Contributor: Peter Folikwe

INTRODUCTION
We have been studying God’s plans and purpose for man, how to identify with His purpose, and how to live a life of purpose by seeking to know his will. We were also taken through the hindrances to knowing His will, how to remain resolutely connected to His will and how the Holy Spirit lead us in different ways to connect to His will and purpose for our lives.
Today we shall be looking at the satan’s plan to thwart God’s plan for our lives through rebellion.

God’s world before Gen 3:
• We read about God and His creations from Gen 1-2. After the creation of man, God noted in Gen 1:31 that everything he had made were very good.
• Incidentally, the account of what happened in Gen 3 fundamentally changed everything about God’s original plan for mankind.
• From then sin entered the world.

Subtle approach of the Enemy - Gen 3:1-3
• The serpent being referred to is the devil himself. The Bible in Rev 12:9 attest to this.
• Satan is described here as the old serpent and a deceiver of the whole world; starting with mummy Eve. One of his subtle weapons is deception.
• Rev 20:2 says “And he (the angel of the Lord) laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,..”
• Above verses attest to the fact that the serpent that deceived Eve was the devil.
• Satan’s subtle question posed to Eve in Gen 3:1 creates a euphoria of doubt in the mind of Eve. He made it look like God is hiding information from them. This naturally made Eve inquisitive.
Eve responded to Satan’s barrage of questions in Gen 3:2-3. Invariably the first error Eve commented was to engage the devil in a conversation.
• Satan is very subtle in his approach. He seeks to contradict the word of God in every way. Finding his victim vulnerable, he goes for a kill. 1Pet 5:8 cautioned us to “be sober, be vigilant: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”

The Rebellion: Gen 3:4 - 6
By the time you get to Gen 3:4, Satan had emotionally connected with Eve, boldly confirming to Eve that if she eats the fruit she will not die. In V5, Satan informed Eve that eating the fruit will open their eyes and they will become like God, knowing good and evil.
• Satan was indirectly telling Eve that God wants to keep then inferior and ignorant, with a belief that God was threatened by them. A complete lie from Satan.
• Satan already knows the divine purpose of God for man and became envious of man after his fall. His primary assignment therefore is to thwart God’s purpose for mankind.

Gen 3:6
At this point Eve and Adam entered into the decision that alterate the forbidden fruit.
Eve’s description of the fruit:
• It was good for food - that is the loss of the flesh.
• It was pleasing to the eyes - the loss of the eyes, and
• Desirable for gaining wisdom - this is the pride of life.

The above are the 3 principal areas the enemy uses to thwart God’s plan for man. Our Lord Jesus Christ was tempted by the devil in these 3 categories.
1Jn 2:15-16 warns us “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
• Eve did ate the forbidden fruits, and gave to her husband Adam who ate also.
• There was discussion at a bible study on this same subject where people blamed Eve for all the troubles of the world today.
• Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy in 1Tim 2:14 “And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.”
• Eve’s sin was though deception but Adam’s sin was through wilful disobedience.
• As much as we need to be apprehensive of falling prey to the wiles of the devil as Eve did according to Eph. 6:11, we also need to overcome wilful disobedience to the instructions/commandments of God.

The usual Bait of the devil: Power and Influence - Gen 3:7 NIV
• Their eyes of discernment truly popped open and they realized they were naked. Remember that Satan told Eve their eyes will be opened in V5., if they eat the forbidden fruit.
• The greatest lie the devil embellished with some truth was that they will be like God.
• The devil has used and is still using the bait of “man becoming like God” to cajole lot of undiscerning souls into secret cults in quest of power and influence.
• Again we read in Gen3:7 that they realized that they were naked. Meaning they became self-aware (focus on self and not on God). If you and I do a self-examination, we will realize that this is the bedrock of conflict in homes, churches (not RCCG Miracle Land), communities governments, nations and the world at large.

Apostle Paul warns in Gal 5:17-21 NIV
That the flesh works contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit works contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
• To have a continuous communal relationship/fellowship with God the spiritual nature of man must be in tune with that if God. Because God is Spirit.
• But the moment we become self-aware and focus more on our lustful desires of the flesh our spirit man is weakened, just as was the case with Adam and Eve.
Every child born into this world except Jesus, is born with sinful/fleshly desires. A regeneration of our spirit man took effect when we become born again. 

Bible passages where we are admonished to stay connected to God:
Col 3:1-2 NIV, Rom 13:14 NIV
You and I can’t afford to be fleshly minded in this carnally minded world.
Besides what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? Mar 8:36, Luke 9:25, & Matt 16:26.

Consequence of Sin: Guilt and Shame - Gen 3:8 NIV
• Weight of guilt and shame often wear us out when we fall into sin, because God is Holy & Righteous.
• Whatever man does that may seem covered, it will be revealed by the light of God. Luke 12:2
• Sin always make us run away from God and sometimes justify our actions to gratify our ego. God have mercy.

God never stops calling: How do you respond?
Gen 3:9 - 15
• God is still in the business of calling out to people. Interestingly, He calls those even the world has condemned. For instance Jesus abided in the house of Zacchaeus a tax collector - Luke 19:5-7.
• No one comes to the son except the father draws him - John 6:44.
Adam’s answer in V10 saying he hid himself because he was naked and the follow up question from God attest to what we have reviewed earlier.
• Adam and Eve’s self-centeredness brought guilt and shame as a result of sin.
God further asked if they have eaten of the tree that He commanded them not to eat from and in Gen 3:12, Adam responded with a factual statement that the woman whom God gave him, presented him with the fruit and he ate. The truth remains that he wilfully disobeyed God’s instruction which was an act of rebellion.
Now in Gen 3:13 God turned to the woman and asked the same question.
• Like Adam, she smartly pushed the blame to the serpent. The devil made me do it – she said.
In Gen 3:14-15, unlike Adam and Eve, God did not give the serpent an opportunity to be asked any question.
God’s Verdict:
God pronounced a curses on them in Gen 3:16-19 God reeled out curses on Eve and Adam.
• Besides God’s pronouncement of labour pain for Eve, God made it clear at this point that her desires will be for the husband, clearly instituting the leadership role of the man in the home. Not necessarily for the wife to be a slave to the man.
• By the time we get to V18, Adam had his full dose of curses, to toil before the ground produces food for him and in V19, God pronounce death sentence on man. “For dust you are and dust you will return”.
• I believe a difficult decision God had to take despite His love for man.
• Only Jesus the son of the living God was not born in sin, but took up the sins of the world and also tasted death.

The Loving Nature Of God
In Gen 3:21 God in His loving nature had to present them with a better and more durable covering for their body.
• He gave His only begotten Son – Jesus (the 2nd Adam) to reconcile the world back to Him. Col 1:20-21.
From Gen 3:22 - 24, God reckoned that they are now self-aware and may also reach out to the tree of life to live forever in their sin.
• He therefore banished man form the garden and drove them out of the garden and placed a flashing flaming sword to guard the tree of life.

CONCLUSION
The death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus, the 2nd Adam gave us the privilege of a new life of righteousness as was originally planned and purposed by God for us.
We thank God for providing Jesus to reconcile us back to His original purpose for us. However, we need to remain vigilant to avoid being used by the enemy to rebel against God.

Contributor: Wale Abiona

INTRODUCTION
In many of the ways that God speaks to His people today He uses dreams and visions as the one of the acceptable media. God has communicated, and He is still communicating to His prophets and apostles in a variety of ways including dreams and visions. But dreams and visions are unique in that they can be used to communicate not only to prophets and apostles(leaders) but to all believers and non-believers. For example, Acts 9:10-12 tells us that God gave Ananias direction in a vision regarding Saul, who later became the Apostle Paul. Ananias was a Christian but not an apostle. This important truth is also supported by the fact that God communicated to Joseph, the husband of Mary, by dream (Matt. 1:20) In Acts 10:1-4 we discover that God gave a vision to a non-Christian, Cornelius.
Cornelius was not a follower of Jesus Christ. He is described as one who feared God. He was a man looking for God. So, God gave him a vision in order to help him know that He (God) was sending Peter to share the truth about Jesus Christ.

