Empty Tomb AT EASTER, a teacher told his students to do a celebratory project. One built a box and put a rock in it, depicting the stone at the tomb of Jesus. However, Bryan, a boy with disability, built a box with nothing in it. When his mates laughed at him, he described it as an empty tomb. On the RESURRECTION MORNING , there was an earthquake as an angel from heaven rolled away the stone blocking access to Jesus’ grave. The guards watching the tomb were paralyzed with fear. They went into the city and reported the happening to the chief priest. The chief priest and the elders connived and developed a plan of deception, saying, “His disciples came at night and stole his body.” They gave a sufficient amount of money to the soldiers to lie. They wanted them to falsify the story of the empty tomb. (Matthew 28:11-13) This is what the enemy does: he tries to alter God’s story. When they sentenced Jesus to death, they tried to change his story. However, God will always tell His story. ‘God will always tell His story.’ MARY MAGDALENE stepped out to go to the tomb of Jesus to anoint his body. But she found the stone covering the tomb had been rolled away, the soldiers guarding it had disappeared, and the tomb was empty. With much despair and emptiness, she ran to tell Peter and John. When they got there, they looked inside the tomb and found the linen wrappings. But the face cloth which had been on Jesus’ head was not lying with the other linen wrappings. It was rolled up in a place by itself. (John 20:1-18) We can surmise that Jesus did not leave in a hurry. WHILE they looked inside the tomb, Mary stood outside and wept. Then, she looked inside the tomb and saw two angels sitting there, one at the head and the other at the feet. And when they asked her why she wept, Mary told them that they had taken away her Lord, and she did not know where they laid him. Is there anything you are grateful for? She was thankful for Jesus Christ who cast seven demons out of her. (Luke 8:1-2) WHEN Mary turned around, she saw Jesus standing there, but she did not recognize him. And when Jesus asked her why she was crying and who she was looking for, she thought it was the gardener. “Sir, if you are the one who has carried him away from here, tell me where you have put Him, and I will take Him away.” Sadness can occlude your vision. JESUS said to her, “Mary.” She turned and called him Rabboni! (which means, Teacher). Mary recognized his voice. As you celebrate his resurrection, Jesus wants you to recognize His voice. (John 10:27-28) He told her not to touch him because he hadn't ascended to the Father. Jesus told his story: he told her to tell the disciples that he was ascending to the Father, His God and their God. (John 20:17) WHEN Jesus came, many Jews thought that the Messiah would be a soldier or a political leader who would topple the oppressive Roman leaders and restore an independent Israel. So when he rode on a donkey, it seemed strange. (Mark 11:9-10) When he was arrested, they were shocked, and when he was crucified, they were downcast. His death created a void. However, Mary realized there was a void only Jesus could fill. So, he searched for Him. Bringing it Together GOD redefined emptiness with the empty tomb—Jesus Christ rose from the dead, and His Person will change your life. My prayer for you this season is that you'll see the empty tomb as a redefinition of emptiness and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Happy Easter.

