PROTECT YOUR HEART

"A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." Luke 6:45 NIV 

The dwelling place of our Lord Jesus Christ is not in any building, or cathedral, or historical site; No! that place is in your heart. The heart is the final stop before an action takes place, the heart knows, speaks truth, has secrets (1 Corinthians 14:25), believes and brings treasures (Matthew 12:35).

Whatever comes out of your mouth is exactly what is stored inside your heart. If God is in you, your mouth will speak and produce everything that God has. On the other hand, if all you have in you is hatred, malice and bitterness; this will definitely be produced outwardly too. You have the full responsibility to take care of what you allow inside you because "you are the result of what you allow". 

You carry Deity in you, don't let any kind of junk take root in you. Also be very mindful of the kind of information you take in. Refuse to give into fear, believe in God's ability to make good things happen over and over again for you. Strengthen your faith, keep pushing forward, trust in the Lord and see Him perform strong on your behalf. Hold on to God with all of your heart. 

Further Scripture Study: Proverbs 4:20-23: Jeremiah 24:7; Romans 10:9-10 

Declare This: Dear Father, my heart belongs to You. I will not allow any kind of junk into me, I will protect the walls of my heart against any intruder in Jesus name Amen.

BATTLE

"for Demas, having loved [the pleasures of] this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia". 2 Timothy 4:10 AMP

The battle we fight is not against our friends, neighbors or terrorists in the world. The greatest battle we fight is "the battle within"; it is the place where the fiercest battle is fought and that place is in our minds. It could be things offending you, affecting you, needs, pressures, sin, stress, the need for a child, the need for a wife or a husband, money, feeling all alone, impurity, lustful pleasures, quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfish ambition, envy, constant struggle, unforgiveness etc. 

There are times when your spirit wants to pray but your flesh wants to watch the TV, your spirit wants to study but your flesh wants to go to sleep, your spirit wants to witness to that lost loved one but your flesh want to let someone else do it, your spirit wants to tithe but your flesh wants to spend, your spirit wants to love but your flesh wants to dislike & hate, your spirit wants to go to church but your flesh wants to stay in bed or go to work. All this are the battles of the mind; A Southern Baptist pastor so rightly stated that "The Christian life is not a playground, it is a battlefield" - It is a war. We are fighting an invisible war, with a faceless enemy.

If you are going to win this battle within, firstly know that you have the ability to win already. Use the right and proven equipment and techniques; always put on the full Armor of God daily. Know and understand each piece and how to wear them always, this gives you the upper hand constantly. You are the keeper of your mind.

Further Scripture Study: Ephesians 6:10-18 

Declare This: Dear Father, I acknowledge the battles inside me. You know my heart more than I do and as I put on Your full Armor daily, I am shielded on all sides in Jesus name Amen.

THE OBLIGATION OF LOVE

“Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law”. Romans 13:8 ESV ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

As a Pastor, I have heard many say that they pray God will give them the grace to love like Jesus. So many times, instead of accepting our responsibility as Christians, to grow our love commitment, we want God to do all the work in our spiritual growth and development. We expect Him to supply more of His love, which He already provided. It's really our responsibility to see to it that we develop our love so it can grow and increase.

Also on the subject of love, too many believers are like the servant with one talent as described in Mathew 25:14-30, who wrapped up his talent in a napkin and hid it. The same goes for some of us, we have hidden the love of God that has already been shed abroad in our hearts. We've hidden it, instead of using it, exercising it, and developing it. 

The more saturated you are in God's Word, the more you will be saturated in His love. When His Love is full inside you, acting based on God's love will be the first thought that comes to your mind, no matter what anyone has done to you. Choose Love always, only owe Love. 

Further Scripture Reading: John 14:15; 1 Peter 4:8 

Declare This: I declare that the Word of God consumes and saturates my heart completely and I grow in my expression of love to others in Jesus name Amen.

EXERCISE THE WORD

“But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves”. James 1:22 ESV

The Word of God is the ultimate, practicing the Word is doing what the Word says to do. When you make God and His Word the first resort in your life, your attitude to life and the things of the kingdom will change and you’ll reap what the Word says. As you practice and exercise the Word; worry, doubt, fear and unbelief will be removed from you and replaced with new words of faith and success. When you’re faced with a difficult situation, use the Word over it. No one who ever followed God’s Word regretted it, His Word is Amen and Amen.