In Acts 2:17 we read the following:
And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams.

This passage is a quote of Joel 2:28. The quote strongly indicates that the Holy Spirit would be directly involved in dreams and visions in the last days. The passage implies that men and women will see visions and dreams because the Holy Spirit would be poured out on them.

DEFINITIONS (Oxford)
Dreams A series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep, OR A cherished aspiration, ambition, or ideal
Visions An experience of seeing someone or something in a dream or trance, or as a supernatural apparition OR The ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom.
Visions are basically the same as dreams, except that dreams happen whilst a person is in a state of sleep and visions will happen whilst the person is fully awake.

DREAMS AND VISIONS ARE FROM GOD:
As created beings, we are created in the image of God. God had a dream of what He wanted the heavens and the earth to look like. He then proceeded to create them according to that dream. Dreams allow us to see things as they really are, not as they appear to be.
Dreams from God are usually very spiritual experiences that are not easily forgotten, they become bound up in the heart of the person receiving the dream They almost become a part of the heart and mind of the person receiving the dream.
Dreams are so important that God mentioned them in His Word, telling us who dreamed, their dreams, and it purpose.

Passage: Genesis 20:3 
Dreamer: Abimelech
The dream and it purpose: “Indeed, you are a dead man, the woman you have taken is another man’s wife. God was letting Abimelech know that Sara was not available when Abraham lied to him about her being his sister. God sought to protect Abimelech.

Passage: Genesis 28:10-13 
Dreamer: Jacob
The dream and it purpose: “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac.” God was seeking to encourage Jacob about the future.

Passage: Genesis 31:24
Dreamer: Laban
The dream and it purpose: “Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.” God was warning Laban that he was to treat Jacob with respect.

Passage: Genesis 37:5
Dreamer: Joseph
The dream and it purpose: Joseph’s dreams and the outcome is a sign that God was with him, and He is the source of the dreams.

Passage: Genesis 41:1-13
Dreamer: Pharaoh
The dream and it purpose: God spoke to Pharaoh in dreams to tell of the 7 years of plenty and the 7 years of famine that were to come.

Passage: 1 Kings 3:5
Dreamer: Solomon
The dream and it purpose: God was asking Solomon what it was that he wanted. God was testing Solomon’s heart.

Passage: Matthew 1:20
Dreamer: Joseph
The dream and it purpose: “Take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel.” God was protecting Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

As we see from the above Scriptures, it is not unusual for God to communicate with His people (and even those who are not His people) in and through dreams. Dreams are the chosen way in which God uses to bring to people His plans, will and His purposes.
Clearly God does not need to speak to us in dreams, and can use many forms of media to do so. The most obvious form, being His Word.
However, God has chosen to reveal His will and His character to us through speaking to people in dreams.

THE PURPOSE OF DREAMS AND VISIONS:
1. To Keep us humble and from being destroyed by his own pride and sin Job 33:14-18 These verses clearly tell us that God speaks to keep a man from being destroyed by his own pride and sin. Jeremiah 17:9 - Sometimes God will use dreams to show us the content of our own hearts
2. Revealing of his prophets - Numbers 12:6 – “if there is a prophet among you, I, The Lord make Myself known to him in a vision.”
3. To restrain us from evil - Genesis 20:3-8 (prevent us from making mistakes)
4. To reveal God’s will & Answer - Genesis 28:11-22, Ezekiel 1:1
5. To encourage - Judges 7:13-15
6. To reveal the future - Genesis 37:5-10
7. To instruct - Matthew 1:20, Daniel 2:24-45 (in the things of God)
8. To warn - Matthew 2:12, Daniel 4 (us about hidden danger/Save life)
9. To Glorify God (Daniel 2:47).

DREAMS TO UNBELIEVERS:
God can and does speak to unbelievers in dreams.
Genesis 20:3-7 Warning Abimelech that Sara was not a woman that he was free to sleep with.
Genesis 41:1-7 Warning Pharaoh that 7 years of plenty were coming followed by 7 years of famine.
Daniel 2:1 Warning Nebuchadnezzar that he was to fall and lose his kingdom.
Matthew 27:19 Warning Pilate’s wife that Jesus was not to be falsely accused.

IDENTIFYING THE SOURCE OF DREAMS:
If we dream every night, then how can we tell which dreams are from God, and which dreams are from our own mind due to daily activities?
If we are conversant with the Holy Spirit and keeping the Word of God in our hearts and mind, then discerning the origins of our dreams will not be a hard thing to do. This will be based on your walk and relationship with God
If you are not sure whether your dream is the substance of your own mind or from God, upon waking, ask the Lord for his help.
If the symbols and principle in the Dream or Vision reveals more about the character and nature of God, then it is safe to receive the dream as from the Lord and seek the interpretation.

INTERPRETATION OF DREAMS:
Listening to the Holy Spirit is the most important aspect of finding the honest interpretation of any dream that we have.
Seeking the interpretation of dreams is only natural and right. This is not divination and not to be confused with such. We are not to seek dreams and interpretations as our ways of getting through life. We are to seek God and His Word.
Dream Interpretation is not listed as a spiritual gift, but clearly a dream given by the Holy Spirit will be interpreted by the Holy Spirit (Genesis 40:8, Daniel 1:17).
The dreams that Pharaoh received in Genesis Chapter 40, were given by God, and God gave Joseph the interpretation. The dream that King Nebuchadnezzar had in the Book of Daniel was given by God, and we see that God gave Daniel the interpretation.
We are to rely on the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to confirm and interpret dreams and visions given to us by God.
God will not give us dreams to amuse you or to stop you from relying upon Him and His Word.

LITERALLY OR NOT?
Can all dreams be taken literally?
Again, we need to ask God for His interpretation. God may be using this dream to speak of another hidden matter.

SUMMARY                                                                                                                                          God is supernatural, and all that He has to give is supernatural. He wants to display His supernatural knowledge, ability and power through His Church, so that the world will see that Jesus Christ is alive. That is why dreams and visions cut through the agendas of a man’s heart and touch the spirit of a man. Dreams and Visions is for everyone, whether believers or non-believers.
They serve as God instruction, guidance, warning and revelation of God’s plan for us. Each one of us needs a Dream from God. Our Dreams will keep us going through the storms of life
The Dreams that Joseph had, kept him while he was thrown into the pit because he believed the Dreams were from God; the Dreams kept him from sinning and from sleeping with Potiphar’s wife. The Dream of others, namely the baker and butler, were the media that God used to restore Joseph to the place of honour that God had intended for him (Genesis 41:9-15, 38, 41-44). The Dreams that Joseph had were fulfilled.
God will give Dreams to teach, warn and instruct, not to create suspicion or juicy gossip.

CONCLUSION                                                                                                                                      Our destinies are tied up in our Dreams. As we look at the Biblical figures who Dreamed, they were all destined for something. Their Dreams revealed their destinies and, as they kept true to God and their Dreams, their Dreams and destinies were realised or fulfilled in their own lives.
Interpretations – if we ask, seek, knock, the door will be opened (Matthew 7:7). We are to search (Proverbs 25:2).
The New Testament opens with a burst of Dreams and Visions in Matthew and closes with John the revelator’s incredible and dramatic Vision of Jesus.

Contributor: Clem Roberts

INTRODUCTION

In the past few weeks, we have been looking at the different ways the Holy Spirit Leads. From how He personally leads, the inward witness, to the exposition on how He leads through the still small voice. Today, we will be looking at how He leads via the authoritative voice.