Understanding the season of life is valuable; it gives you a sense of belonging, sets you apart from your contemporaries and creates a distinction. IT CREATED a sense of belonging when Abraham left his father’s house to go to a land that God would show him. (Genesis 12) It made a distinction when Abraham increased and became very wealthy. (Genesis 24:35) It separated his descendants from everyone else when God warned Balaam not to curse Abraham’s descendants because they were blessed. (Numbers 22-24) And it created a distinction between the sons of Issachar and the other tribes of Israel because they knew what Israel should do. (1 Chronicles 12:32) Understanding your season of life shapes how you act. THE FIRST SEASON of life is the sitting season, a period in which you learn. In his sitting season, the boy Jesus acted a certain way: he sat in the temple courts among elders, listening and asking questions. And when he returned home with his parents, he was obedient to them (Luke 2:49-51) When Mary told him they were out of wine, although he granted her request, he made it clear that he was in his sitting season, and the season did not diminish his prominence. (John 2:4) PAUL understood the importance of this season, so he did not immediately consult with anyone [for guidance regarding God’s call and His revelation to him] when he was saved. Nor did he [even] go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before him; but he went to Arabia and stayed awhile, and afterward returned once more to Damascus.” (Galatians 1:16-18) To remain in his calling, he needed to understand his season. ELISHA sat at the feet of Elijah and followed him everywhere he went. And just before he was taken, Elisha asked for a double portion of his anointing. (2 Kings 2:5-11) THE QUESTION you'll need to ask is if you've sat long enough. We miss it when we stand when we are supposed to sit. Then, we blame it on the enemy rather than on our disorderliness. In God’s order, there is a Sitting Season. ‘There is a Sitting Season’ THE SECOND SEASON is the Standing Season — your season of manifestation. However, standing will make no sense if you haven't sat. JESUS did not start his ministry until he was thirty, and from the moment he entered his standing season, he put certain things in place. He knew he couldn't do the work alone, so he built capacity by choosing his disciples and putting systems and structures in place. (Luke 6:23-26) In three and a half years, he was done. So, it isn't about how long but how well. DURING his baptism, the heavens opened, and the spirit of God descended as a dove, and a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:13-17) God the Father announced the Son. BEFORE the disciples started the work, Jesus told them to wait (sit) in Jerusalem until they were endued with power (Acts 2:1-4) They needed power to do the work. WHEN you're ready to stand, God will confirm his work in your hands. While they fasted and prayed, God told them to separate Paul and Barnabas to him for the work he had called them. (Acts 13:2) God called them to manifest his glory. (Acts 13:6-28) Blossom THE THIRD SEASON is the Sitting Season —a season in which you are nearing the end. PAUL reminds Timothy of his sincere and unqualified faith, which first lived in his grandmother, Lois, and his mother, Eunice. (2 Timothy 1:5) This season is when legacies are passed on. He told Timothy not to allow anyone to look down on him because he is young, but he should be an example of a believer in speech, conduct, love, faith, and moral purity. He told him to devote himself to public reading, preaching and teaching of the scriptures. (1 Timothy 4:12-13) We have sat long enough to stand and having done all to stand, now stand. Final Thought Be aware of what season you are in and give yourself the grace to be there — Kristen Dalton.

ONE MISTAKE we make is equating our lives with those of others, forgetting that as our faces differ, so do our races. When God saved Paul, he mentioned that he would reveal how much Paul would suffer for his name's sake. (Acts 9:16) Paul would have great opportunities, and with them would come various challenges. ‘We forget that as our faces differ, so are our races in life.’ Opportunities ON THE DAY that Elijah would pass, he said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me,” said Elisha. And Elijah replied, You have asked for a difficult thing. However, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so. (2 Kings 2:9-10) Elisha asked for a miracle but got an instruction. SIMILARLY , when Naaman sought a miracle, the prophet gave him an opportunity to walk in obedience. (2 Kings 5) When the wife of one of the sons of the prophets sought a breakthrough, she got an instruction instead. (2 Kings 4) So as you seek a miracle, ask God what you need to do. WHEN DAVID wanted a miracle, he asked God for instructions. And God told him to pursue the Amalekites, that he would surely overtake them and recover all. (1 Samuel 30:8) KNOWING what to do and doing it will make you a champion for God. Daniel knew what to do and did it. (Daniel 1:8) However, Jacob was unsettled when God appeared to him at Bethel. (Genesis 28:10-22) WHEN God wanted to expand Moses, he came to him in the burning bush. (Exodus 3:2-5) So, when God wants to change the season of your life, he gives you an opportunity in the form of an instruction. GOD gave Israel an opportunity when he told them to spy out the land of promise. He wanted them to connect to what they had heard. God did the same when he told Abraham to walk the length and breadth of the land that he would give him. (Genesis 13:17) GOD guarantees equal opportunities but not equal outcomes. When the twelve spies were sent to Canaan, ten of them returned saying, they couldn't while the other two, Caleb and Joshua, returned saying, they could. EVERY TEST or temptation is an opportunity to walk in obedience. So every situation in life presents an opportunity to live right. And every opportunity you seize in Christ will give you a God-ordained outcome. When you believe God’s report, you'll have his result. Final Thought We are faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations — Charles Swindoll.

