[2 Timothy 2:4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.]

The Bible teaches as a believer, we are engaged in warfare. Ephesians 6:12 says we are fighting not against human beings but against spiritual forces and powers. So we are soldiers of Jesus Christ. Our opening verse reveals no one engaged in warfare entangles themselves in the affairs of this life. Soldiers don’t live like civilians. Many believers are suffering because they want to live like civilians, entangled in everything non-believers are entangled in. This will only make you a casualty. We are a real battle with a real enemy though you don’t see him. The good news is Jesus already defeated the enemy’s forces and gave us the authority. However, if we ignore and live recklessly like non-believers, we forfeit our authority. So be conscious that we are in a battle. But be conscious of your dominion over the forces of darkness through the name of Jesus Christ. However, be careful not to live like a civilian & entangle yourself in the affairs of this life and you will always be Victorious in fulfilling God’s purpose for your life.

[John 14:15-17: “If you love Me, keep My commandments.]

If you love your Dad, you will always want to please Him by doing what He says. Similarly it’s our love for God that causes us to obey His Word. JESUS in our opening verse reveals if we truly love Him, we will be more than willing to obey Him. So stop struggling to obey God’s word, just purpose to love Him from your heart and obedience will come naturally. That is why those who relate to God based on what they want from Him and not from the basis of love never live according to His Word. So purpose to love God, let it be the foundation of your relationship with Him and you will find yourself always wanting to please Him and this will empower you to walk in His Word.

[John 14:15-17 “If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth….]

Yesterday we saw it is our love for God that leads to obeying Him. In our opening verse Jesus says “if you love me, you will obey what I command.” Then Jesus goes on to say *”..And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever…”* He was referring to the Holy Spirit. That if we love Him, we will obey His Word. When we obey His Word, He will ask the Father to give us the Holy Spirit who will abide with us forever. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God and therefore His presence in our lives brings the supernatural power and wisdom of God to enable us become a success for God and also live above the evils in our generation. The Holy Spirit is the giver of life. Jesus said in John 6:63 “it is the Spirit that gives life.” Many people are struggling with life threatening conditions. The permanent solution is to receive the Holy Spirit of God. So to receive the Holy Spirit and establish a relationship with Him, submit yourself to God’s Word, do what the Word says, don’t just quote Scriptures, live according to the Scriptures as this unlocks the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

[Deuteronomy 30:19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now CHOOSE LIFE, so that you and your children may LIVE]

We are living in a world that wants us to believe that we are simply at the mercy of circumstances and issues of this life. So people have been told “you have this condition” and they simply submit and begin to yield to the condition. That must never happen to you. If you do that, you are simply submitting to the enemy and he will destroy your life. Our opening verse reveals we are not at the mercy of death. We can say no to death. God says “.. I have set before you life and death..choose life… that you and your children may LIVE..” So we have the power to choose life and reject death. No wonder David said in Psalms 118:17 “I shall not die but live to declare the glory of God.” Regardless of the diagnosis, whether terminal or incurable, you can say no to it. You can reject sickness and choose life. Jesus said in John 10:18 that no one has power to take His life from Him. He said He has the power to lay it down and power to take it. The same applies to you. Your life is not at the mercy of sickness. Through the name of Jesus, you have the power to say no to sickness and death. So no matter the condition, don’t just yield. Create talking sessions where you make declarations based on the Word of God. Declare I choose life, I reject sickness, I reject death, I am not at the mercy of life’s circumstances, I am born of God, and have the nature of God. I am indestructible and not subject to sicknesses. Speak the Word of God over your life. Don’t be passive. For Proverbs 18:21 says “death and life are in the power of your tongue.” This is how you choose life and you shall live to glorify God… hallelujaaah.

[Joshua 1:8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; MEDITATE on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be PROSPEROUS and SUCCESSFUL.]

Just as there are natural laws like the law of gravity, there are spiritual laws for success and prosperity. The above verse is one of them – the law of meditation. That if you meditate on the Word of God and do what the word says, it will make you successful and prosperous. The Word of God is not just a set of rules of “thou shall not.” The Word of God is the logos of God, which is the revealed wisdom of God. The word of God is divine Wisdom. Meditation makes you one with the Spirit behind meditation. That is why non-biblical meditation is not innocent, it is very dangerous. It makes you one with spirits that are not the Spirit of God but you only come to know later. God does not just tell us to meditate, He tells us to MEDITATE IN THE WORD. Do this every day. Take time alone with the Word, contemplating and meditating on the Word and you will find yourself functioning in divine wisdom and success and prosperity will result in your life. Have a successful and prosperous week.