Our text is taken from Acts 8:29 and it reads; Then the Spirit said unto Philip, go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
The power of the voice cannot be over emphasized. it is so powerful and vital in all human aspects and operations. You need a voice whether in you are government, educational institutions, business owner or entrepreneur, administration, church, politics, family or relationship, the list is endless.
It is a means to convey needs, interests, issues and concerns. In the program of God, the exact same principle applies; God has needs, interests and He responds to ours with passion and urgency via His voice.
Over the course of our Christian experience, we discover that some voices have something to say. others do not. Some have been a source of information and inspiration. Others have sown confusion and concern. The voice of a God makes a difference. It can transform who we are and how we respond to the challenges and the world system.

God in His word says in John chapter 10 verse: 3 to 4, reading from the NLT.
3.The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come tohim. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice.”

What is the Authoritative Voice of God?
The Word of God is the authoritative voice of God. He honors His word more than His name. He has used it authoritatively from the creation of the world. God says in Isaiah 46:10

"Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’"

Effect of God’s Authoritative Voice
• Luke 4:32 - people were amazed by HIs voice and authority
• Mark 4:39 - the mighty storm became still by His voice
• God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannotcomprehend.
• Psalm 46:6 - The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, theearth melted.

How to decipher God’s Authoritative Voice
I have seen people say some unimaginable things as God said.
• First, they build a mystery around God
• Secondly, they create this impression of am the “only one that can hear from Godsyndrome”

When they are done deluding you with sophistry it will be too late for you to know or even pay attention to details. Once you fall victim you become like a child who has the wrong impression about his father and nothing, he says makes a meaning anymore.
How to Authenticate the Authoritative Voice of God.
• It is advisable to always check our motives
• What we think God is saying, will it bring God glory or is it aggrandizing our desires?
• Are we trying to enhance our reputation beyond what is justified by the Word of God?
• Has my wishes, desires and dreams beclouded my ability to know His.
• Am I in His permissive or perfect will?

Benchmark 1: - The Word; Is it in the scripture? - Hebrews 6:18 says
" that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us."

What are these two things?
a. God's promise and
b. His oath

Benchmark 2: Is there a proper alignment?
When we compare what we think God is saying to us with God's written Word; does it align or contradict the Scripture?

What is the purpose of God’s Authoritative Voice?
1. Identification
Deuteronomy 5: 24 (NKJV) And you said: ‘surely the LORD our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire. We have seen this day that God speaks with man; yet he still lives.

2. Information
Genesis 18:17 And the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, 18 since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

3. Direction
Authoritative Voice of God gives direction with clarity and speed
i. Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac
ii. God Authoritative voice to Elijah on to escape Famine
iii. God authoritative voice to Elijah to anoint Elisha, Jehu and Hazael

CONCLUSION
The Authoritative Voice of God gives direction, clarity of purpose, speed to business, ministry, family, career, etc. You will do justice to your spirit, soul and body if you whole heartedly obey His voice. It is a key to supernatural living and escape from likely disappointments. If you go to the wrong person for help in time of dare need, lacking identity, information and direction, you will find yourself living a life of genuine excuses filled with aches and disappointments.
Let us be rightly positioned so that heaven can constantly, without restriction, communicate God’s intentions into our hearts. So that will can be done in our lives on earth as it is in heaven.

Contributor: Esther Alajiki

INTRODUCTION
In the last 2 weeks, we started to look at ways in which the Holy Spirit leads us. We learnt that the Holy Spirit is Person of God Himself and His Presence. Since He was gifted to the church, He has not stopped speaking to us and fulfilling His role as our Helper, and also we also discussed His leading as an “inward witness” point of view.
Our text reveals that our God is a sovereign God, He reveals Himself in diverse ways, He can reveal Himself in majestic ways as in the strong wind, the earthquake, and fire and He can decide to come as a still small voice. Whichever way He chooses we must realize that God lovingly speaks to us as we need. Because He is God, He is not confined to a single manner of communicating with His people. He is said to communicate through a whirlwind (Job 38:1), to announce His presence by an earthquake (Exodus 19:18), and to speak in a voice that sounds like thunder (1 Samuel 2:10; Job 37:2; Psalm 104:7; John 12:29). In Psalm 77:18 His voice is compared to both thunder and a whirlwind. And in Revelation 4:5, we’re told that lightning and thunder proceed from the throne in heaven.

Why a Still, Small Voice?
1. It was what Elijah needed
In this moment Elijah didn’t need the power and strength of wind, an earthquake, or a fire. Elijah needed the calming reassurance of God’s presence. God knew this and he met him in that manner. The Mount Carmel incident could have been spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausting for Elijah and for it to have been followed by a death threat?? He was in a fragile state – even requesting suicide. God came to him in a still small voice as he often does to us when there seems to be chaos around us, God is the one who chooses how he comes to us.

2. It revealed the tender nature of God
God deals with us more often than not with grace and loving-kindness. The God of fire and brimstone draws us to himself by his kindness, his mercy, his compassion and love. Romans 2:4 God met his brokenness with tenderness.

3. It was a foreshadowing of things to come
All throughout Scripture we see God from time to time move in dramatic ways. In the book of Acts on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came upon them. The infilling of the Holy Spirit in our lives is not always with thunder and our experience is mostly with a calm, reassuring sense of God’s presence that you carry with you from day to day.

4.It is the place that God speaks from
There is one more thing I find in the significance of God appearing to Elijah in a gentle whisper. In 1 Kings 19 after God appeared in the gentle whisper, he spoke to Elijah. I believe this is the same way he speaks to us when we need it. Apostle Paul in (1 Thess. 5:14). “admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all” reflects diverse ways of reaching out. Our Father generally uses that which is soft, tender, gentle, quiet, calm, peaceful most times.

We must make room for his presence and you must tune our ears to his voice, the ones who hear God speak most often are the ones who have prepared themselves to listen. Most people will not hear God speak audibly; you may hear God speaking to your heart through prayer, or you may hear God speaking to you through reading the Bible. Jesus has left us with an advocate and helper who lives within all believers.

Without being filled with the Spirit, we cannot be led by Him, (Romans 8:14). The Holy Spirit of God can lead us through the still small voice to fulfil His role in our lives, He is our helper who teaches and reminds (John 14:26, ESV). The Greek word “Parakletos” “Helper” (ESV) “Advocate” (NIV), and “Counsellor” (KJV). He gives us “legal counsel.” HE convicts the world of sin (John 16:7-8, ESV). HE dwells in believers and fills them (1 Corinthians 3:16, ESV), HE is the source of revelation, wisdom, and power (1 Corinthians 2:10-11). HE guides to all truth, including knowledge of what is to come. HE is called the “Spirit of Truth” in John 16:13. HE gives us spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). HE is God’s seal in our lives (Ephesians 1:13). HE helps in our weakness and intercedes for us (Romans 8:26-27). HE works to renew, sanctify, and make us holy and partakers of eternal life. (Romans 8:10-11). HE sanctifies and enables us to bear the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25). The still small voice is not a hearing of the mind, nor it is of the intellect, it comes directly from Christ Himself. It is God Himself speaking to us through the Holy Spirit.

CONCLUSION
The point of God speaking in the still small voice was to show Elijah that the work of God need not always be accompanied by dramatic revelation or manifestations. Divine silence does not necessarily mean divine inactivity. Zechariah 4:6 tells us that God’s work is “not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” meaning that overt displays of power are not necessary for God to work. Hearing from God is more of an art than a science. The more we learn it, the readier we will be to recognize His voice when He speaks, hearing from Him must be valued and practiced. It is a lifelong lifestyle and walk. God is a living Person and not an inanimate force. He can be wooed and He can be grieved. He can be received and He can be shunned. He can be valued and he can be rejected. As powerful as God is his presence so often shows up in the gentlest, most loving fashion. Regardless of your situation, God cares. He is not too busy to meet with you. The Holy Spirit has never stopped speaking since the time of Pentecost. The bigger issue is are you listening?
God is inviting you in. “Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David”. Isaiah 55:3

Contributor: Dolapo Olaoye

INTRODUCTION
Last week, we started to look at ways in which the Holy Spirit leads us. We learnt that the Holy Spirit is not an object that we can compare to a metamorphic symbiotic process but the Person of God Himself and His Presence. Today, we continue and look at it from an “inward witness” point of view -WHEN YOU JUST “KNOW”.
A View of the mechanisms of how the Holy Spirit leads us

Bible Reference: Romans 8:16 (NKJV): The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
The word spirit above has been highlighted on purpose as people sometimes use the words "spirit" and "soul" interchangeably. But they are not interchangeable and trying to use it as if they are similar we can become confused. The Bible clearly tells us that man's soul and spirit do not refer to the same thing as it differentiates between them in Heb.4:12 - "The word of God is living, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the DIVIDING of SOUL and SPIRIT…."