THE CHALLENGE isn't God not wanting to do something; it's how far we're willing to go with Him. When Ruth said to Naomi, “Do not urge me to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God, she showed total commitment. (Ruth 1:16) Your loyalty to God must be a hundred percent—you must be knit with Him and be willing to bet your life on Him. Faith is ongoing. A LEVITE WOMAN was willing to bet her life on God when she saw that her son was especially beautiful and healthy, so she hid him for three months [to protect him from the Egyptians]. (Exodus 2) Your faith in God will knit you to Him and make you know that God has found His place in you. Faith waits. MOSES’ Mom believed, and she kept believing. Even when she couldn't continue to keep him, she thought of her next move. Simeon and Anna never stopped waiting for the Messiah as they had been promised. (Luke 2:25-38) God wants you to be forward-looking while waiting. Faith has pit stops. PIT STOPS are used for servicing and refueling. When you get to one, it's your chance to pause, pray and decide what to do next. David stopped and asked for an ephod when he reached one. (1 Samuel 30:8) At the PIT STOP , Jacob wrestled with the angel until dawn, refusing to let him go until he blessed him. (Genesis 32:24-32) Without God’s presence, the blessing was useless, and without his partnership, Jacob’s movement was measured. Without God’s presence, your movement would be measured. JESUS prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, “My Father, if it is possible [that is, consistent with Your will], let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39) Your pit stop is your place of revelation, where you latch onto God. Faith gives hope. UNTIL you see God as your only hope in life, God will not fully find his place in you. God did not find a place in his people when ten spies returned and said they were like grasshoppers and their enemies were giants. However, Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession of it; for we will certainly conquer it.” (Numbers 13:30-33) So faith gives God pleasure and opens the door to Him. If at any time, you can't feel God, check your faith. Psalm 61:2 says, “When my heart is overwhelmed and weak, lead me to the rock that is higher than I [a rock that is too high to reach without Your help].” Faith has an expectation. WHEN Moses’ mother could no longer hide him, she got him a basket (chest) made of papyrus reeds and covered it with tar and pitch [making it waterproof]. Then she put the child in it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile. And his sister [Miriam] stood some distance away to find out what would happen to him. She looked forward to God’s intervention. Whenever you believe God for something, you must have an expectation. AFTER Mordecai took Esther to the palace, he checked on her daily because he wanted a favourable outcome. (Esther 2:11) So you cannot trust in God without believing in Him. You cannot have faith in God without an expectation from Him. Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him.” Faith in God does not disappoint. PROVERBS 23:18 says, “Surely there is a future [and a reward], and your hope and expectation will not be cut off.” Anything you hand over to God does not return to you without an increase. (Ephesians 3:20) Final Thought FAITH is the art of holding onto things your reason has once accepted, despite your changing moods - C.S. Lewis. So, we walk by faith and not by moods.

PEOPLE who succeed know that out of small things come great ones. They understand that expansion comes from God. God did it in the life of Abraham when he blessed him, and prospered his son, Isaac, till he was extremely great. (Genesis 12:2 & Genesis 26:13) So God will expand you when you are faithful and promote you when you make his name great. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego made God’s name great when they refused to bow to the king’s golden image, and God promoted them. (Daniel 3:16 - 28) Likewise, Daniel was faithful to God when he continued to pray despite a royal decree forbidding it. And when he was thrown into the lion’s den, God shut the lions’ mouths. (Daniel 6) I pray that you’ll see God’s expansion coming toward you. Expansion God will expand you as you abide in your calling and increase you as you trust Him. THE APOSTLES trusted Jesus when they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer. As they had everything in common, God added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42 - 47) If the church of Christ is to expand, we must know what we are called to do and do it. The SONS OF ISAACHAR understood the times and discerned the course of action Israel should take. So they joined others at Hebron to make David king. (1 Chronicles 12:32) God will expand you when you desire it and ask for it. JABEZ was more honourable than his brethren, but his mom named him Jabez because she had borne him in pain. He knew that every growth that wouldn’t grow toward God would result in a decay. So he prayed, “Oh that You would indeed bless me and enlarge my border [property], and that Your hand would be with me, and You would keep me from evil so that it does not hurt me!” (1 Chronicles 4:9 -10) God will expand you when you walk by faith. THE WIDOW of the prophet put her hope in God and said to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” (2 Kings 4:1) My prayer for you is that God will open your eyes to see your destiny helpers. God will expand you when structures and systems are in place. NEHEMIAH trusted God to grant him favour with the king so that he could use the structures and systems of government to rebuild. Please, O Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to [reverently] fear Your Name [Your essence, Your nature, Your attributes, with awe]; and make Your servant successful this day and grant him compassion in the sight of this man [the king].” So God granted him favour, and the king gave him letters to the governors and soldiers to accompany him. (Nehemiah 1 & 2) God will expand you when his grace is upon your life. MANY MEN joined David—men who were in trouble, men who owed a lot and those who were unsatisfied with life. Day by day, they kept coming to David to help him, until there was a great army, like the army of God. (1 Chronicles 12:22) What he saw as a rejection became an expansion. ‘Your rejection will be your expansion’ God will expand you by making His ways known to you. (Daniel 11:32) GOD made his ways known to Moses, and his acts to Israel. (Psalm 103:7) I pray that you will know God, and your life will give Him pleasure. Final Thought THE KEY to spiritual growth is not increased church attendance or spiritual activities. People don’t grow in Christ because they are busy in church. They grow in Christ because they believe and trust their Bibles — Max Lucado.

