RCCG Issachar Generation

Open Heavens:
MORE THAN CONQUERORS – Saturday May 7th 2016

Memorise: For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, through he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. 2nd Corinthians 8:9
Read: Isaiah 53:1-5, 53 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Bible in one year: 2nd Kings 3:1-4:37, Proverbs 21:1-15

MESSAGE
Sometime ago, someone gave an illustration to explain the term “more than conquerors”. He said it could mean that you are greater than the conqueror. He cited the case of a boxer who goes into the ring, fights and defeats his opponents, receives the prize and returns home ton handover the prize to his wife.

According to this fellow, the wife is the one who is more than a conqueror. Her husband is a conqueror because he endured some beating and bruises, but the wife did not suffer anything yet the prize was given to her on a platter of gold. In the same way, Jesus Christ our Bridegroom engaged the devil in a big fight. He was beaten, wounded, spat upon, defamed, disgraced, crucified and murdered. He won the battle through the power of resurrection and thereafter handed over the prize to us. Isaiah 53:4-5 says:
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, And carried our sorrows: Yet we did esteem him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon him; And with his stripes we are healed.”
Being more than conquerors could also connote someone that has scored multiple victories from several battles or wars. There are several enemies that accost us in the battles of life. One of such enemies is the generational curse, this is a curse pronounced on someone’s family even before his birth and it keeps affecting descendants of that family. For instance, in Genesis 49:1-4, Jacob pronounced a curse on Reuben saying he will never excel, and this affected his lineage for several years after. Some people are still suffering from a similar curse. In spite of all their talents, natural endowments and qualifications, they never get to the top. It is not because they are not making enough effort; in real terms, they are making more than enough effort, yet certain forces, in response to earlier curses, frustrate them or make it impossible for them to move to higher levels. Generational curses must not be allowed in your life. In the Name that is above every other name, any generational curse operating in your life shall come to nothing. The family of Eli that should have produced priest forever became beggars through a divine curse (1st Samuel 2:30-34). Gehazi, together with his generation, was also cursed with leprosy (2nd Kings 5:20-27). Are you seeing signs of generational curses in your life? Ask God to destroy them today. Also find out if there is anything you are doing to make such a curse effective in your life.
“As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
“More than conquerors” is a status bestowed on humanity through the love of God the Father, the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus the Son, and the magnificent work of the Holy Spirit. It is assessable to all human beings who will freely accept Jesus as their Lord and personal Saviour.

Prayer Point

Father, make me victorious over every negative circumstance of life in the Name of Jesus.

Open Heavens:
SUFFERING HATRED – Wednesday May 4th 2016

Memorise: Jesus said unto them, if God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. John 8:42
Read: John 15:17-21, 17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.

Bible in one year: 1st Kings 19:19-21:16, Proverbs 19:19-20:3

MESSAGE
As the time of the departure of Jesus began to draw near, He started talking to His disciples about the things that will befall them the moment when he would depart, so that they would not be caught unawares. These series of talks are generally referred to as the ‘farewell discourse’. The Bible reading for today is one of the farewell discourses, it points to the fact that the disciples would suffer hatred. John 15:20 says:
“Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord. if they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”

Jesus said, if the world persecuted Him, then the disciples should expect a similar treatment in the hands of the people. Jesus told them that He was telling them ahead of time so that when these things began to happen, they would not be caught unawares. Jesus wanted His disciples to be fully ready for any eventuality.

What is the nature of the hatred that Jesus suffered in the hands of the people of the world? He was defamed, misrepresented, rejected unfairly, forsaken by friends and relatives, harassed, beaten, assaulted, abused, crucified and murdered. Jesus went further in John 15:21 to say:

“But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.”

The prophecy is not limited to the twelve apostles or those that were physically present with Him at that time. Jesus explained that this would be the fate of all that come after Him and live as true disciples. That the Church and people of God are presently operating under various kinds of attacks and persecution in many regions of the world is not news any longer. Christians are presently suffering untold hardships, insecurity, harassment, brutality, assaults, and murder. In fact, Jesus told the disciples that a time is coming that a person that kills a Christian would suppose that he is doing God a favour.

However, the Bible says we should count it all joy when we are faced with diverse temptations and persecutions, knowing that enough such challenges, we become exercised, our spiritual muscles get toughened and built-up.