The Word of God teaches that you are a spirit, you have a soul, and you live in a body. The Holy Spirit will witness to our spirits, not our minds or intellect.

In Your Spirit
Since God dwells in you, in your heart or spirit, that is where He is going to speak to you from. He does not communicate directly with your mind, because He's not in your mind; He's in your spirit. Think about it this way, remember it is your spirit that becomes a new creation in Christ when you are born again. When we are born again, we still have the same body we had before. The outward man doesn't change. But the spirit man on the inside has become a new man in Christ. Since God guides us through our spirit, it's important to allow that inward man to dominate our lives.
As the scripture says in Proverbs 20:27 (KJV), your spirit is a candle of the Lord – “The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward part of the belly”. Meaning God will implant light in your spirit man, to lead and direct you on what to do.

Inward witness - explained
When the Holy Spirit speaks to your spirit, you do not hear an audible voice. This is what people call “the inner witness”. The voice of the Holy Spirit to your spirit creates a quiet assurance—a relaxed knowing about something.
Let’s look at it this way, say you pray about clear guidance for a certain direction you want to go in your life, and you get an unease or a red light in your spirit. Or to say it another way, on the inside of you there is something that tells you no or asks you to stop. On the inside - in your heart, you just don't feel right/good about going in the direction you're praying about. That check in your spirit is the Holy Spirit telling you not to go in that direction. However, say you pray about a something and you get a go-ahead signal or peaceful feeling in your heart, that's the witness of the Holy Spirit telling you to proceed.

God leads us by the inward witness (inward voice). With the inward voice, our own spirit speaks to us what it picks up from the Holy Ghost. When the Holy Spirit communicates something directly to you through the inner witness, it will be a knowing without any shadow of a doubt. This inner witness also guides us on several aspects of our lives – in ministry, business, marriage, career, daily decisions, etc. It can give us a green or red light about our plans. We are to obey when we sense this inner witness.
How many times have you heard people use the slang expression that their “gut” was telling them what they needed to do, and then later on it turned out to be right. Those “gut knowing” or “gut feelings” are many of the times the inner witness from the Holy Spirit. In fact, it seems this is the primary way God speaks to us, because this method of leading is available to almost everyone.

What differentiates the inner witness from an ordinary thought?
1. The inner witness is different from reasoning thoughts - It is not mental knowledge or logical reasoning. If what you are having is just a clever idea, then it’s probably not the inner witness.
2. The inner witness is not a physical feeling - You will not have a physical feeling so to say, since the inner witness is the voice of the Holy Spirit to your spirit.
3. The inner witness is best identified by eliminating other voices - A great secret to identifying the inner witness is to eliminate other voices. Ensure that it is not your flesh that wants to do something. Make sure that it is not just a reasonable proposition. There may be some good reason and some good feelings when the Spirit is leading you, but make sure it is not just that!
4. The inner witness is an impression of peace - The inner witness is an awareness of peace. It is the peace of God that is beyond (passes) understanding, reasoning, logic, and physical things. As you develop spiritually, you become aware of the peace of God as a method of direction. You will say, “I don’t have peace about this!” At other times you will say, “Even though it sounds odd, I have a peace about this issue. I know it will be well with me.” The inner witness is the peace of God there “to direct” and “to govern” - God uses peace to direct and govern you. “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body: and be thankful”. (Colossians 3:15 – NKJV).
5. The inner witness is a strong conviction - The inner witness makes you certain about what the Lord is saying. You begin to have a quiet assurance and confidence about the will of God. As you cannot easily explain the faith you have! You cannot always explain the convictions you have!
6. The inner witness is repetitive - The inner witness is the repeated voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart. As the Spirit continually cries, it creates an impression in you. You begin to have a conviction about certain things. You begin to know that you know.
7. The inner witness is an incomprehensible knowing - After you have heard the voice of the Spirit several times, you begin to know what to do. It creates in you “a knowing”. Before you take the next decision, you are going to take from now, watch out for that quiet assurance of peace in your heart. That is the Spirit of God, leading you into the will of God for your life.

Learn To Train Your Spirit
Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out from the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4).
A key principle to following the inward witness is to develop and train your spirit. How do you train your spirit?
1. Feed on God's Word.
2. Walk in love regardless of whether or not anyone else did.
3. Pray much in other tongues. Praying in other tongues is one of the best ways to develop your spirit man.
We get better at recognizing the inward witness leading of the Holy Spirit as we spend quality time in God’s Word daily, worshipping and meditating. Then our fleshy mind and intellect will have a lesser hold of us while our spirits come alive with God and recognize His leadings often.

CONCLUSION
Look back in your life and try to list a few inward witnesses that you followed and the ones you did not follow. Let’s surrender our hearts to God – ask him to please lighten your spirit and cause us to understand when He is speaking to us by the inward witness in Jesus’ name (Amen).

Contributor: Alex Kokobili

INTRODUCTION

We learned from the previous lesson about developing our spirit as an antidote against the struggles of the flesh. The Christian journey cannot be detached from its foundation of the Holy Spirit as Christ’s gift to the church (John 14: 16, Acts 2: 2-12). Today’s study progresses on how to recognize the leading of the Holy Spirit with an emphasis on how He speaks to us as individuals. The Holy Spirit is quite audible and He speaks but most often He is not heard because we do not understand the spiritual mechanism of hearing Him. In approaching the study, we must bear in mind that God is a Spirit and for Him to speak to us means that there is a spirit in us that can also connect with Him (John 4: 24). The text before us would help us to understand the qualities of the Holy Spirit as it relates to Him speaking to us but also the onus is on us to understand or know when He speaks.

A View of The Mechanisms Of How The Holy Ghost Speaks To Us

Bible Reference: John 16:13 (NKJV): However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will tell you things to come.

1. He is called the Spirit of “TRUTH”: There is no ambiguity, error, or heresy in Him. You might not be sure at times, but according to 1 Corinthians 14: 33 “God is not the author of confusion”, 1 John 4: also tells us to “Test all spirits”, because there are a lot of mixtures that might try to be like the truth but are not. Matthew 7:16 says that by their fruits you shall know them and not by the miracles they perform. You must be willing to accept God’s Word as the only and final Word without which you cannot understand the voice of the Holy Spirit.

2. He Guides: This relates to actions, decisions and involvement of divine direction. For instance, in Acts 13: 4 we see that Paul and Barnabas were sent (on their journey) by the Holy Ghost to Seleucia. This does not mean the Holy Ghost spoke audibly to them but that they were convinced within their spirit. Also, Isaiah 30: 21 explained the Spirit to be a voice that speaks and directs us in the manner to go. Romans 8: 14 reveals “for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God”.

How Does He Guide?

• Faith: We cannot be guided by the Holy Spirit by logic. Hebrews 11: 8, by faith Abraham, followed God to a country he did not physically see, but he believed in God’s leading.
• Through the "Spirits" of His Spirit (Isaiah 11:2). This is expressed in us through His 1. Authority (Lordship), 2. Wisdom, 3. Counsel, 4. Might, 5. Knowledge, 6. Understanding (see also Ephesians 1: 8), and 7. Godly fear. We would be subject to His Spirits which is also a measure of His Spirit or else we would never be able to recognise His voice.
• His Word: His Word becomes a living Spirit when we allow the Holy Spirit to give us revelation. We cannot hear by dwelling in the letter (Acts 8: 26-40) is the example of Philip and the Ethiopia Eunuch. As we study His word we get accustomed to revelations and all the spiritual corridors would be opened for us to get direction from God such as in through a Prophet, Fasting/Prayers, Giving, Holiness, Obedience, Humility, etc. See also John 6:63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.