HAVE you noticed that the great things of life come to you in seasons you would love to skip? However, you cannot love life without the hardship, or love Christ without the cross. We serve a God who enjoys going there as much as getting there, so if you're going with God, you must enjoy both. ‘Our God enjoys going there as much as getting there’ PAUL understood this and said: “That I may know Him [experientially, becoming more thoroughly acquainted with Him, understanding the remarkable wonders of His Person more completely] and [in that same way experience] the power of His resurrection [which overflows and is active in believers], and [that I may share] the fellowship of His sufferings, by being continually conformed [inwardly into His likeness even] to His death [dying as He did]. (Philippians 3:10) He knew God wouldn't do anything without a reason. So when God said: “My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness,” he saw another dimension of grace. He enjoyed God’s riches at Christ’s expense. Grace has brought him this far. The thing that keeps you going is the revelation of Jesus. The more you engage him, the more dimensions of Him you see. Therefore, Paul said, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me. (2 Corinthians 12:9) He made his reliance on God absolute, and God highly rated him. Likewise, God wants to make you his priority, but he must be yours first. When you believe in Him, he will give you power to become a son of God. NOAH believed in God when everyone ignored Him. No wonder, when God wanted to destroy man whom he had made, Noah found favour in God’s sight and walked in the light of grace. (Genesis 6:5-8) GOD told Noah to build an ark, and he gave him a blueprint, except there was no mention of a steering wheel so God could steer the ship. God desires to make you his own. He wants to steer the boat of your life. Will you allow Him? Will you make him the Lord of your life? JESUS said, “The Son can do nothing of Himself [of His own accord], unless it is something He sees the Father doing. (John 5:19) And as he prayed in Gethsemane, he said, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup [of divine wrath] from Me; yet not My will, but [always] Yours be done.” (Luke 22:42) He chose the difficult one, Jesus brought the Father’s Will into everything. ‘Jesus chose the Father’s Will’ To succeed, you must do the same. HAVE YOU noticed that when you buy a make or colour of vehicle, you begin to see more of them? Similarly, when you become more sensitive to His Spirit, you see Him everywhere you go. DAVID saw God everywhere he went and asked, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” (Psalm 139:7-12) JONAH realized that he couldn't hide from God when he ran from Him. God had told him to go to Nineveh and preach his word, but instead he ran to Tarshish. (Jonah 1:3) God caused a mighty storm over the sea. The mariners asked him who he was and suspected he was the cause. So he told them to throw him into the sea. And God sent a whale to swallow him and take him to Nineveh. No matter how much you run from God, he will find you. God wants you to come to him. Final Thought When you run alone, we call it race, but when you run with God, we call it grace.