Everything about life started in the Word; when you exercise using the Word of God at all times, you can never go wrong and as He has promised He will never leave you nor forsake you. You have to come to that point in your life where your response to the Word of God is so important. Make a quality decision to practice the Word of God no matter the challenge you’re going through. You must move forward to influence your circumstances instead of you been influenced by it. The only key to winning in life is the Word of God.

Further Scripture Study: Acts 20:32; John 1:1; Genesis 1:1

Declare This: Dear Father, Thank You for Your Word is All I require to live successfully in life. I will continuously hold on to Your Word because You are the Word of Life in Jesus name Amen.

THE DOMINANCE OF LOVE

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” ‭‭Romans 6:14 ‭KJV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

In the book of Romans chapter 6, Paul argues that believers have been translated from the era of sin under the first Adamic nature to a new and second Adamic era of righteousness; and because we are under grace, we cannot continue to sin for grace to abound. 

Have you ever come across someone who is addicted to drinking alcohol? this person is completely filled with different kinds of alcohol drinks and get totally intoxicated (drunk) almost all the time. He is immersed with liquor and such lifestyle never lasts for long. This is the same way we must be dominated with love that it becomes impossible to be consumed by hate. 

Acknowledge that you are a Love being and consistently make Love a priority in your life. If you have the God kind of love in you, then you can give it, show it and express it everyday. "The measure of maturity of a Christian is the level of love he allows to dominate him". Dominating in love is dominating with God and when you dominate with God, He will reveal deep secrets to you and increase your authority to love backed with divine Grace. 

Further Scripture Study: 2 Corinthians 5:14‬; 1 John 5:11-14‭

Declare This: Lord I thank You for Your love that dominates every part of me. I declare that I express this love freely to all who come in contact with me in Jesus name Amen.

THE TIME OF DOUBT

“But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭14:30-31‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus walked on water to go join His disciples and when they sighted He walking on water, they were terrified with fear thinking it was a ghost. After they realized that it was Jesus, Peter asked Jesus if he could join Him and immediately Jesus said come. So Peter got out of the boat and walked on water toward Jesus, but when he saw the wind and the stormy waves, he started to sink. He took his eyes off of Jesus and cried for help, immediately Jesus reached out His hand and took a hold of him saying "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" Peter's faith failed him and doubt stepped in (Matthew 14:22-33).

Many Christians often act the same way as Peter acted, they start off with so much faith and courage, but before long the voice of fear takes root and doubt finds its way in. They start sinking and never really achieving what they set out to do in the first place. When you doubt, you start to sink, you start thinking and speaking wrongly, panic sets in and before you know it anxiety and fear becomes resident in you. 

Thank God for His loving-kindness. He never leaves us alone, even when doubt comes in. As He stretched forth His hands to save Peter, likewise will He stretch forth His hands to lift you out of the situation and challenge. When doubt finds it's way in, cancel and kill it with the faith of God in you. 

Further Scripture Study: Mathew 21:21-22 

‭‭Declare This: I refuse to let doubt take a hold of me, instead I set my focus on God's Word concerning my life. And as I apply the Word, every doubt is dispelled in Jesus name Amen.

IT BELONGS TO YOU

"And giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light." Colossians 1:12 NIV 

God wants you to know you have an inheritance. The very moment you believed in your heart and confessed the Lordship of Jesus Christ over your life (Romans 10:9-10); your inheritance was released onto you. It's up to you to lay claim to what belongs to you, don't be ignorant of it because you are already a qualified partaker of the inheritance. In other words it is an inheritance that cannot be taken away from you, except you allow it. This kind of inheritance remains & abides forever.

Whatever belongs to Christ belongs to you. You have the same name, the same inheritance, the same position, the same rights as Christ Jesus. You can be rest assured to know that you are a partaker and a sharer in the inheritance with our Lord Jesus. It doesn’t get any better than this. If you truly know what you have, it should freak you out and make you high on Joy. Savor your birthright.

Further Scripture Study: Acts 20:32; 1 Corinthians 3:21-23 

Declare This: Thank You Lord for making me a sharer of the Inheritance. I take full advantage of what is mine in Jesus name Amen.