holiness, sanctification

1 Peter 2:1-3 (AKJV)

¹ Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speaking’s, ² as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: ³ if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

I would say everyone living today was once a child. No one was born an adult. Well, Adam and his wife Eve, from bible records were made as full-grown man and woman.

Since we were all children at one time or the other, there was need for us to drink milk.

I have never heard of anyone who said that he is a father to God, or brother or sister to God, or even god-father to God. Everyone who is a Christian is only a child of God irrespective of age, race or gender.

 What is milk to children?

Milk is sustenance to children. Milk is their food and it keeps them alive and growing. Children have this natural desire and instinct to drink milk. They cry for it and the parent recognizes the fact that they are hungry and takes care of that need. I also know that children cry for different needs, but the most important of all is for food, and thereby sustenance.

Our milk as children of God is the word of God. Do I have that desire for God’s word? Do you have that desire for God’s word? Do you see God’s words as sustenance for your life?

Milk is like the manna God gave to the children of Israel as they journeyed through the wilderness to the Promised Land. They were sustained by God.

As we eat physical food to sustain our physical bodies, we also need spiritual food for our spiritual growth and sustenance.

When we starve our spiritual being, we are going to suffer from spiritual kwashiorkor. We would know very little about our father God and have less of His virtues.

 How do we drink the milk of His word?

Jesus said’ man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from his mouth’.

We obtain the milk of God’s word by going to our Father. Open his word he has given to us, the bible and allow the Spirit of God to direct you and illuminate scriptures to you as you study.

 Excuses

Do we have excuses of no time or we are too busy with other affairs of life? Let us not be like the rich fool in the bible who said he wanted to break down barns and build bigger barns, and yet not rich towards God. We should realize that all we have and all we are belongs to him. So my friend, take time out of your busy schedule and have an alone time with your father, God, who is the creator of the heavens and the earth.

God bless you.

Esther Agbi

2019 THEME:

Retaining the Hid Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge of Christ [Col. 2:3]

[aka Know the love of Christ…… filled with all the fullness of God: Eph. 3:19]

Isaiah 55: 9-11 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.  For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 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.

Psalm 36:7-10 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.

Col. 2:3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Eph. 5:17 (NASB, NIV)  So, then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Eph. 3:16-19 That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Mon Dec. 31 2018 – Tues Jan. 1, 2019 (New Year worship/thanksgiving/prayers)

All the prayers should be prayed in Jesus name. Also cleanse yourself regularly with the blood of Jesus.

Celebrating the divine exchange of Christ on the Cross

Recite and thank God for each of these victories Christ obtained on the cross for us & thank Him for it daily:

1. Jesus was punished that we might be forgiven (Isaiah 53:4-5)
2. Jesus was wounded that we might be healed (1 Peter 2:24)
3. He was made sin with our sinfulness that we might become righteous with His righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21)
4. He became our wisdom, power, redemption, sanctification (1 Cor. 1:24, 30)
5. Jesus died our death that we might share His life and Spirit (Rom. 6:23; Rom. 8:1-4)
6. He became poor with our poverty that we might be rich with His riches (Eph. 1:3; 2 Cor. 8:9)
7. Jesus bore our shame that we might share His glory (Rom. 8:17; Heb. 12:1-2; 1 Peter 4:13)
8. He endured our rejection that we might have His acceptance as children of God (Matt. 27:46; Eph. 1:5-6)
9. Jesus became a curse for us that we might receive His blessings (Gal. 3:13-14)

Praise Worship:         Confession: Eph. 3:1-21; Psalm 147:1-20      Text: Isaiah 55:1-13

 Read Isaiah 55 thoughtfully & prayerfully, praising God for the assurance of His word [Isaiah 55:9-11]

1. Thank God for His manifold wisdom in Christ Jesus that He has revealed to the church [Eph. 3:1-9]
2. Thank God His eternal purpose is accomplished by the church & principalities must bow [Eph. 3:10-11]
3. Thank God for His grace & mercy, for His unfailing love & your many testimonies in 2018 [Eph. 3:16-19]
4. Thank God for the boldness & access we have to Him through our Lord Jesus [Eph. 3:12; Heb. 10:19-25]
5. Bless Him for His abundant care & provision by the unsearchable riches of Christ [Isa. 55:1-3; Eph. 3:8]
6. Ask God for His Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ in 2019 [Eph. 1:17-18]
7. Thank God that His awesome power in Christ subdued satan in 2018 & He will in 2019 [Eph. 1:19-23]
8. Thank God for your family, for life & victorious testimonies over many obstacles in 2018 [Psalm 121]
9. Thank God for healing the wounds in your heart and filling your heart with praise [Psalm 147:1-7]
10. Thank God for healing all the diseases that befell you in 2018. They will never return [Psalm 103:1-5]
11. Worship God for His awesome power. Pray each verse of Psalm 147 in the spirit [Psalm 147:1-20].