OUR LIFE EXPERIENCES can be grouped into three: the experience we have when someone makes us a promise. The second is what we experience while waiting for the promise to be fulfilled, and the final one is how we feel when the outcome is realized. However, the fulfilment of a promise or a prophecy is more meaningful when you see God in the process. ABRAHAM saw God in the process and told his son that God would provide a lamb himself for the burnt offering, and God did. (Genesis 22:8-9) He knew that if he sacrificed his son, God could wake him up. PAUL saw God in everything and said, “For in him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts of the Apostles 17:28) And when he was stuck on a ship facing a shipwreck, he said to the men, “I urge you to keep up your courage and be in good spirits, because there will be no loss of life among you, but only loss of the ship. For this very night, an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me. ( Acts of the Apostles 27:22-23) STEPHEN looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. (Acts of the Apostles 7:50-60) He saw God in his situation just before the Sanhedrin dragged him out of the city and stoned him to death. God in your life will cushion the blows of adversity, and in the midst of temptation, he will make a way of escape. ’God will cushion the blows of adversity’ GOD saved Peter from prison when he sent his angel to open the gates so he could walk free. (Acts of the Apostles 12:5-17) He made a way of escape for Daniel when he shut the lions’ mouths. And when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace, he joined them in the fire to prove his point. (Daniel 6:16-23; 3:8-25) GOD will save you. He has promised that when you pass through the waters, he will be with you and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. (Isaiah 43:2) IF YOU TRULY know the ways of God, you'll understand that you have no point to prove; it is not the mind of God. And putting yourself on social media to get back at people who have belittled you in the past misses God’s point. JOSEPH understood he had no point to prove when he testified to God’s goodness. (Genesis 45:5) David knew he had no point to prove, and he did not lay his hands on Saul, God’s anointed. (1Samuel 24:10) Let God prove his point in your life. Outcome PERHAPS the reason you find it difficult to forgive is that you've not seen God in the process. If you do, you'll let it go. The older brother of the prodigal son did not see God in the process and refused to forgive his brother. (Luke 15:11-32) However, Joseph forgave because he knew that authority rested on the ability to forgive. He knew that forgiveness was a defence. Forgiveness is a defence’ He understood there was so much to learn from the outcome, and much more to give. My prayer for you is that you'll be a living, breathing, walking testimony—a proof of what God has done —and that no one will be able to take away your story. Joseph did not need to say much; he let his testimony speak for itself. So his brothers saw God. I pray that God will open your eyes to see the things he wants you to take away from your outcome and help you see that your testimony is pain that has been reassigned.

A PROCESS is a series of actions that lead to an outcome—so, it's your journey to greatness. (Jeremiah 29:11) God found Noah blameless on his journey, so he shared his plan with him and spared him and his family from the flood. (Genesis 6:9) Process—a series of actions GOD will test you and find you faithful to trust you, so your test of faith is in order. Anything that stands between his promise and its realization in your life is a test of faith. It is where you prove the Word of God. THE PROCESS is where you give credence to God’s Word. Esther proved God’s Word when she stepped out in faith, willingly putting her life on the line. (Esther 4:16) Her faith in God became her letter of credence to his word. Likewise, your trust in God will be your proof of His Word. IF GOD is in what you're going through, then it is good. He will test you to refine you. (Psalms 66:10) When they sold Joseph into slavery, they thought they were putting an end to God’s promise, but God was working behind the scenes. (Genesis 37:1-28) Whenever Satan is working to stop you, God is working to move you forward. So the process of God will make Him [who is deeply concerned about us] to cause all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love Him, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose. (Romans 8:28) THE PROCESS of God will position you for the next season of life. It will move you from stagnation to speed. So the process is a shifting season, and unusual occurrences can be the signs. IF YOU are truly called and saved by God, you'll realize that you cannot love the outcome and hate the process. As your test precedes your testimony, so the process must precede the outcome. ‘God’s process is progressive.’ My prayer for you is that you will see God in the process and embrace it, so that the outcome will be more meaningful to you. JESUS saw the Father in the process and endured the cross. And Hebrews 12:2 tells us to look unto him, the author and finisher of our faith—the one who brings our faith to maturity, who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame. So God’s commitment and faithfulness to redemption were shown in the process. Likewise, the picture of your faithfulness will be seen in your obedience to his word. JOSEPH understood this when he asked, “How then could I do this great evil and sin against God [and your husband]?” This encounter revealed Joseph’s heart. He pleased God rather than man. My prayer for you is that in all you do, God will be your priority, and your life will give Him pleasure. PAUL made God his priority when he said, “I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (Galatians 2:20) He knew that the power to change was in Christ. GOD looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7) So, he will not do anything with you until your heart is in the right place. He did not move Abraham forward until his heart was right with him. (Genesis 17:1) THE SHORTCUT to the realization of his promise is your faithfulness to His Word. When God told Abraham to sacrifice his only son, God wanted to see where his loyalty lay. (Genesis 22:2) Abraham passed the test because his eyes were not on the gift, but the giver. Likewise, the only leper who returned to Jesus to show gratitude looked away from the gift to the giver. And Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?” (Luke 17:11-19) You must learn to fix your eyes on the giver. He still has many more gifts to give you. ' The giver still has more gifts.' Final Thought “When we wrap our minds and hearts around God’s gracious work in the gospel and root ourselves in Jesus, we find the strength and power to change because the power to change comes from him alone.“ (Matt Eachus)

SOMEONE said, “People with good intentions make promises, and those with good hearts keep them." Abraham Lincoln had a good intention, so when a colonel in the military offered him a drink, he said, “I promised my mother that I never would, and up to this hour, I’ve kept this promise! Would you advise me to break that promise? GOD is not a man, so he never breaks his promise. (Numbers 23:19) However, why does God make promises? GOD makes promises to get our attention. When God told Abram to leave his father’s house for a land he would show him, he made him a promise. God told him that he would make him a great nation and bless him and make his name great (exalted, distinguished), and Abram would be a blessing [a source of great good to others]. (Genesis 12:2) When the children of Israel rebelled against God, he told them that if they were willing and obedient, they would eat the good of the land. (Isaiah 1:19) So there are conditions to meet for God’s promise to be fulfilled. Rainbow is God's promise God makes promises to start conversations. A CONVERSATION began between God and Abraham the moment God told him to leave. (Genesis 12) So every promise of God is intended to kickstart a conversation. God makes promises so we can confess His Word. PROMISES are meant to be confessed and prayed. See what God said to Joshua. “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read [and meditate on] it day and night, so that you may be careful to do [everything] in accordance with all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will be successful. (Joshua 1:8 AMP) So your success will pivot on what you do with the promises of God. God makes promises to make us align with His will. ABRAM walked in obedience as he left his father’s house for the land that God would show him. He knew that God’s promise was intended to make him behave a certain way, so he had to give God pleasure to realize God’s promise. You must give Him pleasure to have His Promise. God makes promises to bring us hope. ABRAHAM saw hope on the horizon when God made him a promise, and every bulb in his life began to turn on. (Genesis 12) No wonder when Sarah’s body was considered to be past the age of bearing, she thought of God, who had promised to be reliable and true to his word. (Hebrews 11:11 AMP) Whenever you see God’s promise, what comes to mind? FOR the children of Israel, they understood there was an end date to their captivity when God told them to build houses and live in them, plant gardens and eat their fruits. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there and do not decrease [in number]. (Jeremiah 39:5-7) If you are a believer in Christ, there's an end date to the troubles you face, and your expectations will not be cut short. God makes promises to bring us faith. DAVID knew there was an end date when God told him to pursue the Amalekites. and recover all. (1 Samuel 30:8) God’s word assured him of victory. He realized that adversity was his door to faith. ‘Adversity is your door to faith.’ RAHAB knew her city was next when she heard the exploits of Israel. When she saw the spies walk into her inn, she understood she needed to help them, so she hid them from the king’s soldiers. And when the time was right, she asked them to promise her. (Joshua 2) She had faith in them. FAITH is where you meet with God; it is the currency through which you buy His promises. ‘Faith is the currency through which you buy God’s promises.’ Bringing it Together WHENEVER God makes a promise, he declares the end from the beginning. He provides certainty and stability, and stability creates hope. Hope in him makes one unashamed.

