, but essentially, he has
a corrupt and wicked nature.
That is why democracy and the
rule of law are important. When one man with such a nature has unlimited power, he does
many evil things.
A tyrant is simply an unsaved man who has unlimited power. That is why governments are
supposed to have three different independent arms: the executive, the legislature and the
judiciary. There is supposed to be a separation of powers.
This is to prevent one group of “unsaved men” from having too much power over other
human beings.
As Lord Acton (1834-1902) said in a letter to Bishop Man-dell Creighton, “Power tends to
corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” When Judges are afraid for their lives
and their jobs, they often cannot make unbiased decisions.
The whole human race is separated from God because of sin. Salvation breaks the wall
that separates mankind from God (Ephesians 2:14, 16).
370
Day 363
From today’s Scripture passage,
we can identify the characteris-
tics of a person who is possessed
with a can-do spirit. He is usually a
the caN-do good leader.
sPirit
A can-do leader is ready to fight.
He is ready to die, and ready to take
Read:
a risk. A can-do leader does not see
Numbers 13:17-33
himself as grasshopper. He has an
independent opinion about what to
And Caleb stilled the
do, and does not mind being in the
people before Moses,
and said, Let us go up
minority. A can-do leader is one who
at once, and possess
goes into action at once, because he
it; for we are well able
knows that every project can and
to overcome it.
should start immediately if it is to
Numbers 13:30
succeed.
Furthermore, a can-do leader does not allow negative people to influence him, but rather,
he influences them as he stays loyal to his Father. He displays absolute faith in God and is
not intimidated by the enemy. A can-do leader has a spirit of boldness, of adventure and
discovery that leads to development. He is usually unpopular when he is in a backward
and unprogressive community, but he will be vindicated in the long run (Numbers 14:6-
10).
A can-do leader always sees good and positive things in every circumstance of life.
371
Day 364
Let me share with you today, four
reasons why the Bible can be
trusted.
worthy 1. The Bible can be trusted because promises made generations earlier
oF trust have been kept.
Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest
unto his people Israel, according to all
Read:
1 Kings 8:54-61
that he promised: there hath not failed
one word of all his good promise, which
Heaven and earth shall
he promised by the hand of Moses his
pass away, but my
servant.
words shall not pass
1 Kings 8:56
away.
Matthew 24:35
2. The Bible can be trusted because
God stands by His Word until it
comes to pass.
Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.
Jeremiah 1:12
3. The Bible can be trusted because it is unchanging in a changing world.
But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is
preached unto you.
1 Peter 1:25
4. Heaven and earth will pass away but the Word of God will remain forever.
Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
Luke 21:33
The Word of God is indeed the most trustworthy guidebook in this world.
372
Day 365
The word salvation also means
“to rescue”. Christ has rescued
us from deep waters.
recovery
You can recover from a bad situa-
tion. Esther’s plight was pathetic;
she had neither mother nor father
READ:
(Esther 2:7). That is a serious hand-
Hebrews 12:3-13
icap with which to begin life. But
O Lord, by these
Esther recovered beautifully and
things men live, and in
rose to the highest of heights.
all these things is the
life of my spirit: so
Some of you have been involved
wilt thou recover me,
in all kinds of sin. I remember
and make me to live.
speaking to some church members
Isaiah 38:16
one day when a lady came up to me.
She said, “Pastor, I don’t want to
ever go back to my past.” As I
looked at her I heard the voice of the Holy Spirit say to me,
“This woman was a prostitute.”
So I asked her, “What work did you do?” As she looked at me, tears welled up in her eyes
and she said, “I was a prostitute.” I said to her, “Daughter, you can recover! You will not
go back to that life anymore.”
There is an anointing to recover. Perhaps you have been used and discarded by many men.
Your heart and emotions are deeply scarred from your experiences. You no longer have
confidence in yourself and no longer believe in people. As He raised up Esther, God will
surely raise you up!
Looking at Esther’s background, one would never have predicted that she could be queen.
She was an orphan and a refugee. How could she amount to anything? But our God is a
God who specializes in making something out of nothing.
