A Divided Kingdom?

Date: Monday, 20th November, 2023

Text: Mark 3:22-27

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

There is a difference between miracle and magic. Miracle comes from God but magic comes from the devil. Faith in Christ is the mother of miracle while manipulation is the mother of magic. Miracle lasts as long as you maintain your obedience in the Lord, but magic can fail anytime.

In today’s text some religious leaders accused Jesus of using diabolical powers to do miracles. They claimed he was using Beelzebub, a prince of devils to cast out devils. But Jesus wondered at their ignorance. They did not understand that the devil’s kingdom is so organized that the hierarchies work hand-in-hand.

Ephesians 6:12 identified the hierarchies as principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places. They work in agreement; therefore it is surprising when anyone thinks an agent of Satan (like a sorcerer or witch) can solve a problem caused by another agent of the devil.

Jesus wondered, “How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.” Mark 3:23-26.

Satan has no real blessing. His ‘blessings’ comes with sorrow.But the blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it- Proverbs 10:22

At the Cross of Calvary Jesus plundered the principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. He is therefore, Sovereign over the Principalities and Powers. He can undo the concluded works of darkness- Colossians 2:10-15.

Are you afflicted by the evil powers? Do you desire a lasting solution to your nagging problems? Cry to Jesus today!

Prayer Nugget: Father, please, undo all the concluded works of darkness in my life today in Jesus name.

Break Through the Invisible Walls (3)

Date: Sunday, 19th November, 2023

Text: Psalm 40:1-3

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

Out of envy, Joseph’s brothers conspired to kill him but by the mercy of God, the plan was thwarted and he was cast into a pit instead- a dirty and dry pit with no ventilation. But by that same mercy of God he was delivered out of it.

The Psalmist said, “I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.” Psalm 40:1-3

Are you in a pit of hopelessness, indebtedness or despondency? I pray that you will obtain mercy and be delivered today in Jesus name.

Jonah found himself in the dark and smelly belly of a whale; all hopes seemed lost but right from the inside of the animal, he cried to God for three days and three nights. The resurrection power of God came to the rescue and the whale vomited him- Jonah 1-2.

If you will repent of all your sins and forsake them; and like Jonah, renew your commitment to the Lord, and cry to Him for mercy, He will hear from Heaven, forgive your sins and deliver you. Every visible and invisible wall limiting your destiny shall give way in Jesus name.

Prayer Nugget: Father, please show me your mercy and help me break through every wall of limitation in Jesus name.

Break Through the Invisible Walls (2)

Date: Saturday, 18th November, 2023

Text: Acts 16:16-28

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

In the physical realm, prison walls are very thick and high. And they are guarded by security operatives and wardens day and night. A prisoner is highly limited and largely has no control of his life. Things are similar in the realm of the spirit. Many are bound by invisible prison walls of sin, drug addictions, sickness, poverty, fear, doubt, failure and disappointment.

The Word of God says, “Some dwelt in darkness and in the deep (deathly) darkness, prisoners (bound) in misery and chains, because they had rebelled against the precepts of God and spurned the counsel of the Most High. Therefore He humbled their heart with hard labor; they stumbled and there was no one to help. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, And He saved them from their distresses.” Psalm 107:10-13

Another major weapon that can be used to demolish the invisible prison walls of darkness can be found in today’s text. Paul and Silas found themselves in a very humiliating and limiting situation for doing God’s work. They had been severely flogged and were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose- Acts 16:23-26

Are you walled in by invisible prisons or limited by the chains of Satan? Spend quality time passionately worshiping and praising God, especially in the sensitive early hours of the night. The Spirit of the Lord will descend and set you free from your bondage in Jesus name.

Action Nugget: Invest quality time praising the One who is able to liberate you from the prison walls of darkness.

Breakthrough the Invisible Walls

Date: Friday, 17th November, 2023

Text: Psalm 24:1-10

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

Do you sometimes wonder why you are not making progress despite the fact that you have every reason to make it? Do you sometimes know what to do but for some unexplainable reasons, you are not doing it? Do you regularly experience failure at the edge of success?