One of GOD’s PLANS for his children this year is to raise champions in all areas of endeavour. He wants your vision to be greater than your memory. Trophies When God appeared to Moses in the burning bush, he did not try to erase his past but to establish the vision for the future. So, he told Moses what he planned to do. (Exodus 3) Likewise, God wants you to elevate his vision for your life. But will you embrace it? Will you seek him to the point where you’ll allow his Spirit to give you the words to say? Will you press in enough to hear his plans for your life? I hope you know that there are things God will not talk to you about except you probe. AT ZIKLAG , David did not know what to do until he asked God. (1 Samuel 30:8) And at Shiloh, Hannah did not stop praying until she found the right words for a praying mother. (1 Samuel 1:11) ONE WAY God raises champions is through prayer. Jesus’ disciples never got over what they saw as Jesus prayed. They saw him transfigured. As if that wasn't sufficient, he had two other people with such bodies with him, Elijah and Moses. (Matthew 17:1) God clothes you as you pray. GOD RAISES champions through revelation. When Joseph saw his family bowing to him, he believed it and anticipated it. DAVID knew he was called to be a champion. When he saw Goliath, he asked what the king would give to anyone who killed him. (1 Samuel 17:25-37) David anticipated victory and celebrated his small beginning. If you're going to do great things, you must be ready to celebrate small milestones. Then, you’ll honour your season. Honour your season— celebrate small milestones JOSEPH honoured his season when he oversaw Potiphar’s household and supervised his co-prisoners; he was grateful for where he was. (Genesis 39) James 1:2-3 says, “Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. EVERYTHING God does begins small. When he made man, he put him in the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 2:15) David was faithfully tending his father’s sheep when they called him home to be anointed king. (1 Samuel 16) FAITHFULNESS attracts God. He has keen eyes for diligent, excellent and competent people. Proverbs 22:29 says, “Do you see a man skillful and experienced in his work? He will stand [in honour] before kings; He will not stand before obscure men.” PETER had fished all night and caught nothing when Jesus told him to cast his net one more time. (John 21:6) My prayer for you this year is that you'll be conscious to seize your moments. FOR YEARS , David did not live in comfort. When he had the chance to take the king’s life, he didn't. He handed the king over to God. (1 Samuel 25:10) To be a CHAMPION , you must understand the weapons of your warfare and know what weapon to use. When Israel faced their enemies, God told them that they wouldn't fight in the battle. (2 Chronicles 20:17) NEHEMIAH knew only God could do something when the state of Jerusalem saddened him. So he asked God to give him favour with the King Artaxerxes. (Nehemiah 1:11) To be a champion for God, anything that matters to him must be important to you. DANIEL walked in wisdom as he told their handler, the head of the eunuchs, to test them. To be God’s champion, you must be wise. NEHEMIAH approached the king, ready to make requests. God wants you to be prepared as you walk through 2026—it's a year of opportunities. Champions see tests and temptations as stepping stones to greatness. GOD’s WORD in your life will be tested and proven. (Psalm 12:6) So your test will precede your testimony. Champions anticipate God’s testimonies. YOU CANNOT become God’s champion without a testimony of God’s goodness. Paul put it this way: We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:8-12) Champions see themselves in the volumes of the book. GOD told Joshua the secret to audacious success was in the scriptures. (Joshua 1:8) As you speak the scriptures over your life, you become the one you seek. Champions understand their calling. When the SYROPHONECIAN WOMAN pleaded with Jesus to heal her daughter, he told her that he was called only to the lost sheep of Israel. (Matthew 15:24) Jesus understood his calling. Champions appreciate a small beginning. Philippians 2:8-11 say, “After He was found in [terms of His] outward appearance as a man [for a divinely-appointed time], He humbled Himself [still further] by becoming obedient [to the Father] to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also [because He obeyed and so completely humbled Himself], God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name. Final Thought GOD raises champions. He will not use a champion not raised by him.

