LIFE Covenant Church International

03/05/2020

23/11/2019

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31/01/2019

FASTING AND PRAYER DAY 17

RESTING FROM TOIL

After the increase state of wickedness in the world, the Lord resolved to wipe out all humans and animals from the face of the earth.

Yet still, the Lord's judgment was to be balanced with His mercy. That divine mercy is amplified within chapter 6 of Genesis by a play on the Hebrew letters [N], [KH], and [M]. The phrases "was grieved" [NKHM], "wipe out" [MAKHAN], Noah [NOAKH], and "found favour" [HEN] are intentionally used by the author of the Genesis, Moses, to emphasise God's intentional act of mercy in countering human wickedness.

In the midst of that wickedness, NOAH found favour (Genesis 6:8). While the Lord was grieved [NKHM] in His heart for injustice in a very good world He created, Noah [NOAKH] found favour [HEN] with YHWH.

May you find rest in the favour the Lord has for you in this season in spite of the challenges around you.

Amen

28/01/2019

FASTING AND PRAYER DAY 15

OCCUPATION + GOSHEN= SUCCESS

What is your occupation? What are you good at? What were you wired to do?

Identify your gift and turn it into your occupation, your career. Work your gift till you become the best at what you do.

Next, find your "Goshen". Will your current location draw the best out of your potential?

Your gift will make room and bring you before king. (Prov 18:16).

But, with that very gift, in the wrong ground, you will fail to reach your full potential in life, you will be the victim of famine in the land.

Pray your employment;
Pray for your gifting;
Pray for wisdom;
Pray for boldness and courage to move to your "Goshen", realigning yourself with everything it takes to get you to your full potential in life.

Amen!

PABLO-GEORGE I. EMEDI

25/01/2019

FASTING AND PRAYER DAY 12

WALKING WITH GOD

The genealogy of Seth culminates in the story of Enoch. The story marked by telling facts and symbolism:

- Enoch is listed 7th from Adam in Seth' line: a number that symbolises perfection and a position of high honor with God. He stands out as the most godly person in the history of humanity before the Deluge.

-He walked with God: that means "in relationship with" and "blameless" (Gen. 6:9). The phrase is used as a command that will later on be given to Abraham as condition of the Covenant (Gen. 17:1. See also Heb. 11:5). The phrase implies his covenantal relationship with Yahweh.

-He lived 365 years on earth: compared to Adam (930 years), Enoch lived a shorter life on earth. But, the number of his earthly life span testifies to a "complete" life he lived; "full number of days" (number of days in lunar calendar). The most telling of his life is that he did not know death. Hence, "walking with God" countered the curse of death that came with Adam's disobedience. He "walked with God" and "God took him" from this cursed world.

May you continue your walk with the Lord till He comes again.

Amen!

PABLO-GEORGE I. EMEDI

24/01/2019

FASTING AND PRAYER DAY 11

LIFTED

23/01/2019

FASTING AND PRAYER DAY 10

BREAKING FROM YOUR FAMILY MOULD

I love reading success stories; stories of great achievements, especially in the face of adversity.

Just in the past 2 weeks, we read of stories of young matriculants who finished high school with flying colours. One young man from a very poor background (son a street orange vendor) scored 7 distinctions to secure a scholarship and spot in a top SA university.

Moulds can and should be broken.

Cain kills his brother Abel and gets banished from the presence of God, the Garden where life was meant to flourish. Not only that but he also gets MARKED to prevent anyone from taking his life. A "mark" with potential to harm future generations.

He is kicked out of the presence of God, leaving the source of blessing and support for a land called NOD (from the verb "to wander"). Will his descendants "accept" their fate and live as mere wanders? Many times adversity has a way of drawing the best in us.

It's interesting to note that in spite of such background, Cain's lineage chose to rise to great achievements. His children became the first inventors, musicians, builders, herders, metal Smith, etc.

Jabal, Jubal and Jubal-Cain became mould-breakers (Gen. 4:17-22). They flourished "under a curse".

Their father Lemech, though, still displayed contempt for the value of human life, just like his father Cain (if not more). But, the children chose to rise above the "mark" of banishment and a sense of despair. They chose a path to greatness.

How much more those of the lineage that called on the name of Yahweh (Gen. 4:26)?

There's something to learn from Cain's lineage even as we continue Seth's line of Yahweh's worshippers.

Break from your family mould in 2019.

Amen!

22/01/2019

FASTING AND PRAYER DAY 9

WAIT...SETH WILL BE BORN...SOON!

I have a very short word of hope and joy for you today. Your pain will not go on forever.

Mourning may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5).

Adam had such an experience. After losing his son, the Lord wiped away his tears. He fathered a son and named him Seth (Gen. 5:3-5).

The death of Abel failed to bring an end to the plan of God. For, after death came life. The Cain pain effect triggered a long genealogy of life. Seth's genealogy covers 1,656 years. That's our God (Gen. 5:6-32).

Thank the Lord for what is yet to come. There's a long and fulfilling life ahead of you.

Amen!

21/01/2019

FASTING AND PRAYER DAY 8

RE-PLANTED IN EDEN

Genesis 2:8-9 tells us of the marvellous purposeful handiwork of YHWH Elohim:

"God...planted a garden in the East, in Edeb; and there He put the man".