3. Authority: This removes timidity and hopelessness and gives us boldness and spiritual might which is missing in our human effort fails. We see in 2 Tim 1: 7 Paul desired Timothy to lead the church with authority (boldness) without thinking less of what God is doing through Him in the church. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”.

4. He Speaks: This is could be through spiritual expressions of gifts such as 1 Corinthians 12: 7-10 we see a whole list: words of wisdom, words of knowledge, unusual faith in God, or the gift of faith over an issue, divine healing, miracles, prophecies, discernment of spirits, speaking in tongues, and also the interpretation of tongues. Most Christians are not used to hearing when He speaks because they think it is ordinary. For instance, Revelation 19: 10, tells us each time we hear testimony about what God has done, it is the Holy Spirit that speaks. “The testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy”.

5. He is not stagnant (“He will tell you things to come”): This can be in form of something futuristic such as a prophecy, dream, vision, word of knowledge, etc. At this point, you must be spiritually inclined not to trivialize certain events or experiences in your life. John 14: 26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

CONCLUSION
The Holy Spirit is not an object that we can compare to a metamorphic symbiotic process or spunky humming ghost but the Person of God Himself and His Presence. Since He was gifted to the church, He has not spoked speaking (Acts 2: 1-13), but unfortunately lots of people cannot recognize His voice (1 Samuel 3:7 as we see initially in the life of Samuel despite residing in the temple). It will amaze us if the Holy Spirit leaves the earth completely today, 99% of the church might not be aware until 10 years. We need to desire intimacy if we want to hear the Spirit of God because He is not as talkative as many people think (Psalm 62:11). We also need to open up every bit of our life to Him because He speaks – “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion” Hebrews 3: 15.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
A person is made up of three parts: spirit, soul, and body/flesh (1 Thessalonians 5:23). The body is the outward part that is seen by the natural eye, referred to as the “earth suit”. The soul is composed of mind, emotions, will, and attitudes, our personality. And the spirit is the breath of God that gave all humans life. It is the hidden, inner part that has access to God. No other creature was created by God with this third part. Today, as part of ways to function in God’s plan for our lives, we will be looking at the topic “Develop Your Spirit”.

THE BACKDROP
Man was created in the image of God, and since God is spirit, we are also spirit beings. Proverbs 20:27a says: “The spirit of a man is the lamp of God” It is by this spirit, the Lord leads us and accomplishes His purposes in our lives.
Job 32:8 (NCV) says: “But it is the spirit in a person, the breath of the Almighty, that gives understanding.”

When man fell in Eden, the spirit of man (the part that has access to God) was overthrown by the flesh and since then there has been a constant battle between the flesh and the spirit. And our enemy has since then used the flesh of the fallen man to control and derail man from the original purpose and intention of God for him. That is why our spirit needs to be strong so that it can take the lead; not our flesh. Our spirit needs to be alert to be able to perceive and receive from God; whatever direction He wants us to take. That is why it is
therefore very important to build a strong spirit.

At the point of being born again, every one of us was given a measure of the renewed spirit 
Ezekiel 36:26-27 says: “26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my  decrees and be careful to keep my laws."

We have the opportunity to nurture this new spirit or starve it. The choice we make about this determines the part that wins in every conflicting circumstance between the spirit and the flesh.

TEXT: Galatians 5:17: “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.”

A DEVELOPED/STRONG SPIRIT
A developed spirit is a strong spirit. Proverbs 18:14a (MSG) tells us that a strong spirit is what sustains us in any kind of trouble. It says: “A healthy spirit conquers adversity,”
A strong spirit is confident, established, unmovable and ready for anything. It is steady under pressure, full of joy and peace—and it never quits. 
Proverbs 24:10 says: “If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small.”

A strong spirit will get you through anything—physical attacks, financial problems, relational difficulties, career setbacks and whatever else the devil throws your way; ensuring that we do not deviate from God’s original plan and purpose for our lives

WAYS TO DEVELOP A STRONG SPIRIT
1. Feed Your Spirit, Starve Your Flesh
“Man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” –Matthew4:4 (AMPC)
Healthy, nutritious food for our spirit is the Word of God. Whether you know it or not, your spirit has a voracious appetite for God’s Word. The Word feeds your spirit just like natural food feeds your body. It’s like a healthy meal to your spirit.

Job 23:12 says: “I have not gone back from the commandment of His lips; I have esteemed and treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.”

2. Get Spiritual Exercise
“Train yourself toward godliness…[keeping yourself spiritually fit].” 1 Tim 4: 7 (AMPC)
The Bible tells us that while there is some value in physical exercise, spiritual exercise is much more important (1 Timothy 4:7-8). That’s because exercising your faith will strengthen your spiritual muscles.
The stronger you are spiritually, the easier it is to believe God and receive from Him.
Take on spiritual activities that stretch your faith, that deepens your trust and reliance in the Lord. Spend time fasting and praying, spend extended periods meditating and carrying out in-depth studies of the Word. Volunteer and participate in Kingdom related projects that you may have never engaged in before.

Isaiah 6:8 (NIV) “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

3. Take Spiritual Rest
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest….” Matthew 11:28 (AMPC)
Rest isn’t always the state of doing nothing. Instead, it’s an active choice to press in and trust God. Such as casting all our cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:6-8), praying in tongues will edify and build up your spirit (Jude 1:20 & 1 Corinthians 14:4) and waiting on the Lord (Isaiah 40:31). Go on spiritual retreats; pulling back from the maddening crowd, and from activities that drain virtue from us while we draw closer to the Lord for replenishment and revitalization.

4. Develop Good Habits
Ephesians 6:10 (GNT)
“Finally, build up your strength in union with the Lord and by means of his mighty power.”
TPT renders this verse thus:
“Now my beloved ones, I have saved these most important truths for last: Be supernaturally infused with strength through your life-union with the Lord Jesus”

• Get time with God everyday (Ps 25:4, Luke 5:16, John 15:7)
• Get together with believers every week (Heb. 10:25, you by yourself like a block of coal will grow cold and weak, Acts 5:42, Eccl 4:9-10)
• Give a tithe to God (Matt. 6:21, Deut. 14:23c says: “The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives.”)
• Never shy away from the opportunity to serve God. (Exodus 23:25)

5. Don’t Run Away from Challenges
God always has a purpose for our challenges. No pain, trial, tribulation gets to us without our Father’s approval. He lets them come to us because He has a purpose for them! Challenges come to make us strong.
James 1: 2-4 (MSG)
“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colours. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.”
James 1:12 (AMP)
“Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive (the victor's) crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.”

God is not interested in children that only have a superficial relationship with Him, He wants us to have depth, develop roots that go deep down and stabilize us and this is not achieved in a hurry. So we are to stay on until He is through with His work, He has a purpose and a plan. So put up with it and go through it, don’t even think of quitting because He will bring you out at the end a better person. He wants us to grow! Not to remain stagnant. Psalms 66:9-12 (MSG) says:
“Didn't he set us on the road to life? Didn't he keep us out of the ditch? He trained us first, passed us like silver through refining fires, Brought us into hardscrabble country, pushed us to our very limit, Road-tested us inside and out, took us to hell and back; Finally he brought us to this well-watered place.”

PITFALLS TO AVOID
To remain spiritually strong, there are certain attitude traps we must avoid. These attitudes leave us exposed to the whims of the devil.

