DATE: MONDAY 19TH DECEMBER 2016
THEME: THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH
Memorise:
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
2 Timothy 4:7
Read: 1 Timothy 6:11-14
6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
6:13 I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;
6:14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
MESSAGE
The basis for all spiritual warfare can be explained as the opposition or hostility between light and darkness. Darkness is associated with blindness, emptiness, uncertainty, inactivity, stagnancy, ignorance, failure, wickedness, fear and evil. Darkness was the dominant authority over the universe in the beginning, and this was evidently the status quo at the time of creation in Genesis 1:1. Then God said let there be light and there was light. Light is a very powerful force. When there is light, darkness has no choice but to disappear. John 1:5 says,
"And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not."
However, the truth is, not all light can outshine darkness. For instance, Genesis 1 talks of categories of light.
"And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also." Genesis 1:16
There are lights of the sun, moon and stars. Then there are man-made lights of varying sizes. If you put on a tiny torch in the midst of total darkness, you will only see the spot the torch is pointing at. Everywhere else will be surrounded by darkness. The size of a light determines the area it will dominate or rule over. The sun rules over the day because it is far brighter than the moon. If the moon were to replace the sun during the day, there would be darkness during the day. Similarly, if you bring the sun to replace the moon during the night time, the night will turn into day. This tells us that what determines the result of a situation is the amount of light it is exposed to. This means that exposing varying degrees of light on the same situation will give you different results. The volume of the light of God's Word that you are exposed to will determine the degree of the change you will experience.
The intensity and size of God's light in you will determine your sphere of domination. Although, God has commanded you to dominate everything, the actual scope of your dominance will be determined by the amount of God's Word that is in you. The Word is the light of the world. If you lack the Word, you lack the light that gives definition to your ability to dominate. As you increase your Word content, you enlarge your coast. Staying away from the Word automatically reduces you glow and ultimately your ability to control forces, situations and circumstances. On the other hand, the moment you stop shinning as light, darkness will swallow you up. If you want to be victorious over forces of darkness, you should daily expose yourself to the light from God's Word. The Word is the sword of the Spirit and the chief weapon of our warfare as Christians.
Prayer Point:
Father, please baptize me in the pool of Your Word today in Jesus' name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Leviticus 13
Psalms 123-124
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 9: MY FAITH HAS FOUND A PLACE
My faith has found a resting place,
Not in device or creed;
I trust the ever living One,
His wounds for me shall plead.
Chorus:
I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.
Enough for me that Jesus saves,
This ends my fear and doubt;
A sinful soul I come to Him,
He'll never cast me out.
Chorus:
My heart is leaning on the Word,
The living Word of God,
Salvation by my Savior's Name,
Salvation through His blood.
Chorus:
My great Physician heals the sick,
The lost He came to save;
For me His precious blood He shed,
For me His life He gave.
Chorus.
Leviticus: 13. 1. And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying, 2. When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or a bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests: 3. And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean. 4. If the bright spot be white in the skin of his flesh, and in sight be not deeper than the skin, and the hair thereof be not turned white; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague seven days: 5. And the priest shall look on him the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague in his sight be at a stay, and the plague spread not in the skin; then the priest shall shut him up seven days more: 6. And the priest shall look on him again the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague be somewhat dark, and the plague spread not in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean: it is but a scab: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean. 7. But if the scab spread much abroad in the skin, after that he hath been seen of the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen of the priest again: 8. And if the priest see that, behold, the scab spreadeth in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a leprosy. 9. When the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought unto the priest; 10. And the priest shall see him: and, behold, if the rising be white in the skin, and it have turned the hair white, and there be quick raw flesh in the rising; 11. It is an old leprosy in the skin of his flesh, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean, and shall not shut him up: for he is unclean. 12. And if a leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even to his foot, wheresoever the priest looketh; 13. Then the priest shall consider: and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean. 14. But when raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean. 15. And the priest shall see the raw flesh, and pronounce him to be unclean: for the raw flesh is unclean: it is a leprosy. 16. Or if the raw flesh turn again, and be changed unto white, he shall come unto the priest; 17. And the priest shall see him: and, behold, if the plague be turned into white; then the priest shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: he is clean. 18. The flesh also, in which, even in the skin thereof, was a boil, and is healed, 19. And in the place of the boil there be a white rising, or a bright spot, white, and somewhat reddish, and it be shewed to the priest; 20. And if, when the priest seeth it, behold, it be in sight lower than the skin, and the hair thereof be turned white; the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague of leprosy broken out of the boil. 21. But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there be no white hairs therein, and if it be not lower than the skin, but be somewhat dark; then the priest shall shut him up seven days: 22. And if it spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague. 23. But if the bright spot stay in his place, and spread not, it is a burning boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean. 24. Or if there be any flesh, in the skin whereof there is a hot burning, and the quick flesh that burneth have a white bright spot, somewhat reddish, or white; 25. Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the hair in the bright spot be turned white, and it be in sight deeper than the skin; it is a leprosy broken out of the burning: wherefore the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy. 26. But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there be no white hair in the bright spot, and it be no lower than the other skin, but be somewhat dark; then the priest shall shut him up seven days: 27. And the priest shall look upon him the seventh day: and if it be spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy. 28. And if the bright spot stay in his place, and spread not in the skin, but it be somewhat dark; it is a rising of the burning, and the priest shall pronounce him clean: for it is an inflammation of the burning. 29. If a man or woman have a plague upon the head or the beard; 30. Then the priest shall see the plague: and, behold, if it be in sight deeper than the skin; and there be in it a yellow thin hair; then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a dry scall, even a leprosy upon the head or beard. 31. And if the priest look on the plague of the scall, and, behold, it be not in sight deeper than the skin, and that there is no black hair in it; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague of the scall seven days: 32. And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the plague: and, behold, if the scall spread not, and there be in it no yellow hair, and the scall be not in sight deeper than the skin; 33. He shall be shaven, but the scall shall he not shave; and the priest shall shut up him that hath the scall seven days more: 34. And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the scall: and, behold, if the scall be not spread in the skin, nor be in sight deeper than the skin; then the priest shall pronounce him clean: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean. 35. But if the scall spread much in the skin after his cleansing; 36. Then the priest shall look on him: and, behold, if the scall be spread in the skin, the priest shall not seek for yellow hair; he is unclean. 37. But if the scall be in his sight at a stay, and that there is black hair grown up therein; the scall is healed, he is clean: and the priest shall pronounce him clean. 38. If a man also or a woman have in the skin of their flesh bright spots, even white bright spots; 39. Then the priest shall look: and, behold, if the bright spots in the skin of their flesh be darkish white; it is a freckled spot that groweth in the skin; he is clean. 40. And the man whose hair is fallen off his head, he is bald; yet is he clean. 41. And he that hath his hair fallen off from the part of his head toward his face, he is forehead bald: yet is he clean. 42. And if there be in the bald head, or bald forehead, a white reddish sore; it is a leprosy sprung up in his bald head, or his bald forehead. 43. Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the rising of the sore be white reddish in his bald head, or in his bald forehead, as the leprosy appeareth in the skin of the flesh; 44. He is a leprous man, he is unclean: the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague is in his head. 45. And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. 46. All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be. 47. The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woollen garment, or a linen garment; 48. Whether it be in the warp, or woof; of linen, or of woollen; whether in a skin, or in any thing made of skin; 49. And if the plague be greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a plague of leprosy, and shall be shewed unto the priest: 50. And the priest shall look upon the plague, and shut up it that hath the plague seven days: 51. And he shall look on the plague on the seventh day: if the plague be spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in a skin, or in any work that is made of skin; the plague is a fretting leprosy; it is unclean. 52. He shall therefore burn that garment, whether warp or woof, in woollen or in linen, or any thing of skin, wherein the plague is: for it is a fretting leprosy; it shall be burnt in the fire. 53. And if the priest shall look, and, behold, the plague be not spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; 54. Then the priest shall command that they wash the thing wherein the plague is, and he shall shut it up seven days more: 55. And the priest shall look on the plague, after that it is washed: and, behold, if the plague have not changed his colour, and the plague be not spread; it is unclean; thou shalt burn it in the fire; it is fret inward, whether it be bare within or without. 56. And if the priest look, and, behold, the plague be somewhat dark after the washing of it; then he shall rend it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof: 57. And if it appear still in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a spreading plague: thou shalt burn that wherein the plague is with fire. 58. And the garment, either warp, or woof, or whatsoever thing of skin it be, which thou shalt wash, if the plague be departed from them, then it shall be washed the second time, and shall be clean. 59. This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woollen or linen, either in the warp, or woof, or any thing of skins, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.
Psalm: 123. 1. Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. 2. Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us. 3. Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt. 4. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.
Psalm: 124. 1. If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say; 2. If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us: 3. Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us: 4. Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul: 5. Then the proud waters had gone over our soul. 6. Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth. 7. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped. 8. Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
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