40 Days Prayer & Fasting Starts on Wed. Jan. 2, 2019 – Sun. Feb. 10, 2019

Repentance, Brokenness & Fruit of the Spirit (Week 1: Wed. Jan 2 – Sat. Jan. 5 2019)

Praise Worship:         Confession: Rom. 6:1-23; Exodus 20:1-26      Text : John 3:1-36

1. Lord, I repent of all my sins and rededicate my life to you. I bow in deep contrition (Luke 18:1-6)
2. Lord, I forgive all who offended me. Release me from all captivity by others (Matt. 18:21-22; Eph. 4:32)
3. Lord, thank you for delivering me from the power of sin, hell & the grave (Gal. 3:16-26; 1 Cor. 15:34-58)
4. I reject every idol of the heart. I worship only the true and living God (Exod. 20:4-6; Ezek. 14:1-11)
5. Lord, heal my wounded broken spirit and cause the joy of salvation be mine again (Psalm 51:1-19)
6. I reject every spirit of pride and complexities inimical to the gospel of Christ (Phil. 3:17-21)
7. Oh Lord, shine your incomprehensible light over my soul (Gen. 1:1-3; John 1:1-5)
8. Lord, I am a child of light; grant me the grace to be sober and watch (1 Thess. 5:5-6; Phil. 2:12-16)
9. Lord fill my heart with the desire for holiness and godly fear (Isaiah 3:1-26; Matt. 5:1-113; Heb. 12:1-29)
10. Lord, make me a broken believer. You are the potter and I am the clay. Break and mold me (Jer. 18:1-6)
11. Lord, let the fruit of the Spirit of humility, meekness and gentleness flourish in my life (Gal. 5:22-23)
12. Lord, fill my heart with your Spirit of love. Cause me to love the brethren genuinely (Heb. 13:1-3; Jh. 3)

Transformed into His Image & Likeness (Week Six: Feb. 3 – Feb. 9, 2019)

In this last week, our aim is to become like Christ in every way. To be Christ like, we must bear His earthly image and later His heavenly image. His image is all we need to be filled with the fullness of God. Pray the following prayer with the picture of Christ in your heart.

Praise Worship          Confession: Gen. 1:26-31; Phil. 2:1-30      Text :  Col. 3:1-25

1. Lord thank you for making me in your image and likeness by the order of Christ (Gen. 1:26-27)
2. Lord you gave me dominion and authority, I exercise them in Christ (Gen. 1:28-31; Mark 16:15-18)
3. I mortify my body; I seek the things that are above; conform me to the image of Christ (Col. 3:1-10)
4. Thank you for circumcising my heart, for baptism, & spiritual renewal (Ezek. 36:26-27; Col. 2:11-13)
5. Lord, I groan; prepare me; let my body, soul & spirit be full of your life and vitality daily ( 2 Cor. 5:1-10)
6. Lord fashion out your image, I bear His earthly image & shall bear His heavenly image (1 Cor. 15:45-50)
7. Lord, remove every veil over my heart and let your word dominate my thought life (2 Cor. 3:1-16).
8. Lord Jesus I behold your glory, transform me into your image daily by your Spirit (2 Cor. 3:17-18)
9. Breathe of God fill my soul, sanctify me and preserve me spirit, soul and body (Gen. 2:1-7; 1 Thess. 5:23)
10. Lord Jesus, let your marks reflect on my body daily and your grace be with my spirit (Galatians 6:17-18)
11. Lord, I bless you for your forgiveness …. & I thank you for renewing my youth as an eagle’s (Ps. 103:1-5)
12. Spirit of the Living God, prepare me while I live to incorruption, glory and power (1 Cor. 15:39-44)
13. The fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily in Christ. Thank you Lord, I am complete in you (Col. 2:9-10a)
14. Thank you for the total defeat the enemy suffered on the cross, He has no power over me (Col. 2:14-15)
15. Lord, thank you for dwelling in my heart by faith and for your root of love in my heart (Eph. 3:16-19)
16. Lord fil my heart with humility. Instruct & transform my mind to be like yours (Phil. 2:5-11; 1 Cor. 2:16)

Bible Nugget 01

1 Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. [Psalm 103 v 1-5, NKJV]

TRACK AND CLAIM YOUR YEARLY PROPHETIC BLESSINGS
These are the blessings of the Lord to “Christ Our Wisdom and Power Pentecostal Ministry” and its members over the last eight years. We testify that the Word of God has produced a lot of blessings in our lives. Wonderful blessings! Please read, ponder on each scripture and claim your blessings at the end as the Lord touches your heart. You can also claim all the blessings over the years as yours. For a blessing to stick, you must claim the blessing and work on your life with the scriptures throughout the year. If you want to claim all the years it’s even better. Change your destiny today!