1. Self-Indulgence - Judges 14:1-20
The first pitfall we will consider is self-indulgence; living only based on your feelings; doing whatever we like and want. The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:23
“23 You are certainly free to eat food offered to idols if you want to; it’s not against God’s laws to eat such meat, but that doesn’t mean that you should go ahead and do it. It may be perfectly legal, but it may not be best and helpful.”
Also in 1 Corinthians 6:12 (MSG)
“12 Just because something is technically legal doesn’t mean that it’s spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I’d be a slave to my whims.

Rick Warren says:

• Just because I want something doesn’t mean I must have it
• Just because I can afford it doesn’t mean I must buy it
• Just because it’s pleasurable doesn’t mean it is good
• Just because everybody is doing it doesn’t mean I have to do it

To be spiritually strong, you must therefore discipline your desires.

2. Anger and Bitterness - Numbers 20:11-12
We have been taught time and again how anger can truncate a person’s destiny. Moses’ anger caused him entering the Promised Land. Ephesians 4:26-27 tells us that anger exposes us to the attack of the enemy. It says: “26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.”
One of the original purposes for man we learnt earlier in the year from Micah 6:8 which says: He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?
James 1:20 (AMP) says: “for the [resentful, deep-seated] anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God [that standard of behaviour which He requires from us].”

Letting your anger consume your thoughts and actions will only lead you down a sinful path with consequences; one of which is being derailed from God’s plan and purpose as we see in the case of Moses.
Psalm 37:8 says: “Don’t give in to worry or anger; it only leads to trouble.”
Job 5:2 says: "To worry yourself to death with resentment would be a foolish, senseless thing to do." (GNT)
Job 18:4a says: “You are only hurting yourself with your anger.”

3. Negligence, Carelessness and Compromise - Judges 16:1-20
Negligence is the failure to take proper care of something or a refusal to pay the required attention to something. It lies at the opposite end of the spectrum to Diligence. Carelessness carries the consequence of sapping your spiritual strength. Anytime you get careless with any aspect of your life you are headed in the wrong direction, Carelessness leads to little compromises and little foxes do spoil the vine.
Song of Solomon 2:15 says: “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.”
Samson toyed with sin and slowly slipped to the point where he finally fell; after the Spirit of the Lord left him, he lost his spiritual strength.
Negligence in one area of our lives is an “unhealthy cancer” that can very easily spread to other areas. It’s sneaky so let’s be careful! When we are negligent over any area of our lives, we are simply creating an environment for disaster; we are digging a pit, breaking the hedge, and exposing ourselves to the enemy to drain out our spiritual strength.
Proverbs 19:16 (MSG) says: “Keep the rules and keep your life; careless living kills.”

CONCLUSION
Developing one’s spirit does not happen by accident — it’s the result of the choices you make and habits you develop. Since the fall of man in Eden, the spirit of man (the part that has access to God) was overthrown by the flesh and since then there has been a constant battle between the flesh and the spirit. From our study today, we learnt that Samson chose a lifestyle that sapped his spiritual strength.We learnt that Moses, missed the Promise Land due to anger. It is therefore very important that everyone of us evaluate our spiritual condition. 3 John 1:2 NLT says:
“Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit.”
Every believer has the potential to stand in a greater place of supernatural strength. As we build a stronger spirit, it will become easier to receive, resist and stand. We will be victorious with a strong spirit! And we will be strong enough to strengthen others. And even more importantly, we will be better equipped to remain on track as we function in God’s plan and purpose for our lives.

Parts of this study was culled from
https://blog.kcm.org/4-ways-develop-strong-spirit-2018/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvSjgFYlRX0
https://halyministries.com/learn-how-to-build-a-strong-spirit/
https://www.amazon.com/Still-Standing-Victoriously-Through-Difficult/dp/0956492746
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Apples-Gold-Settings-Silver-Christianity/dp/0956492770

Contributor: Ngozi Roberts

INTRODUCTION
Since the beginning of this year in our studies, we have been focusing on God’s plan for us. And in doing this we have been able to explore how to identify His purpose for us and live that purpose. As it’s a daily affair, we went further last week to discuss how to function in living out His purpose for us. We delved into the three important requirements that will enable us function in God's plan. We discussed extensively about these functions - Diligence which is hard work, Fervour and Service. We understood that for us to be able to function effectively and diligently in our service to God in every area of our living, we to have the zeal (fervour) to serve Him.
Now that we know all the requirements needed to function in God's plan. Today we are pushing further in our studies towards an area that will make our effective function a lot easier. This aspect allows us to be led by the Holy Spirit. By the grace of God, we will be able to understand the need to totally rely on the Holy spirit in our daily living and find out how easy and stress free such life will be. 

Be Led By the Holy Spirit
When we say to us ‘Be led by the Holy Spirit’, for me by implication it means that there are also other kinds of spirits but we are not going into in these other spirits today. We are having our discussion on the Holy Spirit. Essentially we are to understand that when we got born again, the Holy Spirit came in to dwell in us. It is in the fellowship with this Holy Spirit that we are lead into fulfilling effectively the life of the purpose that God has called us into. So there is a need for us to have a little understanding of who the Holy Spirit is.

So Who is this Holy Spirit?
He is a person. So if we are to be led by someone, it would be wise for us to know who that person is. Yes, the scriptures has confirmations for us that he is a Person. A person is meant to have intellect, Mind and Will and this is confirmed of Him in 1Corinthians 2:10-12 -12
10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us."

So as a Person, He is able to search the Mind of God for our benefit. Also as a Person He has emotions. In Ephesians 4:30 , it says that:
“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

Above all, this Person is also known as Jesus Christ because in Matthew 1:18 the scriptures says:
"18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[d]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit."

So we know that the Person we are to be led by, is God Himself in the person of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that made the word flesh.

Benny Hinn once said that the Holy Spirit is Jesus without Limits. Why, because, he said when Jesus was in the world, he was limited, in that he could not be physically present in many places at the same time. So with the Holy Spirit, He can live in everyone that accepts him, He is therefore limitless!
Our Text for today Romans 8:14:
"14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

We now know who our leader, the Holy Spirit is. Who then does He lead?

Sons of God
To be qualified as a Son of God, entails quite a lot. Let us consider who can call himself or herself a ‘son of God’. I believe that when there is relationship between an offspring and a father then one can say there is a son/father relationship. It could be through a natural descent or by adoption. Our Text today Roman 8:14-16 confirms this:
"14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children." (NIV)

How can we then be led by the Holy Spirit?
I have drawn out some of the ways that the Holy Spirit can Lead us from the below scripture. The idea is that in our daily living towards fulfilling our purpose, we ought to rely on this Peron, the Holy Spirit, to lead us aright.
The scripture tells us in John 14:15-26 that this Person is:

• The Spirit of Truth
• He is our Advocate
• He is our Teacher
• He is our Reminder of all things.

“If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be] in you. 25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

From this scripture, we can draw out how the Holy Spirit leads us:

• Telling us the truth at all times
• Being our advocate
• Teaching us all things
• Reminding us and revealing all things

In our todays’ text, Romans 8:14: 14 "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

We have a reassurance as believers that once we are led by the Holy Spirit, we can consider ourselves as sons of God.
To be led can be defined as to show the way by going in advance; to guide or direct one on a course. A child can easily be led or guided or directed to do something. Why is that? Because a child by nature is not yet knowledgeable enough to guide him or herself. A child at this stage might not even know what is good or bad for him/her. That is why the child has to depend on someone to guide him or her. The scriptures emphasis on this in Matthew 18:3 He said:
“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven"

So, to qualify to be called a ‘son of God’, we ought to be like little children. Now as children, so long as we are steadfast and develop the habit of holding on to the Holy Spirit guidance, then we will be able to grow into maturity. It is at this stage that one can look at us and attest that we are sons of God. When you allow others to lead you, one can say you are matured. When we mature as sons, we would have developed through the teaching of the Holy Spirit in such a way that some particular attributes becomes our nature. Attributes like:

Followership – It is our responsibility as sons to follow and it is the responsibility of God to make us. Matthew 4:19
"19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him."
Also 1 Corinthians 11:1 also confirms this. “ Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”

So as followers, we must be willing to buy into His ideology. It is trust. You follow him blindly knowing that He is your Father. You see, it takes a childlike approach to be follower. You must forsake somethings like your ambition, ego etc. just like Abraham left everything to follow him. Just like the disciples left everything to follow Him.

