THE MESSAGE NOW
Vol. 4, No. 42 – Monday, 28th October, 2019
(1 Kings.19:5-8, Eph.5:14, 2 Cor.12:9, Gen.28:1016, 31:10-13)
WAKE UP AND CHANGE YOUR LIFE
The above phrase is both in approach and in understanding a phrase performing dual functions. For one, it addresses two separate individuals. The first individual is the Almighty who functions as the giver of the instruction ‘wake up and change your life’.
The second individual is man himself whose responsibility it is to respond to divine instruction. Isn’t it a wonder that God is inviting man into a task He, God could single-handedly deal with?
Undoubtedly, there must be many divine reasons for this. It is true on the one hand that divinity loves to partner with humanity in the course of accomplishing earthly tasks. Much more however, the Psalmist noted in Psalm 144:1 that ‘blessed be the Lord my strength,which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight’.
So then, any divine call to man in order to accomplish any task is partly for the purpose of training. The training of man is of serious significance. Man exists in a world of countless troubles and there is always the need for man to go from victory to victory. The trajectory from one victory to another level of victory cannot be possible except spiritual developmental skills are constantly obtained from God.
Those spiritual developmental skills come by way of divine instructions to which man owes the duty of prompt response. The first text of this edition of The Message Now is very revealing in this context.
Twice, the Lord through His angel touched and addressed the prophet Elijah who, at the time, was fallen to despondency. There is a mystery lesson to be learnt here. Ordinarily, prophets function on four diverse planes.
First, whosoever has prophetic insight or calling must be able to see through God. Second, a prophet must be able to hear from God. Third, a prophet must be able to feel/sense through divine antenna. A prophet must be able to accurately profer solutions to the sufficient solving of people’s problems.
Being a prophet, Elijah ought to have seen the angel. Certainly not until the angel touched him. Why then couldn’t he, a great fire prophet not see the angel? The great fire prophet was blinded at this time. Not physically blind but spiritually blind.
Note that the great fire prophet was discouraged at this time. What discouragement does to the spiritual eyes is what physical blindness does to the physical eyes. Discouragement blurs spiritual vision and deafens physical ears from seeing and from hearing God.
As discouragement is the sin of the heart where God and His mighty power are belittled, so is the physical sin of devaluing God by demeaning words of mouth, physical actions or such innate thoughts which berate God and diminish His awesome power.
Understand that the phrase ‘wake up’ is the same as the word ‘arise’ which the Lord Jesus commanded to the sick man which had been bed-ridden for 38 years and confined to the Pool of Bethesda (Jn.5:8).
The phrase ‘wake up’ means the same thing as the pronouncement by the angel to prophet Daniel instructing the prophet to ‘be strengthened’ as contained in Daniel chapter 10:19.
Notice from Biblical accounts that the phrase ‘wake up’, ‘awake’, ‘arise’, be strengthened’ is always pronounced by God shortly before a remarkable breakthrough.
In the case of the sick man at Bethesda’s Pool, it was a call by the Lord to rouse him to receive his miracle. For prophet Elijah, it was a clarion call for the continuation of his ministry/destiny on earth and to journey to the great beyond in a most spectacular fashion which would linger eternally on the pages of history and within the annals of divinity.
For prophet Daniel, it signaled a change for an entirely new experience for his life and for humanity in general. Prophet Daniel in his case was being called because of transformation experience.
Ephesians 5:14 notes: ‘wherefore He saith, awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light’.
In this instance, the Spirit of God is calling both to the sinner, the backslider and the lethargic Christian to ‘awake’ from spiritual sleep. Why? Because Christ has arrived even at this instance in order to give His incomparable light (meaning His presence, favour, glory and changed garment) so that the life of the awakener may never be the same again.
The call to ‘awake’, ‘arise’, ‘be strengthened’ ‘wake up’ all point in the direction of an invitation; an invitation to a new dining table with the Lord.
IN THE END, THE PHRASE WAKE UP AND CHANGE YOUR LIFE IS A CALL TO ACTION; IT IS THE ACTION TO RECEIVE THE SPECTACULAR AND THE EXTRAORDINARY. THE PHRASE REPRESENTS A SHIFT OF POSITION FROM STATICITY TO PROGRESSION. IT IS ALWAYS THE CALL INTO A NEW DAWN, A NEW BEGINNING AND AN ENTIRELY NEW EXPERIENCE.
Question and Answer Section:
Question: In what aspect of your life do you need an awakening or reawakening?
Answer: Hmmm!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Counseling, Prayers and Appointments: Please contact contactus@expressimageglory.com Alternatively, meet us every Sunday at the address below:
Suit 26, 2nd Floor, Nikky Africana Plaza, 70C Allen Avenue, Opposite UBA/MTN Office, Ikeja, Lagos.
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ALTAR CALL:
Backslidden – living in sin – needing fresh recommitment (say):
Christ Jesus, You are the Anointed One of the Most High. I come to you today as I am. In your mercy, help me out of my situation. Heal my soul, my spirit, my body, my life and my destiny. I acknowledge you as the only true lover of my soul. Please, deliver me on every side and save me through and through. I promise from the depth of my soul to be yours from henceforth, in Jesus name. Help me now O God. Be my Lord, my Saviour and my all in all from this day. Thank you Lord (read Ps.54 in closing and pray more).
HYMN: Nearer My God To Thee
PRAY NOW:
1. Spirit of the living God, baptize me afresh.
2. O divine giant in me, be re-awakened by the finger of God.
3. O God, make Express Image Glory Ministries Worship Centre and its Prayer Room a spiritual ladder where angels ascend and descend.
4. Mighty God, turn Express Image Worship Centre the home of mercy and solution.
5. O right hand of Jehovah, continually release and rain down your presence, your fire, and you undeniable peace into Express Image Worship Centre and the Prayer Room.
6. O God of mercy, please give me my own testimonies from the Conference.
7. O arrow of “almost there but never there”, “promise and fail” and rejection, jump out of me and return no more.