Prayer Point

Father, please give me the grace to remain adherent to You no matter what the devil throws my way.

Open Heavens:
THE MAN GOD USES – Sunday May 1st 2016

Memorise: But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 2nd Timothy 2:20
Read: 2nd Timothy 2:19-21, 19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

Bible in one year: 1st Kings 14:1-15:32, Proverbs 18:1-14
MESSAGE
Today’s memory verse speaks of the availability of vessels of different makes; designs, and qualities to a great person. The choice of what vessel to use for any particular purpose is dependent on the master’s preference and the suitability of each vessel to the assignment at hand. So also, the man that God will use for any assignment must be found suitable for kingdom assignment. God is always in the business of searching for suitable resources that He can use to fulfil His purpose here on earth. Whenever He locates one, He proceeds with the preparation and training of the chosen for the assignment. Incidentally, the divine equipment usually employed for the preparation and training of the man that God will use is the cross. Many Christians are not fulfilling their purpose in life and ministry because they have consistently refused the required training for their assignments, and because they are not found to be suitable yet, their commissioning remains pending. May the Lord wake you up to the reality of your situation today, so that you can take your rightful place in the programme of heaven in Jesus’ name.

The man that God will use becomes completely transformed by going through the preparation process of God. The relationship that follows guarantees that the person’s mind, heart, will, and life now belongs to Jesus Christ, alone, he becomes reoriented with God and God’s kingdom. He is convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that he or she was created to please God and would begin to pursue godly purposes with all determination.

In the life of the man God uses, the words of 2nd Corinthians 9:8 come to play;
“God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work”
Therefore, the man God uses is the person who has absolute trust, reliance, and faith in God. He relies on God as the source of all things; he is a man through whom God can do all things. He is fully aware of God’s agenda in the world, and he lives with a clear, God-given sense of direction toward fulfilling God’s purpose. The presence of God is with him always and he is always careful to keep his character and integrity in line with the Word of God.

The man God uses is able to bring incredible changes and blessings into the life of anyone that comes in contact with him, through him, people with broken spirits, unstable families, the poor, those with health challenges, the demon possessed, and the disenfranchised, can all find peace and prosperity with God. This is the whole essence of Christianity, and all it requires is our total submission to the preparation and training process. May the Lord give you the grace to pay the price for greatness in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point

Father: please give me the grace to depend totally on you and completely submit myself to Your training in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens:
THE LORD MY FORTRESS – Saturday April 30th

Memorise: And he said the LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer. 2nd Samuel 22:2
Read: Psalms 91:1-8, 91 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

Bible in one year: 1st Kings 12-13, Proverbs 17:15-28

MESSAGE
The experience of David concerning divine protection is worthy of study. In our memory verse for today, he said: “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer”. Whoever experiences these attributes of God in his life can be rightly described as the inheritance of the Lord. The Psalmist further wrote.
“They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.
Psalms 125:1

One point to quickly note is that this Bible verse talks only to those who put their trust in the Lord, not those who have alternatives.

David trusted totally in the Lord and he was never disappointed, that’s why he made such statements as this;
“As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.
Psalms 125:2

In other words, the Lord builds walls of protection round about his people. This is ‘food for thought’ for double-minded people who are still in doubt of God’s ability to totally protect. Some people are even afraid of prosperity, because they feel they will be prone to attacks from their enemies if they get rich. They obviously do not know that the Almighty God that prospers is the One that protects as well.
“Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence…. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day.”
Psalms 91:3, 5

One is thrilled by the assurance with which the Psalmist tells us about the Lord’s protection over His people. David’s experiences, first with the lion and the bear, and later with Goliath, are testimonies that should make a doubter believe that our God is indeed Jehovah-Nissi.

I assure you that if you put your trust in the Lord, your protection is guaranteed. Our Lord never fails, He watches over his elect so that His name will not be blasphemed. Also, He fights on behalf of His elect so that they may not be discouraged by the battles of life.

My prayer is that the Rock of Ages will continue to protect you and your loved ones in the name of Jesus. However, ensure that you have no other god beside the Almighty God.

Action Point

Father, please deliver from the nets of the fowlers in Jesus’ name.