THE BATTLE  IS NOT YOURS. (MAY 2021 NEWSLETTER)

Text:  2 Chronicles 20:15

He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: `Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.

Introduction:
What does battle mean? It is a sustained fight between large organized armed forces (Oxford Dictionary).

There are two types of battles:
i. Physical Battles
ii. Spiritual Battles.

Physical battles are battles that confront you physically.

Spiritual battles are battles you cannot see with your naked eyes, but you can feel them. It is difficult to find the source of spiritual battle,  except through divine intervention.

Note this: the battle of life is real, it is powerful. You don’t need to offend anyone before you encounter battle.

Battles are ignited out of envy, jealousy, hatred, evil competitions, misunderstanding, unfaithfulness, rivalry, slander, anger, aggression, etc.

Unfortunately, many don’t know the reason why they are facing their current battle. It could be as a result of a curse in the family, a self-imposed curse or an evil covenant. Whatever may be the cause of the battle you are facing right now, there is an Anchor which keeps the soul. He is the only mighty Man in battle. He has never lost a battle; He will help you out because all power belongs to Him.

DO NOT BE AFRAID
To be afraid is to have an unsettled mind. Outrightly, it is the absence of faith.

There is no how you would hear the sad news that you won’t be afraid. Devil uses fear as a weapon to distract you and to make you powerless. Have this in your mind that, “What doesn’t kill you will make you stronger.”

God told Jehosaphat and his people not to be afraid. To be afraid is to give up on the wish and will of the enemies. To be afraid is to make yourself a slave to fear. To be afraid is to limit the power of God over the situation you are going through. To be afraid is to announce that you are a loser.

Put this word of God in your mind always;
Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with You; do not be dismayed, for I am Your God. I Will Strengthen You And Help You; I Will Uphold You With My Righteous Right Hand.”

DON’T BE DISCOURAGED
To be discouraged is to lose confidence or enthusiasm, or become disheartened (Online Dictionary).

When you feel discouraged, you will be emotionally down. If this happens, you will have no strength to confront the battle. Discouragement will make you put on the garment of a loser.

When you are discouraged, you won’t be able to strategize.

In the lead scripture, 2 Chronicles 20:15, the word of the Lord to Jehosaphat and his people is that they should not be afraid or discouraged. That is the message to you right now.

In that situation you are going through, never give up. Never compromise. Don’t be discouraged. Let your spirit be refreshed in the Word of the Lord. Look up, and begin to see yourself on the winning side.

Conclusion
I want you to develop your faith with these musical words:

Why should I feel discouraged?
Why should the shadows come?
Why should my heart feel lonely?
And long for heaven and home.

When Jesus is my portion;
A constant friend is He;
His eye is on the sparrow;
And I know He watches over me;
His eye is on the sparrow;
And I know He watches me.

Refrain;
I sing because I’m happy;
I sing because I’m free;
His eye is on the sparrow;
And I know He watches me (He watches me).
His eye is on the sparrow;
And I know He watches;
I know He watches;
I know He watches me…

The battle is not yours, it’s of the Lord.

Let’s pray.

1. Lord, I thank You that You are always ready to fight for me.

2. Thank God For His grace on you.

3. God’s goodness, grace & mercy shall be your companion as you go this month.

4. The Lord Himself will watch over you; He will hide you on His protective side and keep you from all evils in Jesus Christ’s name.

5. The grace of God shall find you at the junction of condemnation.

6. You shall operate in the abundance of God’s greater grace, and it shall not be difficult for you to break through in the name of Jesus Christ.

7. The gracious hand of God shall be on you as you go this week.

8. By the grace of God, unexpected doors of breakthrough shall open for you and it shall be well with you in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.

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OH WHAT A GREAT LOVE! (APRIL NEWSLETTER )

Text: 5: 8
8. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Introduction:
It was God who chose to first love you, and not you choosing to love God.

When man decided to put on the Adamic nature to go against GOD’S plan, man became a wanderer; he had no place to settle because the anger of God was on him. God still looked out for man to create a way for him out of eternal condemnation.

In the month of April, we shall focus on the greatness of GOD’S love towards man.