Have you severally made very determined and serious efforts and yet you have nothing to show? Have you and your spouse being medically examined concerning your fertility and certified okay, but still you cannot conceive?

You may be confronted by walls invisible. Such walls can hem its victims in, and prevent help from reaching such people.

In order to breakthrough, you also need invisible weapons. The Sword of the Spirit can be deployed to actively dismantle such obstacles. It is mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ- 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

The Sword of the Spirit is the word of God which is living and active, 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.

The Word of God says, “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.” Psalm 24:7. Quote this scripture and pray aggressively, asking the walls to give way so that the King of Glory can take his rightful place in your situation today.

Prayer Nugget: In Jesus name I command every invisible wall hindering my progress to give way!

Command the Strangers

Date: Thursday, 16th November, 2023

Text: Psalm 18:43-50

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

Every good and perfect gift is from God. He looked at everything he created and all was good. The word of God says our body is the temple of God; the place of his habitation-1 Corinthians 6:19. Our bodies therefore, are supposed to be free from disease and any form of anomaly.

In confirmation of this, Apostle John wrote saying, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” 3 John 2

Being the temple of God, it is meant to be holy because the Spirit of God does not dwell in an unholy environment. As long as you remain holy and are prayerful your body is protected from demonic infestation and shielded from the agents of darkness.

When you begin to toy with sin, the Spirit of God will withdraw and darkness begins to reign. Such a person has given the enemy a legal ground to afflict him. Demons’ full time job is to steal your joy, kill your faith and destroy your love for God.

Demons are strangers in God’s temple. They are meant to be cast out and not to be harboured. Mark 16: 17-18 says, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

However, you can only cast them out if the Spirit of God dwells in you. If you harbour sinful lifestyles, you need to repent, be converted and forsake your sins first. Invite the Holy Spirit and dislodge the strangers in your life in Jesus name.

Action Nugget: Take the necessary steps and command the strangers out of your life today!

Busy But Empty (2)

Date: Wednesday, 15th November, 2023

Text: Luke 10:38-41

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

In today’s text, Martha did the right thing by opening up her home to Jesus and providing a platform for Christ to teach the word. It shows her hospitality and love for Jesus. She loved to serve but she got distracted along the line. She got so occupied with serving that she missed the important teaching of the Master.

She had a sister called Mary, who sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. Things got worse when she eventually became anxious, frustrated and troubled by much serving, so much so that she even interrupted Jesus’ teaching. She said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-41

Martha crowded her schedule with the non-essentials at the expense of the essential. She focused her energy on the minor and forfeited the major. What Christ actually wanted was for her to sit at his feet and learn from Him. Her busyness eventually became a hindrance.

It is like a student studying hard for electives and forsaking the compulsory courses. Many of us are so distracted in life and ministry today, and Jesus Christ is saying, “But one thing is needed.”

Learning God’s word and soaking it into our lives brings us into sweet fellowship with the Lord and supplies grace to fulfill our ministry. One word from the Lord is powerful to bring solution to those nasty challenges confronting your life. Therefore, spend quality time learning from Jesus and you will find rest for your soul.

Prayer Nugget: I receive grace to focus on the one thing required in Jesus name.

Busy But Empty

Date: Tuesday, 14th November, 2023

Text: Mark 1:1-38

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

Some years ago I was driving on the expressway and suddenly my vehicle’s engine switched off. I was seriously disturbed thinking it had developed a serious mechanical fault. I sought for assistance and managed to push the car into a nearby petrol (gas) filling station.

Something in me said I should buy some fuel into the car; I did and when I tried to turn on the ignition, the vehicle came alive again! Then I realized I had not been monitoring the fuel gauge on the dashboard of the car.

Today, a lot of believers are very busy with the work of the Master but are not monitoring their spiritual fuel gauge; many of them are losing touch with the Owner of the work, and thus find themselves struggling. Experiencing no more fresh grace; they are spiritually dry and burnt out.

According to today’s text, Jesus healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him. And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed- Mark 1:34-35

After a very busy day of preaching and miracle performance, the Lord needed to re-fill. Though he is the Anointed One, our Lord Jesus Christ, still had to refill his spiritual tank of anointing and grace before another round of ministration.