373
Index
TOPIC
PAGE
T
O
P I
C
PAGE
Anointing… … … .35, 60, 65, 78 Fear… … … … … … … 26, 327
Baptism… … … … … … …126 Forgiveness… … …10, 201, 242, Backsliding… …
… … … … 33 245, 278, 354, 361, 365, 369
Betrayal… . .62, 82, 139, 320, 330 Fruitfulness… … . 32, 36, 71, 77, 132, 236, 286, 367,
373
Bible… … . .12, 50, 141, 152, 153, 210, 270, 283, 298, 338
Frustration… … … … .228, 350
Blasphemy… … … … … … 308 Giving… … … … . 230, 264, 348
Building… … … … … . .87, 161 Godliness… … … … . . 176, 219
Character… … … … . . 341, 342 God’s Call… … … … … … .329
Children… … … … … … . . 288 God’s Care… … … … . 247, 360
Christianity… … … … … … 13 God’s Power… … … …251, 291
Commitment… … … … … . .31 God’s Will… … … 234, 276, 296
Contentment… … …84, 93, 315 Grace… … … … … … … . .110
Criticism… … … … … … . .295 Growth… … … … … … … 199
Deception… … … . .58, 191, 277 Healing. 28, 38, 59, 133, 175, 182, 193, 217, 268, 290,
309, 314, 323
Decisions… … … … … . .15, 81 Holy Spirit… … … 53, 116, 142, Deliverance… … …
… .306, 352 256, 356, 357, 359
Demonic Activity… … 111, 115, Honesty… … … … … … …273
275, 318, 328
Hope… … … … … … … …317
Disobedience… … … … … . 40 Humility … … … … … 42, 129, Divorce… … … …
… … … 146 158, 188, 202, 355
Dreams… … … … … … … 253 Hypocrisy… … 25, 172, 186, 279
Enemies… … … … … … . . 212 Intercession… … … … … . .148
Eternity… … … … .29, 207, 352 Jesus… … … … … … … …307
Evangelism… … … … … . . 147 Joy… … … … … … … … . .255
Faith… … . .14, 49, 61, 75, 85, 88, Leadership… .16, 33, 54, 72, 105, 177, 247, 282,
349, 367
135, 140, 154, 195, 213, 259, 267,
Faithfulness… … . .215, 238, 364 302, 312, 331, 371
374
Index
TOPIC
PAGE
T
O
P I
C
PAGE
Love… … … … … … … … 300 Rest… … … … … … … … 165
Loyalty… . 11, 23, 30, 70, 89, 123, Righteousness… … … … . . 143
141, 150, 151, 206, 220, 340
Sacrifice… … …45, 69, 102, 117, Lying… … … … … … … . . 120 156, 195, 214, 333,
334
Marriage… 27, 73, 101, 104, 155, Salvation… … … … … . . 9, 169
192, 204, 209, 244, 269, 287, 322 Satan… … …34, 43, 83, 134, 223
Ministers… … … .107, 118, 136, Service…17, 47, 90, 190, 252, 363
178, 231, 239, 240, 256
Signs… … … … … . .51, 63, 292
Ministry… … … . .183, 284, 316, 351, 358
Sin… … …66, 299, 303, 362, 370
Miracles… … … … … .108, 144 Speech… … … .52, 181, 243, 319
Money… … … … … … … . . 55 Spiritual Gifts… … … … . . 257
Music… … … … … … … . .109 Strength… … … … … .128, 173
Nature of Man… . .137, 164, 297 Success… … … . .39, 96, 99, 166, 229, 262, 305
Obedience… … … … 18, 21, 24, 174, 216, 280, 335, 336
Supernatural… … . .95, 127, 130,
131, 250, 281
Partnership… … … … … . . 125 Temptation… … . .122, 310, 318
Perseverance… … … … … . .46 The Church… … …57, 124, 160, Poverty… … … …
… … . 41, 91 162, 313
Prayer… . . 48, 103, 114, 138, 168, Time… … … … … … . 203, 249
194, 263, 293, 294, 304, 332
Tithes… … … … … … … …97
Principles… … … … … 64, 325 Truth… … … … … 92, 106, 163
Promotion… … …159, 225, 353 Warfare… … … … … . . 74, 248
Prosperity… … … …19, 68, 241 Wisdom… … . 44, 189, 198, 289, Quiet Time… . .
22, 80, 100, 157, 301, 321
197, 218, 260, 272, 273, 337
Women… … . 133, 170, 171, 184,
Relationships… … … 20, 37, 76, 200, 205, 265
221, 222, 224, 226, 266, 311, 344,
345, 346
Work… … … … 86, 94, 246, 324
375
Other Best-Selling Books by Dag Heward-Mills:
*Loyalty and Disloyalty
Leaders and Loyalty
*Transform Your Pastoral Ministry
The Art of Leadership
Model Marriage
Church Planting
*The Megachurch
*Lay People and the Ministry
*These titles are also available in Spanish and French.
Information about other foreign translations of some of the titles above may be obtained
by writing to our address.
Document Outline
Daily Solutions1
Daily Solutions
Daily Solutions2