JESUS DIED FOR US
The Scripture we read shows the magnitude of the love of God for us. When we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. When we became vagabonds because of our acts of disobedience, Jesus Christ chose to pay our penalty by being crucified on the cross to make us a new creature. He redeemed us from destruction and gave us a new life.

Why can’t you appreciate this love?

HE FORGIVES YOUR SINS
The penalty of our sins is condemnation and death. That is what Satan usually holds on to. He knows that when the pronouncement of forgiveness is not made for man, he (Satan) has all right on the sinful man. So the devil was not willing that the work of the cross should be complete.

But when Jesus Christ was in severe pain on the cross, he made that special pronouncement saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots (Luke 23:34).

Of a truth, you and I don’t know what we are doing, but he has paid the price on our behalf. So, won’t you appreciate this kind of love?

HE BREAKS THE YOKES ON YOU
1 Peter 2:24 NIV

24 “He himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness;” By His wounds you have been healed.

What has been the major hindrance for man to break through the yoke in different forms or degrees?

What is a yoke?
A wooden crosspiece that is fastened over the necks of two animals and attached to the plough or cart that they are to pull.

In literary term, the yoke is the burden placed on man not to be able to function normally.

Everything that makes man function abnormally is a yoke. It could be sickness, disease of any kind, madness, barrenness, bitterness, blindness, unproductiveness, and other unpalatable experience. Jesus bore them all on the cross. He was wounded to break the yoke. He completed it on the cross. What a love!

He is calling you today.
Matthew 11:28-30.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Conclusion:
Psalm 57: 3
‘He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me– God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.’

The love of God has kept you from all evil plans. By His love and mercy, you are alive today. The best way for you to appreciate this love is to give your life to JESUS CHRIST as your Lord and Savior.

Let us pray:
Pray these prayers:

1. Lord Jesus, I thank You for the kind of love You have for me.

2. Here am I before You, oh Lord, be merciful to me.

3. My Father, my Father, I place my burden at Your feet, help me out.

4. I decree and declare, whatever legal right anyone has to victimize and make my life miserable shall be annihilated.

5. The cross and the power in the name of Jesus Christ shall defend me at any evil altar where an element in form of my image is placed to represent me for sacrifice.

6. By the power of resurrection, every disgrace, shame, and humiliation prepared by the enemies in the coven to inflict my life is averted.

7. Every sealed wicked agreement, whether written or verbal, filed against me is nullified by the Blood of Jesus. Amen!!!

Reference:
NIV, study Bible, Biblegateway,
Editor: Charles Caldwell Ryrie published by Biblica, 1973.

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JUST BECAUSE OF YOU (March 2021 Newsletter)

TEXT: Isaiah 53:3-12 NIV

  1. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

  2. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

  3. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

INTRODUCTION

When God created man, His purpose was to allow a man to make choices and enjoy life in full. But immediately Satan interrupted the intention of God by deceiving man against the will of God, man became corrupt and this led to regret from God to man.

Genesis 6:6, NIV: “The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.”

This was what led to the coming of Christ to the world to redeem man from the judgment of death and gives the gift of salvation.

In this study, we shall shed light on the reasons why Jesus left His throne in heaven to seek and save man.

 

HE WAS DESPISED

To despise is to ridicule or place no value on a person. In other words, it means to turn that person down.

The Son became flesh and dwelt among us, for only as a human could He die, and only by dying could He break the power of the devil who had the power of death. Only in this way could He set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.

This was the state of Jesus just because He wants to save you. He left His glory in heaven to look after you. He allowed so many insults and molestations from rulers and men of authorities in various ways.

Why can’t you appreciate His sacrifice by giving your life to Him as your Lord and Saviour?

Rick Warren said, “Salvation is not a religion; it’s not rules or regulations or rituals, it’s a relationship. That relationship doesn’t begin when you get to heaven. It begins here on Earth”.

Jesus Christ wants to be your best friend; He wants to talk with you all the time. God made you for a relationship with Him (Rick Warren Daily Devotionals,  March 3, 2021).

 

HE WAS TRAMPLED ON THE GROUND AND MOCKED

Luke 22: 63- 65 (NKJV)

To be trampled mean to beat down with the feet so as to crush, bruise, or destroy (Internet Dictionary).

Mock is to tease someone or make someone the object of scorn or to mimic or imitate someone in order to insult the person.