Are you feeling spiritually dry, burnt out and empty? Stop all activities and go back to your source today, spending quality time in fellowship with the Holy Spirit to refill your tank. You will experience fresh grace in Jesus name.

Prayer Nugget: Holy Spirit of God, I open up myself to you, please fill me afresh today in Jesus name.

Head vs Heart Knowledge

Date: Monday, 13th November, 2023

Text: Romans 2:13

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

Anybody with a sound mind can memorize and quote scriptures. Such people can be seen as being very religious. The Pharisees were in this category; they memorized the 39 books of the Old Testament, yet Jesus described them as sons of Hell- Matthew 23:15. Even demons know the scriptures and they tremble but that does not stop them from committing sin and wrecking havoc on the lives of Men- James 2:19.

What you know is not as important as what you do with what you know. The fact that you understand traffic signs and know the traffic rules does not mean that you will respect and obey them.

The Pharisees had the word of God in their memory but not in their hearts. They had the head knowledge but not the heart knowledge of God’s word. They taught and preached the word of God but did not practice what they preached.

Some people often wonder why we have so many religious institutions all over the world yet sin and corruption keep increasing. The reason is simple- most religious people only have the head-knowledge of God. They neither allowed the word of God to take root in their hearts nor internalized it.

When we allow the word of God to take its place in our hearts, our behaviour is transformed, our lives changed and we bear fruit of obedience unto righteousness.

It is not those who know the word that are blessed but those who do it- Romans 2:13.

Action Nugget: Be a doer of the word of God.

Choose Right

Date: Sunday, 12th November, 2023

Text: Proverbs 22:3

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

It is easy to choose between a good and bad option; obviously the wise will go for the good. The fool will still choose the bad even when he is fully aware of the consequences.

The enemy specializes in presenting the bad as good; a poison can be garnished, decorated and packaged as good. If you doubt it ask Madam Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). Today, though, a death sentence is clearly written on the cigarette pack, saying, ‘smokers are likely to die young’, an obviously bad option, may still choose that option and end up dying untimely.

The word of God says, “A prudent and far-sighted person sees the evil (of sin) and hides himself (from it), but the naive continue on and are punished (by suffering the consequences of sin) Proverbs 22:3.

But even for the wise person, the situation becomes challenging when he is to choose between two good options. At this point many become stuck.

In John 6:15, the men of Jesus Christ’ day wanted to make him their king by force because of his ability to do miracles and multiply bread. The Lord was to choose between becoming an earthly king, and dying sacrificially for mankind on the Cross. Of course, it was a tough decision to suffer humiliation in the hands of men, but the Lord chose the latter.

He chose the path that was consistent with the will of the Father and not the craving of men. Always strive to discover God’s will through His word and follow the righteous path.

Prayer Nugget: Father, let thy will be done in my life as it is done in Heaven; help me to always choose right in Jesus name.

Redeeming the Time

Date: Saturday, 11th November, 2023

Text:  Ephesians 5:15-18

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

Understanding the concept of time and eternity will help us grasp the mind of God as regards today’s message. When things are not happening with the anticipated speed, many people often react by saying, ‘don’t waste my time.”

Time is a gift from God. Though eternity is boundless, each individual’s stay on Earth is timed; and no one knows exactly how much time is allocated to him. When we celebrate birthdays, we only know how much time we have spent; no one knows how much time he has left.

There are two ways to utilize your time; you could either spend it or invest it. Time spent is forever gone but time invested is redeemed or bought back. Time redeemed is time utilized doing things of eternal value- things done out of love for God and obedience to His word.

In the context of today’s text, redeeming the time means to make the most of every opportunity we have on earth. Every opportunity we have should be utilized doing the will of the Father, not our selfish will.

The word of God says, “See then that you walk circumspectly (carefully), not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Ephesians 5:15-17

Therefore, daily invest your time doing the will of God, as it is done in Heaven. Time spent seeking God’s kingdom and all its righteousness as a priority is time not wasted but redeemed for eternity.

May the Lord grant us wisdom in Jesus name.

Prayer Nugget: From now on, I will invest my life wisely, redeeming my precious time in Jesus name.