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2012: YEAR OF VICTORY AND LIBERTY IN CHRIST
2 Cor 2:14-15a 14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place. 15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ.

Gal. 5:1 1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
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2013: YEAR OF UPLIFTMENT & DISTINGUISHED BLESSINGS
Num. 17:8 8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

Psalm 3:3-4 3 But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. 4 I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy hill.

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2014: YEAR OF MANIFOLD INCREASE
Jude 1: 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Psalm 104: 23 Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening. 24 O LORD, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
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2015: YEAR OF WALKING IN COMFORT & GREAT GRACE
Acts 9:31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.

Hosea 10:12: Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
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2016: NEW EXPLOITS AND EXPANDED BLESSINGS (1CHRON. 4:38-43)
1 Chron. 4:40 ….and they found fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable…

Psalm 92:10 But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.
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2017: YEAR OF INCREASE IN DIVINE WISDOM AND GOD’S FAVOUR (Luke 2:52)
Luke 2:52 ….. Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

Psalm 30:7 LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.

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2018 THEME: YEAR OF VICTORIOUS RECOVERY AND GLORIOUS TESTIMONIES
(aka My year of shaking off all venomous beasts)

Col 2:14-15 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it

Acts 28:3, 5 ….. 3 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand….. 5 And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.

1 Sam. 30:8 David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop (Amalekites)? shall I overtake them? And God answered David, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.

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2019 THEME: RETAINING THE HID TREASURES AND WISDOM OF CHRIST

(aka Know the love of Christ .…… being filled with all the fullness of God)

 Colossians 2:3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

 Eph. 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God

If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face… (2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV).  There is a step beyond prayer. It’s the place of seeking His face—not just His hands, not just His blessings and benefits, but seeking Him and His face. For too long we’ve wanted Him to slip His hand out from under the veil to dispense our allowance, while He has longed for us to enter in to behold Him and worship Him. If you get His face, you gain His favor. His hands bless where His favor flows.

(Tommy Tenney)

The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, without painful toil for it (Prov. 10:22, NIV). God’s people are special to Him despite our inadequacies. He realizes man has fallen short of His glory, hence He sent His Son to be the mediator between Himself and us.

2 Chron. 7:14, NIV reads: If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

In this passage, God wants His people to:

• Humble themselves
• Pray
• Seek His Face
• Turn from their wicked ways

When these are done by man, God’s response would be to:

• Hear from heaven
• Forgive our sins
• Heal our land

The start of reconciliation with the Lord is to fear Him so He can fill our hearts with His wisdom. That means we come to Him with a humble heart. Prov. 1:7 says, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and Prov. 9:10 NASB, says likewise, The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. However, humility is key because the opposite of humility is pride. When people do not fear the Lord, the society becomes lawless quickly. When people fear the Lord, the Spirit of God governs the lives of men, Jesus becomes exalted and his blessings and favour flows and encompasses the people.

The antithesis to humility is pride. Pride goes before a fall like it was for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Even though they were wise, they both allowed their humility to be stolen first by satan and their wisdom was corrupted, so God cannot be questioned when He said we should humble ourselves first. Do you want promotion, then fear the Lord and humble yourself before God. In 1 Peter 5:6-7, it reads, Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. If you live a humble and submissive live to God, there is a time He has programmed for your exaltation.

In the passage under review, God demands we pray as a condition before He answers. Jesus said we should learn to ask, knock and seek. He wants us to be persistent. It’s good to know specifically what we are praying for so we can know when the prayer is answered. General prayers is not enough many times. If we are praying for the church, we should be specific for example, revival, or the Pastor and the elders, for the sick or those in need, church finances, etc. If we are praying for the nation, we should equally be specific: for those in authority, for economic prosperity, for Law and order, for good harvest, etc. When we pray for ourselves, you know in your heart where the shoe pinches. It could be for yourself and family to have good health, jobs for the unemployed, your children and their academic work, etc.

The next step is to seek His Face. When we seek His face it is to get more acquainted with Him. It’s not to line up your request. God deserves our praises and only Him deserves the glory. That means spending quality time with the Lord even when it is not convenient. When cultivating friendship we spend time to know the person. So it is with God. Abraham was called at 75 years old, had Isaac at 100 and died at 175 years old. That means he spent a whole 100 years knowing God and seeking His face. Being a person of resolute faith, he earned the honour of being called a Friend of God.