[Matthew 3:11″…. He will baptize you with the HOLY SPIRIT and FIRE. ]

God already told us in 2 Tim 3:1 “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.” Unfortunately, not many Christians have the capacity to deal with this terrible times so when difficulties arise, they easily crumble. How can we develop the capacity to handle difficult times? You cannot do it on your own. Our opening verse tells how – by being baptized in the Holy Spirit and fire. Fire hardens – a cooking pot or sufuria is subjected to alot of heat yet it does not burn. Why? The metal was subjected to very high temperatures already during manufacture and so it toughened and can no longer be destroyed by fire. This is what Baptism with Holy Spirit and fire will do in your life. The Holy Spirit will condition you through life’s circumstances, sometimes through very difficult experiences so that when the troubles of life comes, you are not shaken. You say like Paul in Acts 20:23-24 “..But none of these things move me.” This is the attitude of a mature Christian – they are moved by nothing – how did Paul come there? Through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire! So are you going through fire? Don’t fear. James 1:2 says “Count it all joy when you go through diverse tests.” For the Holy Spirit is conditioning you so that when floods of life come, you can never drown, when you walk through the fire, you shall not burn (Isaiah 43:2). This is why without Holy Spirit Baptism, it is impossible to live the Christian life of dominion over circumstances of life. If you are being overwhelmed by the issues of this life, ask God to baptize you with he Holy Spirit and fire and you will come to the place where Paul came to where you can say “none of these things moves me! ” – that is the place of victory and dominion in Christ.

[John 15:19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.]

As a born again believer, it is important to know your relationship with the world we live in. In our opening verse, Jesus says “I chose you out of the world.” The world here means the ways of life, the lifestyle, the trends, the systems, the mindsets & thinking patterns etc. You have been chosen out of the world and therefore God does not expect you to live like the world, think like the world, or respond to situations like the world. You have been called out. The ‘church’ actually means the called out ones. Unfortunately, many believers today are trying to fit in the world, be accepted and live like the world. Romans 12:2 forbids us to “do not conform to the patterns of this world. Why is this important? Why does God want us to have nothing to do with the world? First because the world is in rebellion against God and therefore 1 John 2:17 says it is perishing, sinking, passing away. So if we hold on to the world, living like the world, we will perish with it. Second, Ephesians 2:2 reveals Satan is the one inspiring the course of this world. The trends, lifestyles and mindsets in the world are inspired by Satan for his own purposes. So if you follow them, you are simply following the wicked one. So have nothing to do with the world. Jesus chose you out of the world so stay out of the world and you will live a victorious, Impactful, overcoming Christian life.

[Jeremiah 29:11NIV For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.]

As a born again child of God, you got to choose to follow God’s Word and plan your life in line with God’s plans for you or else you will live a very miserable life. In our opening verse, God was revealing to His people that He had great plans for them. Plans that they should prosper. Plans that they should never be harmed. Plans that they should have a great and hopeful future. Unfortunately, as much as God had these great plans for them, the people were living miserable lives. At this point, their homeland had been invaded by the enemy and they had been carried as captives into a foreign land. So they were prisoners of war. They were in captivity as slaves. Why was it so and yet God had great plans for them? They refused to listen and follow God’s Word. Jeremiah 25:4-7 says “.. And though the Lord has sent all his servants the prophets to you again and again, you have not listened or paid any attention. They said, “Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways and your evil practices, and you can stay in the land the Lord gave to you…. “But you did not listen to me,”* So God sent His Word through His servants, but they refused to listen and follow. So God’s great plans for them could not be realized and they ended up suffering so much. As much as God has great plans for us, we have to chose to follow God’s Word. God will not impose His great plans on us. We have to choose God’s way and His plans will come to pass. If you are in a terrible situation now, your key lies in learning God’s Word and understanding His plans & purposes for your life. Then choose to follow His Word and your life will change. You will experience the amazing life God has for you. Don’t give up, just realign your life to the Word of God.