YOU'RE GODS CHOSEN:

"For many are called, but few are chosen (Matthew 22:14)."

When Jesus said many are called but few are chosen, some believe He meant, "...many are called to be Christians but only a few will be chosen to go to heaven." That is not true. The call being made is the call of salvation to the whole world; that Jesus has died and risen for everyone. Those who believe and are saved are the chosen ones, who have been sanctified and separated from the world unto God.

The day you gave your heart to Christ you were separated from the world. The Lord Jesus, while talking about you in John 15:19, said, "...ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world...." In other words, you have been called out or chosen out of the evil and decay that exist in the world to a life of purpose, victory, and success. This choice was made before the foundations of the earth: "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love" (Ephesians 1:4).

The Lord chose you to be holy and without blame before Him in love; He did this before you were born again. Accept this truth and never think you are not good enough for God. He chose you before you knew Him. He knew all the mistakes you would ever make and still chose you, to reveal His glory through you. Jesus said, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain..." (John 15:16).

Don’t allow guilt-consciousness rob you of your special place in God; you are the chosen of the Lord, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.

FURTHER STUDY:

1 Peter 2:9 

Deuteronomy 14:2

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GLORY WITHIN:

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18)."

In Exodus 34:28, we find an interesting account of how Moses was in the presence of God for forty days and forty nights where he received the Ten Commandments. Ordinarily, it wouldn’t have taken a whole day to receive the Ten Commandments since it consisted of just few sentences. So why did Moses need to be in the presence of God for forty days and forty nights to receive the Ten Commandments?

For Moses, it was more than Ten Commandments. As he listened to God speak forth those commandments, all he could see was the glory of God. He contemplated and meditated on the (the glory) of God, until the glory so rubbed-off on him and began to radiate from his face. Such was the radiance of glory emanating from his face that the people withdrew when they saw him step down from Mount Sinai (2 Corinthians 3:7). It’s important to note that this glory came on Moses while he meditated on the Ten Commandments.

Now, the Bible lets us know that the glory of God that was on the face of Moses resides in us, and that glory far exceeds what Moses had. It is called the more excellent glory: "For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth" (2 Corinthians 3:9-10).

This inherent glory in us is what the Apostle Paul referenced in our opening scripture. He lets us know that as we behold the glory of God in the Word of God, we are metamorphosed; we are transfigured into the same glory that we see in the Word. This means we are not only the carriers or effulgence of God’s glory; we are the glory of God!

FURTHER STUDY:

John 17:22 

Isaiah 60:1

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FAITH MAKES THE WORD PRODUCTIVE:

"For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it (Hebrews 4:2)."

One time, the Lord rebuked the Pharisees and the Scribes because they had made the Word of God to have no effect by reason of their traditions: "Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye" (Mark 7:13). The same Word they nullified, made void and rendered ineffective created the entire universe: "All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made" (John 1:3). The Word is what upholds, maintains, guides, and propels the universe; it is the force that keeps everything in its course (Hebrews 1:3). You will have to always create the right environment of faith for the Word to thrive and yield fruits in your life.

It is like planting an orange seed in the right environment. Soon enough, it will germinate into an orange tree and produce fruits. Same way, the environment you need for the Word to be productive in you and for you is the environment of faith. The Bible says "…without faith it is impossible to please him…" (Hebrews 11:6). If you mix the Word with faith, it doesn’t matter what comes against you, you will come out victorious. God’s Word is absolutely trustworthy and dependable. The Word on your lips, mixed with faith will produce undeniable results.

The Word of God doesn’t consider the size of the problem, neither is it intimidated by the name of the sickness or disease. It has no restrictions; all it requires is for you to believe and boldly speak it forth in faith, and it will effect a change.

FURTHER STUDY:

Isaiah 55:11

Hebrews 4:2

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YOU CAN DISCERN HIS VOICE:

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me (John 10:27)."

You may ask: "How do I discern and hearken to the voice of the Holy Spirit?" If as a Christian, you find it difficult to discern the voice of the Spirit, it is not because His voice is weak when He speaks. It is because you haven’t trained your spirit to discern His voice. It is possible to train yourself to discern the voice of the Spirit, and here are a few thoughts that will help you.

First, you must develop a voracious appetite for the Word. Study the Word and know it for yourself. The voice of God’s Spirit is made known to you through the written Word. Secondly, train your spirit to respond to God by acting on the Word quickly. When you receive instructions or counsel from God’s Word, don’t delay; act quickly. That’s learning to train your spirit.