This garden provided mankind with food, shelter and life eternal through the tree of life in the middle of the garden.

The garden was also a school of morality and spirituality. Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the Lord commanded man not to eat from, lest they die.

Note again where God purposely wanted mankind to be and live:

"A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Gen. 2:10-17)

This is a place of sustaining and sustainable life:

-abundance of food;
-abundance of life;
-morality;
-spirituality;
-abundance of wealth;
-Etc.

And all this abundance is sustained by the four rivers that water the garden just as in the earlier account, the Spirit of God hovered over the surface of the deep to cause life to emerge (Gen. 1:2-3).

I pray that you find your back to that place.

I pray that we will be RE-PLANTED in our God-intended "EDEN", a place of abundant sustainable life.

I pray that the rivers that water your potential and opportunities will continually flow for the flourishing of your life to the glory of our God and Creator.

I pray that in our re-planting we will know, not only His prosperity but also and more His full plan for our lives: obedience to His Word and life eternal in His Son.

Amen!

17/01/2019

FASTING AND PRAYER DAY 5

STARVING OLD CHAINS THROUGH FASTING TILL THEY BREAK

"If you can't give it up, you don't own it. It owns you".

-What are some of the old chains that still hold your life?
-Can you identify some areas of your life that are in contradiction with the expressed will of God?
-What's your pet sin? That weakness that keeps on tripping you off on your walk of faith?

Let's starve those weaknesses in the course of these 21 days of consecration.

God not only wants to shake foundations of impossibilities in our lives, but also break old chains that hinder our free movement.

The writer to the Hebrews exhorts us to:

"THROW OFF everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles" (Hebrews 12:1b NIV)

Though many Bible translations speak of "laying aside", I love the force of the choice of words in NIV: "LET'S THROW OFF".

The NLT renders it:

"let us STRIP OFF every weight that SLOWS US DOWN..."

CEV speaks of:

"...GET RID OF everything that slows us down".

What is it that we must THROW OFF, LAY ASIDE, GET RID OF?

Scripture calls that which slows down and trips us:

-SIN that entangles (Hebrews 12:1);
-DEEDS OF DARKNESS (Rom. 13:12);
-OLD SELF (Eph. 4:22a);
-DECEITFUL DESIRES (Eph. 4:22b);
-FALSEHOOD (Eph. 4:25);
-Anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language, hypocrisy, envy; moral filth (Col. 3:8; 1 Peter 2:1; James 1:21)
-Etc.

STARVE them by:

-Fixing your eyes on Christ (Heb. 12:1);
-Putting on the armour of light (Rom. 13:12);
-Being renewed in the spirit of your mind (Eph. 4:23)
-Offering your body as a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1);
-Speaking truthfully (Eph. 4:25);
-Fleeing (2 Tim. 2:22a)
-Pursueing righteousness, faith, love and peace (2 Tim. 2:22a)
-Walking along those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart (the Church) (2 Tim. 2:22b)
-Etc.

THIS IS A LIFETIME CALL.

17/01/2019

FASTING AND PRAYER DAY 4

THE SHAKING OF FOUNDATIONS OF IMPOSSIBILITIES

This is the promise I made to you when you came out of Egypt. And My Spirit remains among you; do not be afraid.” For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Once more, in a little while,I will shake the heavens and the earth,the sea and the dry land. 7I will shake all the nations, and they will come with all their treasures, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of Hosts... (Haggai 2:5-7)

There is yet to be an interval of time, of limited duration, and then shall come a new era, when the glory of God's presence shall be manifested more fully and extensively.

The prophet was pointing to the messianic era, the coming of our Lord Jesus and visitation of the people of Israel, His chosen ones.
But, as it was for Israel so will it be for the new Israel.
Your challenges will not last forever. The glory of God's presence shall surely be made manifest. At the sound of His voice there foundations of impossibilities shall be shaken and the splendour of His promises released over His chosen ones.

"Once more, in just a little while..."

Thank the Lord for the limited duration of your struggles;

Thank the Lord for the limited duration of waiting...

Thank the Lord for a "Once more" intervention of glory and miracle in your life.

And all of this in anticipation of the greater manifestation of His glory when He comes again to judge the living and the dead and usher us into eternal bliss.

Meditate on the following verses: Haggai 2:21; Hebrews 12:26

16/01/2019

FASTING AND PRAYER DAY 3

BE FRUITFUL, INCREASE, HAVE DOMINION, SUBDUE THE EARTH

We are made in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26) with a clear assignment to have dominion over everything the YHWH had created. This is called the cultural mandate. It defines our purpose on earth as image of the Most High God.

God empowered humans with ability to be fruitful and to increase. The command to fruitfulness and increase is an enablement to have dominion.

We are blessed to be fruitful and to increase. It's not a result of natural process, but a declaration of blessing from the Creator.

Your call to rulership or dominion (radah) is a call to stewardship for the flourishing of everything around you.

PRAYER:

Thank you for your blessing over my life;
Thank you for my assignment (command/mandate) to fruitfulness, increase, and dominion.
Thank you for calling to "subdue it", to conquer, subjugate, take possession of what you have placed before me in 2019.

Amen!