The difference between something good and something great is the attention to detail—Chuck Swindoll. King Solomon was given to details. (1 Kings 6:38) Unsurprisingly, after his coronation, when Hiriam, King of Tyre, reached out to him, he knew he wanted to maintain the peaceful relationship he had with his father. While Hiriam provided him with pine and cedar logs and skilled artisans for the construction of the temple, Solomon supplied his household with olive oil and wheat. (1 Kings 5:1-13) Hiriam honoured the diplomatic relationship he had with David. As OUR GIFTS warm the hearts of men, so they touch the heart of God. Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand bulls and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. (2 Chronicles 7:5). That very night, God appeared to Solomon. He told him that he had heard his prayer and chosen the place for himself as a temple for sacrifices. (2 Chronicles 7:13) WHEN you give God his rightful place, he puts his name on you, and when your gift touches his heart, he establishes you. Simeon and Anna’s gift of trust touched God’s heart, and he established them. They did not see death till they saw the Messiah. (Luke 2:25-38) AFTER Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to seek him. They went to Herod’s palace because Jesus was royalty, thinking he would be there, but he wasn't. Herod told them secretly to find him, and afterwards let him know that he might go and worship him. So, the star that the magi had seen in the east went on before them, until it came to rest over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced greatly. And when they entered the house, they saw the child and Mary, and fell to their knees and worshipped him. THE MAGI opened their treasures and gave him a gift of gold, frankincense and myrrh. (Matthew 2:1-12) Gold was a highly valued precious metal in Jesus’ day. It was a symbol of royalty. The magi knew that Jesus belonged to the royal court of heaven, so they brought him a fitting gift—a symbol of incorruptible beauty and a testament to a coming king. They gave him frakinsense , which was extracted from Boswellia trees. Incisions are made on the bark of the tree, which causes a milky sap to bleed out and harden into aromatic tears, which are harvested. The oil is extracted from these. Frakinsense was used in religious worship, symbolizing the priestly deity, Christ. The magi gave him myrrh , which was used in perfumes and as an embalming oil. It was also used to dull pain. No wonder, while he was on the cross, they gave him a drink that contained myrrh, but he refused it. He did not want to kill the pain he suffered on the cross. (Mark 15:23) HOW will someone give such a gift to a newborn? The magi walked the prophetic. They acted like people who knew that Jesus was born to die. They gave him gifts that pointed to why he came. WHAT can you give God this season? You can do a similar thing to what the Magi did. They recognized his kingship , his worship and his lordship. Your worship will only be complete when you accept him as Lord and Saviour. You cannot say you believe Him without confessing Him With the heart, you believe in righteousness. With your mouth, you confess unto salvation. (Romans 10:10) As you confess Him as Lord, you affirm his coming. Have a Merry Christmas!

MANY TIMES , we start well with the desire to finish strong, but our situations say otherwise. They say otherwise when our goals aren't met, and things do not go as planned. THINGS did not go as planned when Paul’s handler did not listen to him. He set sail, and they ran into a dreadful storm, and all hope of being saved was lost. However, after many days, God’s angel stood before Paul and told him not to worry that he would stand before Caesar. (Acts 27:1-20). Alignment PAUL watched his alignment and realized that God’s promise would still endure. When God said to Cain, “If you do well [believing Me and doing what is acceptable and pleasing to Me], will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well [but ignore My instruction], sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you [to overpower you], but you must master it.” (Genesis 4:7) God wanted him to watch his alignment—who he was becoming. Watch your alignment—who you're becoming Likewise , as this year comes to a close, God wants to keep you safe. He does not want you to go back to Egypt. WHENEVER you allow your flesh to dominate your spirit, you go back there. (1 Peter 2:11) Israel went there when they worshipped the gods of the Amorites, so God gave them into the hands of the Midianites who oppressed them. And when the pain was unbearable, they cried out to God. WHENEVER you seek God to save you, you align yourself with His Will and seek direction. God’s angel appeared to Gideon while threshing wheat and said, “The Lord is with you, O brave man.” “But if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” (Judges 6:11-23) Gideon did not know that their wickedness had separated them from God, and their sins had hidden God’s face from them. God wants you to believe in His Promise. IT IS insufficient to believe God for the start of a matter and the in-between and not trust him to the end. When Paul shared his testimony, he knew God’s word was sufficient. Isaiah 55:11 says, God’s word, which goes out of His mouth, will not return to him void (useless, without result), without accomplishing what he desires and without succeeding in the matter for which he sent it. God does not want you to be naive. When Prophet Nathan told David what he had done, he saw himself in the story. (2 Samuel 12) Likewise, God wants you to see yourself in the stories of the Bible. So, you do not have to have walked the path they walked or faced the situations they faced to know what to do. God is not asking you to reinvent the wheel; he's asking you to study his word. 2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17 say, “All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. CALEB knew God’s promises were true. So, when he spied the Promised Land, he returned with the conviction that God would do as promised. And God said this of him, but My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring him into the land into which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it. (Numbers 14:20-24) As Caleb did, he wants you to have a different spirit from the world. GOD wants to meet you where you are to take you to where you should be. For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) All you have to do is confess your sins to God and invite Jesus into your heart to be your Lord and Saviour. If you've done this, you can reach out to me. God bless you richly.