Thirdly, praying according to God’s Word is very vital. Prayer helps your spirit to become a dependable receptacle of God’s ideas, visions and promptings. Pray mostly with the spirit, in other tongues. The more you do, the more sensitive your spirit will be to His voice.

Finally, desire spiritual things—things that matter to God—from your heart and pursue them. The proof of desire is pursuit. Engage yourself with activities that will edify your spirit such as soul winning, participation in church meetings and services etc. Commit your resources; time, money and attention to the things that matter to God.

FURTHER STUDY:

Isaiah 30:21

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TURN TO THE WORD FOR CHANGE:

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12)."

When the Word of God is spoken, it goes forth to accomplish its purpose; it produces what it talks about. For example, when the word of salvation is given, if someone gets a hold of it and acts on it, he or she will be saved. It is the same thing if it is a word on healing: Whoever takes a hold of it in faith will be healed. The only reason God’s Word may not work in someone’s life is if he receives the Word and fails to acknowledge or act on it. The Word is effectual and will prevail in your life when received and acted upon; it will effect a change in you!

Jesus said in Matthew 13:15: "For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." It makes no difference what you might be going through right now; if you’d hear, understand and act on the Word, it will produce the desired result in your life. The infallible Word of God is the guaranteed change-agent you need to transform you from glory to glory.

Isaiah 55:11 says, "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." If someone who is poor for example, receives the Word on financial prosperity and acts upon it, the Word changes his state and catapults him to a life of success and prosperity.

The Word of God is alive and full of power; so you can turn to the Word for a miracle. Whatever change you want in your life right now is possible! You don’t have to cry; turn to the Word. Find out what the Word says concerning what you are dealing with and then hold sessions of meditation. Before long, there’ll be a change. Like Abraham, refuse to stagger at the Word of God through unbelief; be strong in faith, giving glory to God that you’re who He says you are, and you have what He says you have! Make confessions of the Word continually; it will change your marriage, home, children, job, and finances.

FURTHER STUDY: 

Acts 20:32

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DON'T GIVE UP; DON'T GIVE IN:

"Also [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to turn coward (faint, lose heart, and give up) (Luke 18:1 AMP)."

1Thessalonians 5:17 says, "Pray without ceasing"; that means continue in prayer until there is a change; don’t give up; don’t give in! Some Christians give up too quickly; but faith never gives up. It is like what happened with the Apostles in Acts Chapter 12, when Herod arrested Peter, having killed James, one of the Apostles. Herod saw that killing James pleased the Jews, so he purposed to do the same with Peter. However, the Bible says "…prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him" (Acts 12:5).

The Holy Spirit specifically emphasized the phrase "without ceasing." This shows that the Apostles made intense petitions and gave God all the reasons Peter’s life should be spared; and they continued in prayer until he was miraculously delivered. They knew they had a tool with which to effect the change they desired; the tool of effectual fervent prayers; and they prevailed.

Christianity is for the tough minded; we don’t give up or give in; we don’t faint in the day of adversity. We’re not at the mercy of Satan; we know exactly what to do when he shows up; we use the Name of Jesus against him. We have been given the right and power of attorney to use the Name of Jesus, and make our petitions known to our heavenly Father for answers.  This is what you must do when you need to change things; continue in prayer. Pray fervently with the Word until you have the note of victory in your spirit.

James 5:16-18 says "…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit." Elijah prayed this way and got results; He didn’t give up or give in!

You too can take advantage of God’s Word and insist on your rights in Christ. Take God’s Word to Him in prayer, and continue until there is a change. 

FURTHER STUDY:

Luke 18:1 

James 5:16-18 

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YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR HABITS:

"According to his usual habit Paul went to the synagogue. There during three Sabbaths he held discussions with the people…

(Acts 17:2 )."

There are some people who may be unhappy with how their lives have turned because of bad habits they had practised through the years. There is no need for you to be frustrated with yourself or with life because of certain unwholesome habits you have been battling with. The first thing to realize is that those habits didn’t form overnight. Habits are simply repeated actions that condition behaviour. If you would replace that old habit with a better one, you would get rid of the one you don’t like.

A habit is an established pattern of behaviour acquired through frequent repetition. Anything you do consistently and repeatedly over time becomes a habit. At first, you consciously or unconsciously create your habits, but eventually your habits will form your character, and influence your behavioural pattern, making you the product of your habits.