The ways of man does not promote the righteousness of God. God is angry with the wicked everyday (Psalm 7:11). He judges the righteous, how much more the wicked.

When we fulfill our part, God says He will hear from heaven. Heaven is just a block away when conditions are right from our end. God dispatches His angels to attend to us, and remove all obstacles on the way hindering our prayers. Our sins are forgiven and then He heals our land.

Satan’s most successful trick is to get us to race to false finish lines. He works tirelessly to get us to stop short and say, “We’ve made it!” He delights when he sees us fall or pull over to the wayside only to notice at the last moment that the finish line is still ahead. The apostle knew of what he spoke when he said, “I press toward the mark, forgetting those things that are behind” (see Phil. 3:13-14).

(The God Chasers, 73)

The first modern Olympics was held in 1896 in Athens, Greece, where the game also returned in 2004 after the centennial event was held earlier in Atlanta Georgia in 1996. In 2000, it was held in Sydney, Australia. According to historians, the first ancient Olympic was held in 776 BC in Greece.

In the Olympics, false starts are common and there are many who start the race but do not finish either due to injury, lack of energy and the like. False starters in an athletic event get a first warning and after the second warning, they are usually dismissed from the event. No matter how much they prepared or whether they would have been first, they have no chance to show their talent or win the prize. An example was Linford Christie, the 1992 Olympic British-born 100m champion, who could not defend his title due to two false starts and was disqualified in the event in Atlanta 1996. I watched that event live on TV.  You can watch it on YouTube. It was a test of nerves. That race was won by Donovan Bailey of Canada. A more notorious Athlete in the event was Ben Johnson who, in 1988, tested positive for steroids and set a superhuman record of 9.50 seconds, a record he boasted would be unequaled for 50 years. Needless to say he was banned for life from ever participating in an Olympic event.

The 2018 men’s 100m current world record holder is the Jamaican-born Usain Bolt, who dashed from the starting blocks like lightning and powered on to the finish line, holding the Olympic and world record at 9.58s set in 2009. The current women’s world record is 10.49s set by the late American Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988, a record that has lasted for about 30 years. I love the 100m dash because literally, the whole world stands still for 10s while the events play-out and athletes, spectators and officials are all tense, waiting for who would win the race.

Pertaining to spiritual matters, Christ said, “The first shall be last and the last first”. That would be fun to watch, at least by the angels, except that it is a much more serious matter when there would be much weeping and wailing, and joyous moments for those who are truly first in the eyes of Christ. Jesus is the one who recognizes the efforts saints put in by His grace in promoting the cause of His kingdom and He will reward us in due time. As said in 1 Cor. 4:5, “ Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.” In this verse, praise means reward.

In the Olympics, there are different medals. There is gold, silver and bronze medals. Gold is reserved for the best overall athlete or competitor, silver for the second best and bronze for the third best. There is usually no medals for others but they may receive praise or complementary prizes for their participation and sportsmanship. Those who do not win at all are sometimes cheered on to the finish line by the spectators. So there is a reward for participation and there is a reward for finishing well.

For the saints, the Bible says in 2 Cor. 5:10,  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. That is called BEMA, an acronym for the platform ancient Olympians stood to receive their rewards. A time is coming for the reward from Christ but right now let us identify clearly the finish line, and race well. Note that the race is not always for the fastest nor for the strongest, but sometimes time and chance may determine the victors and losers (Eccl. 9:11). That is where God’s timing comes in. As said by Paul, he was born in due time to be an apostle to the gentiles (1 Cor. 15:8). What if he was born a hundred years earlier or a hundred years later? He would not live in the same century that Christ came to the earth.

The work God assigned to Paul was clear to Paul from the beginning. He had asked God at his conversion on the road to Damascus, “what will you have me do Lord”, and God told him through Ananias the prophet, “I have chosen you to be my witness to the gentiles (Acts 9:6, 15-16; Acts 22:21; Gal. 2:8; 1 Tim 2:17).

So Paul knew what he signed for when he turned to Christ and preached Him. We may not have had the same dramatic conversion as he had, but nonetheless we are sure we have met Christ and are saved. Why are we not so determined as he to be sold out totally for Christ? Towards the end of his life Paul said in 2 Tim 4:7-8, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Paul saw the finish line and raced towards it. He had cautioned earlier in 1 Cor. 9:24-27 that a boxer who wants to give his opponent a technical knockout in a boxing challenge has to fight well and according to the rules. Are you fighting well? Do you see the finish line? Is your opponent wearied or is he wearying you. The Lord help us to accomplish and conquer. We have the victory in sight in Jesus name. Amen!