The background scripture, Isaiah 53: 3-12, was the prophecy about the kind of suffering which the Lord Jesus Christ would pass through to redeem man from bondage. The prophecy came to pass when  Jesus Christ was molested and trampled like an offender or a criminal. He was mocked like a nonentity.

Oh! What a shame, just because of you.

Luke 22: 63- 65 (NKJV)

  1. Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. 

  2. And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, “Prophecy! Who is the one who struck You?” 

  3. And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.

Hmm! All these just because of you. I want you in a moment to think about this if truly Jesus deserves this. But for you to have eternal life, He must suffer this.

This is another opportunity you have to give your life to Jesus. Do not hesitate.

 

HE PAID HEAVILY FOR YOUR SALVATION

TEXT: Galatians 3:13-14 (NIV)

  1. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” 

  2. He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

There is a popular saying that ‘salvation is free.’ For your information, there is no free salvation anywhere! Someone paid for it. There must be a costly exchange before salvation can be activated.

Genuine salvation requires a sacrifice of no blemish with lamb’s blood. Read through the book of Exodus and Leviticus for good understanding.

When God wanted to deliver the Israelites from the Egyptians, He asked them to kill a lamb with no blemish and mark the entrance of their houses with the blood as a mark of deliverance from Egypt.

In African traditional beliefs, for you to be delivered, the oracle will tell you to offer the sacrifice of a young animal without blemish.

What is Salvation? It is the act of saving or protecting from harm, risk, loss, destruction, etc.

Every individual must find ways of getting their salvation, but Jesus Christ chose to stand on our behalf to pay for it because He meets up with the requirements for salvation which are as follows:

  • He was without blemish (a sinless person);
  • He endured the pains, shame, shed His blood and was hung on the cross in a public place;
  • He died young for us not to experience the second death.

Oh, what a horrible experience! That’s the sacrifice Jesus Christ did in exchange for your salvation. He paid it in full just because of You.

The question is if you are to pay for your sins, can you withstand it?  Jesus Christ became a curse for you and paid all in full for you. He is now giving you salvation freely. Will you still harden your heart? He paid heavily just for you so that you can become a joint heir with Him. Think about it.

 

HE FOUGHT DEATH AND SUBDUE THE POWER OF DEATH.

Text: Hebrews 2: 14-15 NLT.

For the work of salvation to be perfectly done, the last assignment of Jesus Christ was to destroy the seed of death planted into the man after the fall in the garden of Eden.

Death is a strong enemy of man as it has no regard for anybody.

Rick Warren said, “Death is a universal fear. Nobody is exempt from it! Because Jesus died on the cross in my place, I am not afraid. Death does not have power over me. I know death is just a transfer, and I know where I’m going when I die. It can be the same for you, too—it should be the same for you when you trust Jesus as your Savior.” 

He fought and won the battle over death, therefore, you are no longer a slave to death.

1 Corinthians 15: 25-26.

  1. For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. 

  2. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Finally, there is nothing left in the work of redemption that Jesus Christ has not done just because of you. In John 19:30, He said it is finished. He paid for all your debts including whatever you are going through now.

A PRAYER FOR REPENTANCE:

  • Lord Jesus, I’m sorry for all my sins, and I repent of them all.
  • I give You my life today, and I confess my sins to You, for I believe that Jesus truly paid for my salvation by sacrificing Himself for me.
  • I humbly come before You today that you might accept me.
  • I embrace the gift of salvation You freely offered me.
  • Help me to follow You to the end.

 

LET’S PRAY:

  1. Father, by Your mercy, deliver me totally from the yoke of a curse placed on me.
  2. Lord Jesus, by the covenant of Your blood, let the curse of untimely death be broken in my family.
  3. My Father and my Lord, set me free from the arrow of sickness and diseases.
  4. Let every hand of delay arranged from the coven to place a hold on my advancement catch fire and dry up in Jesus’ name!
  5. Let there be a supernatural shift of turnaround for me in the name of Jesus Christ.

 

REFERENCES

Holy Bible, Good News Version.

Holy Bible: New International Version.

Holy Bible, New King James Version.

Internet Dictionary.

Rick Warren Daily Devotionals, March 3; 12; 2021.

 

John Aderogba for ROPMI.

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