The Bible says sin shall not have dominion over you (Romans 6:14); so refuse to allow any negative habit control you. If for example, someone has formed a habit of lying, what such a person needs is to decide to consciously tell the truth. The beautiful thing is it wouldn’t take long before such a negative habit is completely eradicated. It has been said that anything you do six times consecutively, in the same way, will get into your personality and shape your behavioural pattern.

If for example, you desire to cultivate a habit of waking up to pray every day by six am, if you can consistently do it six days of the week in a row, it will become a habit for you! Whatever godly habit you want to imbibe is possible; all it takes is the discipline and stick-ability.

FURTHER STUDY:

Hebrews 10:25 

James 1:21-22 

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CHEER UP; THE WORD IS DEPENDABLE!

"And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified (Acts 20:32)."

There is no gainsaying the fact that God’s Word is dependable. The Psalmist conveyed this truth succinctly in Psalm 119:89 when he declared, "…Forever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven." He thus underlined the undisputable reliability of God’s Word, a fact known to the angels, demons and all of creation. What this implies, in effect, is that whatever God has said about you in His Word is dependable.

The Apostle Paul, in his parting address to the brethren at Ephesus, as read in our opening scripture, commended them to God, and to the Word of His grace, "…which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified." For the Apostle to have "delivered" God’s people to God’s Word means the Word has enough power to build, sustain, transform and upgrade the life of anyone who’ll trust in it.

It doesn’t matter where you have been or what has happened to you; be of good cheer; because with the Word you can change things! You can trust the Word to effect changes in your family, home, finances, and physical body. All you have to do is accept what the Word says about you as absolute truth and refuse to be compelled by natural circumstances. You are healthy, rich, powerful, full of grace, wisdom and strength; that is what His Word says. However, you have got to acknowledge and declare this truth.

When sickness, poverty or fear tries to attack you, insist on what the Word says! Shout out loud, "It is written; I have the health of God in me! I’m rich! I’m more than a conqueror; a bundle of success, and a victor in Christ Jesus!" This is how you stand your ground on God’s Word and ensure its power is manifested in your life; it’s through your confessions of faith! Whatever the Lord has said about you is dependable, so be bold to speak the same thing in consent, and the Word will prevail in your life.

FURTHER STUDY:

Isaiah 55:10-11 

2 Corinthians 1:20

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WISDOM PROMOTES:

"Yet wisdom is vindicated (shown to be true and divine) by all her children [by their life, character, and deeds (Luke 7:35 AMP)."

Wisdom is the manifestation or revelation of the rightness of God in a human life; it is a force that causes you to act, respond or speak beyond natural human reasoning. It’s also the expression of the power of God in thought, plans, purpose and decision-making. When the wisdom of God functions in you, it becomes the power that influences your choices in life; it becomes the guiding force of your life. Wisdom propels you in the right direction, and positions you in the place of advantage.

Genesis 39 tells the story of how Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers. But the Bible says he found grace in the sight of Potiphar, his master and served him: "…and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand" (Genesis 39:4). In the course of time, however, Joseph was imprisoned because his master’s wife accused him falsely. But wisdom promoted him, and gave him the advantage, such that even while in prison, he became the head of the prisoners.

For some time, it seemed that would be the end of the story. Then one night, Pharaoh had a dream that none of his magicians could interpret. Someone remembered the wise Hebrew prisoner and recommended him to Pharaoh. Joseph was brought before Pharaoh, and he interpreted Pharaoh’s dream. When Joseph was done speaking, Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou…See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt" (Genesis 41:38-41).

The Egyptian empire was preserved by the wisdom of one young man, Joseph. If wisdom could promote a thirty-year-old Hebrew prisoner to become Prime Minister of the most powerful empire at the time, overnight, it can do so much for you. Exalt wisdom; give him the deserved attention, the utmost priority and importance, and he will promote and bring you to honour and glory.

FURTHER STUDY:

James 3:17

James 1:5

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PROSPERING IN ALL THINGS:

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper (Psalm 1:1-3)."

How prosperous do you want to be? How glorious do you want your life to be? If you would delight yourself in the Lord, and meditate on His words regularly or frequently, you will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water! You will bring forth fruit in due season; your leaves will not wither; and you will prosper in ALL things!

Isaiah 58:14 says, "Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." You delight yourself in the Lord by joyfully acting on the Word and living by it!

Meditation on the Word is God’s recipe for success. It’s the secret to a victorious, successful, struggle-free life and extraordinary prosperity. The Apostle Paul instructed Timothy to give himself totally to the Word: "Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all" (1 Timothy 4:15). He knew if he meditated on the Word long enough, the necessary result would be that his profiting—his prosperity and increase—would appear to all men.