Total Dependence – Another attribute that must be seen in us as sons is total dependence. You see in the kingdom of God Independence is equal to rebellion. John 5:19 Jesus said:
"19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise."

So you see Jesus was not able to do anything on his own independence. He was totally dependent on His Father. Thus, whenever we see someone’s life glorifying God, it is a proof that the lifestyle of God is being followed and we can easily say such a person is a son of God.

Empowered - Another attribute that should be seen in us as sons is the ability to Say and it comes to pass. The ability to declare a thing and it becomes so. We come into a dimension of power that Jesus exhibited. Note that the real power is from the authority that is over us. In Matthew 8:5-10 we read the story of the Centurion that wanted Jesus to come and heal his servant and when Jesus wanted to go to him, the man restrained him but said -
"9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it."

This is a man that understood the law of submission.

You will always manifest the power of the submission you are under.

CONCLUSION
To be led by the Holy Spirit, requires that one must have gone through the levels of development into maturity by the Holy Spirit. When we get born again, we go through the school of the spirit. During this stage of development, we learn how to let go of our old self and nurture that spirit of God that we received. We do this through our communication and fellowship with the Lord, digesting the word and allowing the Holy Spirit through the word of God to prune us and develop us. By the time we do this day in day out, we apply what we have red in our daily living. Sometimes we fail, but we pick up and learn from our mistakes through the direction of the Holy Spirit. As we do this daily, it becomes a habit. We then come to a stage where before we say something to anyone, we pause and ask the Holy Spirt for guidance on what to say. Same thing on what to wear, where to go etc. until this becomes our true nature.
At this stage one can see us and point out that we are being led by the Holy Spirit. It will be obvious. I believe that this is the stage of sonship. It is the state that we become strong. It is at this stage that the word of God lives in us. It is at this stage that we overcome the evil one. Why? Because, no one can be strong, have the word of God living in them, overcome the evil one without the help of the Holy Spirit.
The scripture confirmed that the Holy Spirit is a Revealer. 1 Cor. 2:9 –12 - 9

However, as it is written:

“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” [—the things God has prepared for those who love him— 10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us"

Therefore, in every area of our lives, in our Marriages; In our studies; In our business dealings; In our family relationships / parenting / child; Friendships, the Holy Spirit will always guide us. He is our revealer. In living through the fulfilment of the purpose of God in our lives, it is important for us to understand that the key is depending on the Holy Spirit, through our fellowship with Him.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION

In the first quarter of the year the study was focussed on understanding what God’s plan is for us, identifying His purpose for us and living out that purpose. Since the beginning of the second quarter we have been considering how we can function in God’s Plan; treating topics such as: “Except the Lord Build the House”, “Remain connected to the Source”, “Align Your Plans with God’s”, “Walk in the Light of God’s Word”, “Walk in Love”, “Consecration to God’s Plan” each of them revealing requirements for functioning in God’s Plan. This is important because it is not just only about knowing God’s plan and purpose but living it out by functioning in it. Today we shall be identifying a three-in-one way of functioning in His plan – “Diligence, Fervour & Service”

Romans 12:11: “[1]Not slothful in business; [2]fervent in spirit; [3]serving the Lord”

TPT says: “[1]Be enthusiastic to serve the Lord, [2]keeping your passion toward him boiling hot! Radiate with the glow of the Holy Spirit and let him fill you with excitement [3]as you serve him.”

Our text identifies three vital requirements for functioning in God’s Plan. There is a very interesting connection between these three parts of our text as it relates to functioning in God’s plan. To function in God’s plan requires diligence (hard work) and service. But for these two be meaningful, effective and productive, it needs fervour.

1. Not Slothful In Business
The NASB renders this statement as “never lagging behind in diligence.” Not lagging is a phrase translated from a Greek word that means “lazy”. It is the same word Jesus used to describe the lazy servant in Matthew 25:26 who hid his talent. To function in God’s plan requires action from us. That is why we must be engaged in His service. In one of the parables of the Kingdom, Jesus in Luke 19: 11-13, invites us to occupy till He comes.

"11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. 12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come."

Not to be slothful in business means we must be diligent in whatever we are doing. Proverbs 22:29

2. Fervent In Spirit
The word translated "fervent in spirit" means to boil with heat, be hot. It is used of boiling anger, love, and zeal for what is good or bad. As used in our text, it means to have a burning zeal to do the will of God.
To be fervent means to exhibit particular enthusiasm, zeal, conviction, persistence, or belief. It is to be sold out; not half hearted, passionate, fully committed & consecrated

Solomon had the heart to be a wise ruler (1 Kings 3:1-15),Moses had a heart for his people (Exodus 32:30-33), Nehemiah had a heart for Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 1:1-2:9)
Let your heart always be in whatever your hands find doing!

John 2:17, says of Jesus: "Then His disciples remembered that it was written, 'Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.'"
Fervour and enthusiasm are the keys to success in the Lord's work. The church at Laodicea was chastised because they were lukewarm (Rev. 3:14-16).
The TPT says: “keeping your passion toward him boiling hot! Radiate with the glow of the Holy Spirit and let him fill you with excitement”

How can we achieve this? Romans 12:1 (MSG) spells it out:
“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.”

3. Serving The Lord
One of the purposes why God made us is for service. (Ephesians 2:10) MSG says:
“God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.”

The first two parts of our text in Romans 12:11: (not slothful in business and fervent in spirit) tell us how we should serve the Lord. Diligently, passionately, enthusiastically. (Colossians 3:23)
1 Cor. 15:58a says: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord”

a) All believers are called on to serve the Lord. (Romans 12:4-8).

The Apostle Paul creates an analogy of the church as the body of Christ. Every part of the body is valuable and useful to the overall functioning of the body. Even so, every believer has been given spiritual gifts to use for the building up of the body of Christ. There is no such thing as a non-serving member of the body. If you’re not serving, you need to ask the Lord how He wants you to serve and begin doing it.
1 Peter 4:10 says, “God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God’s many kinds of blessings” (TLB).

Ephesians 4:16 says: “He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”

b) We serve the Lord as His slaves, not as His volunteers. (Luke 17:7-10)

Volunteers choose when and how they serve; slaves are on call day and night, whether they feel like serving or not.
First, make sure that your motivation is right. You serve Him because of His great mercies toward you in the gospel. That motivation moves you not to be lazy, but diligent in serving Him. Serving Christ becomes your passion, so that you do it fervently. And, remember that you’re serving none other than the Lord Himself.

Two verses of scripture lay a solid foundation of the kind of service that pleases the Lord.
• Ephesians 6:7 (AMP) says:
“Rendering service readily with goodwill, as to the Lord and not to men,”
To render service readily means to render service enthusiastically, gladly and cheerfully. And to render it with goodwill refers to rendering service with willingness, concern and kindness. So let’s rephrase our Ephesians text:
“Rendering service enthusiastically, gladly and cheerfully and with willingness, concern and kindness, as to the Lord and not to men,”

The second verse of scripture we will consider is
• Colossians 3:23 (KJV)
“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”
To render service heartily means to render service whole heartedly, enthusiastically, etc.
So let’s rephrase our Colossians text:
“And whatsoever ye do, do it whole heartedly and enthusiastically, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”

CONCLUSION
Our text today refers to people who are motivated and passionate in their service for the Lord. So we must ask ourselves this question: “Am I diligent and fervent in spirit in my service for the Lord?” Or, like the church in Laodicea, whom the Lord threatened to spew out of His mouth, could I be lukewarm?
The last thing anyone of us will want is that these year’s series of Bible study “Following God’s plan for Your Life” ends up being only a cliché in their lives. You can be following God’s plan for your life in your secular job; nothing wrong with that. But if you limit it to only that and be indifferent to the Lord’s business, you miss out on certain perks that come with the service of God (Exodus 23:25) and secondly, you will not be a functioning part of the body of Christ (Romans 12:4-8 & Eph. 4:16). That is why time and again, we have encouraged ourselves to become useful in the body of Christ. Also, our call to service does not end in church alone but everywhere we find ourselves, our lights must shine (Matt.5:16). The MSG version of Colossians 3:23 says: “Servants, do what you're told by your earthly masters. And don't just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best.”