The man Isaac was one of those in the Bible who walked in tremendous prosperity. But when you study his life, you would discover he was a spiritually minded man who spent a great deal of time meditating. The Bible says Isaac went out to the field in the evening to meditate (Genesis 24:63). That was the secret behind his prosperity. Meditation will give you good success! It will make you wise in your dealings in business, finances, family, relationships, and other areas of life.

FURTHER STUDY:

Psalm 23:1-6

Jeremiah 17:7-8 

3 John 1:2

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PROCLAIM THE WORD WITH BOLDNESS:

"And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness(Acts 4:31)."

When it comes to making your faith proclamations, you don’t have to be apologetic; be bold! When you boldly proclaim what you already believe in your heart, it strengthens your spirit, and causes the Word to be active in your life. With your mouth you change your estate. The first is a foundation, which makes the second a reality, but your condition will be the same if you don’t voice your believing.

Believing what God says and confessing the same will change your life. This is because there is power in the Word, which gives the ability to change hopeless situations and cause circumstances to conform with God’s plans and purposes when applied. God created the world by His spoken Word. He said "Let there be..." (Genesis 1:3, 6, 14), and everything He commanded came to be. Hebrews 13:5-6 says "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say…." He shows us the principle of proclaiming the Word in faith—with boldness!

Jesus taught the same principle in Mark 11:23: "For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith." Is there any challenging situation you might be facing today? Proclaim the Word boldly in faith, and there’ll be a change. What you say is what you get, so proclaim the Word and create the realities you want to see in your life.

FURTHER STUDY: 

2 Corinthians 4:13 

Romans 10:6-8

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CONSULT WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT:

"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye (Psalm 32:8)."

The Holy Spirit can tell you what to do in every 

situation for you to always win in life. Many are frustrated because they never consult with Him for help, guidance, or direction. They would rather go to a relative or friend for help when they are in trouble. Sadly, those they meet for help only provide them counsel based on human reasoning and sense knowledge; and that doesn’t work!

Learn to consult with the Holy Spirit for answers. Ask Him for guidance and direction concerning everything you do. When you face challenges that seem insurmountable, call on Him, and He will tell you what to do; He’ll give you the strategies to employ. The great men and women we read about in Scriptures understood this truth, which was why they never took a major step until they had consulted with the Lord.

Joshua, for one, had to rely on the Holy Spirit to tell Him how to take over Jericho: 

"And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, what saith my lord unto his servant?" 

(Joshua 5:13-14).The Captain of the Lord’s host referred to above is the Holy Spirit. He gave Joshua a strategy no human thinking could have reasoned out. No human mind could have thought of bringing down those monstrous walls of Jericho just by blowing trumpets and having the people shout and praise God. But the Holy Ghost said so and it happened just that way. The Bible says, "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down..." (Hebrews 11:30).

Learn to trust the Holy Spirit; depend on Him at all times, for He is with you, in you and for you! He will teach you, lead you and guide you into victory in everything you do, if you would only ask Him. 

FURTHER STUDY:

John 16:13

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PRAY MORE:

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints (Ephesians 6:18)."

The more time you spend in fellowship with the Lord through prayer, the more His character and personality are revealed in and through you. This is one of the most exciting benefits of prayer. Through prayer, your spiritual antenna is raised to pick God’s thoughts and think like Him. Some people only pray when they are compelled to do so by certain challenges they face in life, and that is not right. As Christians we are called into fellowship with our Heavenly Father.

You get to know the Lord and love Him more as you fellowship with Him through prayer and study of the Word. Praying, and praying the right way, is an important activity in the life of every Christian. It makes your life beautiful, vibrant, and exuberant with praise at all times. Take your personal times of prayer, devotions, and meditation very seriously. Create the opportunities in the course of your day to fellowship with the Lord through prayer.

When you pray often, especially in the spirit, you will live with a pure heart towards all men; you won’t criticize others as you will see only the good in them. Learn to intercede for others more than ever before. 1 Timothy 2:1 says, "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men." Take this admonition of the Spirit seriously. Consciously practice this today! Take some time to pray for those around you, and for those in distant lands; it’s your priestly responsibility to do this.

As you spend more time in prayer, your life will flourish from glory to glory because prayer is more than just an opportunity to get God to do something for you! It’s a time to commune with the Lord and bask in rich spiritual consciousness; so give more time and attention to prayer.

FURTHER STUDY:

Acts 4:31

James 5:16

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