Contributor: Okwudili Prince-Isaac

INTRODUCTION
Consecration is the amount of our unconditional surrender to God! Consecration is a process or practice of making something or someone sacred. Dedicated and set apart for the Lord. It also means the devoting or setting apart of anything or anyone to the worship or service of God (Exodus 28:41).

In Matthew 26, we see Jesus praying the prayer of dedication. These verses give us an example of His devotion to consecrate Himself to do the Father’s will.
“36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matthew 26:36, 39)

What was Jesus talking about when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane? He knew the cross was before Him. He knew He was about to be made the sacrifice for sin on our behalf (Heb. 9:26). Jesus battled the temptation to draw back from what was to come and prayed, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from Me!”

It wasn’t easy for Jesus to fulfill the Father’s plan. But He knew the outcome of redemption meant salvation for mankind. So, for the joy set before Him, He surrendered to His Father’s will (Heb. 12:2). Jesus’ prayer of consecration was “O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done” (Matt. 26:42).

God is looking for believers who will consecrate themselves entirely to Him to carry out His plan for their lives, just as Jesus did at Gethsemane and throughout His earthly ministry. God is looking for believers who will say as Jesus did, “Not my will, Father, but Your will be done.”
The prayer of consecration is not a one-time prayer. Jesus virtually prayed the same prayer three times (Matt. 26:39, 42, 44). It is a prayer we pray throughout our lives. We will only be able to follow God’s plan if we always maintain an attitude of consecration and surrender to His will, whatever it might be.
God is looking for believers who will say as Jesus did, “Not my will, Father, but Your will be done.”

Other Texts: Romans 6, Romans 12, Exodus 28:41, Heb. 9:26, Heb. 12:2

Five Stages of Consecration
•Salvation [Romans 7:6, Col 1:13]
•Self [Eph. 4:22]
•Surrender [Gal 2:20]
•Servanthood [Col 3:23]
•Slave (Finish Line) – [Romans 6:18, Jn 21:18]

Be Willing to Do Anything for God
It’s important to be willing to do anything God asks. We need to commit ourselves to obey Him and do His will every day for the rest of our lives. Unwillingness to obey God can hinder or delay His plan for us from being fulfilled.
We will only experience the fullness of God’s plan and the full measure of His anointing and blessing on us if we are willing to obey Him in every area of our lives. We’ve all had to “drink some cups” that we would rather have passed up. But when we know that the cup is God’s will, we can rest assured the outcome will be for our good and to God’s glory.

Many Christians have never surrendered everything to the Lord. They only are willing to make Jesus Lord of part of their lives. But sometimes they aren’t willing to give up control of certain areas their carnal nature holds dear.
It’s critical to make a quality decision to follow God’s plan for our lives. That decision becomes an anchor to our souls that keeps us in His perfect will when the devil brings temptations to distract us from the plans of God. If we’re never fully surrendered to Him, we stand in danger of being persuaded by the devil’s temptations to pursue our will and desires. As a result, we lose out on God’s best.

The Crossroad of Decision
Many Christians are at a crossroad. They face decisions that will influence the course of their lives. The road of obedience is what we must choose if we want to follow God’s plan. Although it seems hard to say ‘no’ to our will and plans, the result of obedience will cause our spirits to rejoice. We will make our way prosperous and be fulfilled beyond anything we can imagine.
No comparison can be made between a life of walking in the flesh and one of living according to God’s perfect plan! As we choose daily to obey the Lord’s will, we will be a blessing to many. And God will lead us to places of abundance in every area of our lives!

Outcome of Consecration
The first result is described in Romans 6, and the second result is described in Romans 12.
• Our Benefit (Romans 6)
• God’s Benefit (Romans 12)

Our Benefit

The consecration in Romans 6 is for one’s own benefit; it is to bear the fruit of righteousness. The result of consecration in Romans 6 is deliverance from sin to be a slave of God in order to bear fruit unto sanctification. This is what it means to live out the overcoming life day by day. Our hands, feet, and mouths belong to the Lord. We dare not use them ourselves. Every time temptations come, we have to say that we do not have our hands with us. When we consecrate ourselves this way, we will be sanctified and bear the fruit of sanctification. Hence, consecrating ourselves is the first thing we should do after the overcoming experience, and it is also the firstfruit of the overcoming experience.
There is a true story of a Christian brother who had consecrated himself fully to the Lord. When he was on a train ride, a few friends decided to have a card game. Three people were present, and they were short one person, so they invited him to join in. He answered, "Sorry, friends. I do not have my hands with me. These hands are not mine but Another’s.” While the friend still struggled to understand his response, he continued “They are merely placed on my body. I dare not use them."

God’s Benefit  

The consecration in Romans 12 is for God’s benefit; it is for the accomplishment of God’s will and for acceptable service to Him. The result of the
consecration in Romans 12 is not just God’s pleasure but the proving of God’s good, well-pleasing, and perfect will.

The result of the presenting is in Romans 12:2. "Do not be fashioned according to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and well pleasing and perfect."

This is our ultimate goal today. God has an eternal purpose, which is accomplished through His Son. God created everything through Him for this purpose. Redemption is for this purpose, the defeat of Satan is for this purpose, and the salvation of sinners is for this purpose. We have to know God’s eternal purpose before we can accomplish what God wants us to accomplish. We are not here merely for the salvation of sinners; we are here for the accomplishment of God’s eternal purpose. Every kind of work must be linked up with God’s eternal purpose.

“There the true story Asian Preacher coming back home from short visit to part of town. He was about to board a bus but the driver told him to “get off”. Stunned, he looked carefully, and realised that it was not an ordinary bus, but a chartered bus. The Spirit used the incidence to teach him lesson - Every Christian should be a "chartered" person, and not a "public" Christian. We are not public, but "chartered," fully reserved for God’s will and separated.”

Lack of Consecration in Believers
In our days many believers seem willing to lay some things on the altar, but not all! God’s plan for their lives is hindered. Many of His blessings are withheld because they haven’t wholly consecrated themselves to do His will instead of their own.

Benefits of Consecration
1.Overflowing blessings (Exodus 32:29).
2.Overflowing anointing (Hebrews 1:9;10:38; Acts 5:12).
3.Becoming a chosen vessel of God (II Timothy 2:21; Acts 9:15).
4.Ever abiding presence of God (Psalm 91:1; Matthew 28:19-20).
5.Outstanding victory without a fight (Proverbs 16:7; II chronicles 20:15-19).

Summary
Every Christian should consecrate himself; it is wrong to assume that only special Christians should consecrate themselves. His blood has purchased us, and we are His. His love has constrained us, and we live for Him. Let’s consider how consecrated we are to the Lord. Let’s consider whether we’re able to say from our hearts, “I’ll do whatever You ask of me. I’ll go anywhere You send me. I’ll stay wherever You want me. No matter where You lead me, I’ll carry the Good News of Jesus Christ to others.” We must ‘let go’ in order for the Lord to mature us and lead us deeper, like he did to Prophet Ezekiel –Ezek. 47:2-5

Closing
If we do not consecrate ourselves, we will never realize that this will is good. God’s will is not only good but also perfect. All of God’s will toward those who love Him is profitable. If we know this, we will not reject His will. Presenting our bodies to Him is holy and well pleasing to Him. Christ ultimately lived out John 21:18 “Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go”
May we find His will well-pleasing to us and find that His will is good and perfect. Amen