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Table of Contents

 Introduction - The Origin Of Death

PART A: Preamble - What You Must Know

 Chapter 1 Jesus Got The Key

 Chapter 2 You Can Number Your Days
 Chapter 3 Believers Only Sleep
 Chapter 4 Long Life Is Your Covenant Righ

PART B: Divine Protection

 Chapter 5 The Word Of God

 Chapter 6 The Blood Of Jesus
 Chapter 7 The Name Of Jesus
 Chapter 8 The Holy Spirit
 Chapter 9 Angels On Duty

PART C: Strategies

 Chapter 10 Faith
 Chapter 11 Praise
 Chapter 12 Prayer
 Chapter 13 Confession
 Chapter 14 Boldness
 Chapter 15 Guidance

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PART D: Beware

 Chapter 16 Stay Clear Of Sin

 Chapter 17 Walk In Love
 Chapter 18 Abhor Pride
 Chapter 19 Diligence
 Chapter 20 Eating Good
 FINAL WORD

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 Introduction
The Origin of Death

This book sets out to show one thing: that long life is
the heritage of the
born again. It sets out to teach that the believer has a
choice in the matter of his departure from his earthly
tabernacle.

The believer can claim victory over untimely death. It

is one of his covenant rights. I am, of course, aware
that this subject is not well known in the circle of
believers. Yet, knowledge of it will wipe tears from
many eyes.

For very long, people have been conditioned to

believe that death resides with God. Many actually
believe that God is the destroyer and that, somehow,
the devil has been given a bad name! You only have
to listen to some people talk. Hebrews 9:27 is one of
the quoted Scripture. This Scripture reads,

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And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this
the judgment.

It is said, from this, that God determines the death of

people. As God wishes, so people depart this earth.
But, that is not what this or any other Scripture
teaches at all.

Listen to Paul talk about his own physical death, in

Philippians 1:23-24,

For I am in a strait between two, having a desire to

depart, and to be with Christ: which is far better:
nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for
you.

This is exciting. Paul is here demonstrating the

believer’s mastery, or authority, over physical death.
Paul doesn’t say God is going to decide for him. And,
notice, he isn’t giving the devil credit for it. Paul
himself is deciding the when. He calls the shots!

This makes two things abundantly clear. First, God is

not responsible (Hebrews 2:14), and secondly Satan

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cannot lord it over the believer who lives in the
consciousness of this fact.

To understand these things, we have to go back to

the beginning of it all. You have to understand that
when God created Adam and Eve, it was so that He
might have expression for His love in fellowship with
them. They were created with His own nature, which
is eternal life, in them. Man was not therefore,
originally designed for death. Death was never God’s
plan for man. Man was a partaker of His divine
nature.

From this exalted position, man fell. With his fall went
everything else also, including his divine nature.
Death replaced life. Death is a consequence of sin.
Therefore, with the coming of sin, death came.
Romans 5:12 puts the point this way:

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world,

and death by sin: and so death passed upon all men,
for that all have sinned.

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Death passed upon all men because of Adam’s sin.
Sin brought death and, since sin is of universal effect,
death has universal effect, too. From Adam, all men
derive their being. Adam was the sole representative
of the whole human race. He did not act as a single
person but as the whole race.

The good news is that sin has been taken care of.
Romans 5:15-21 makes that very clear. Verse 17
says,

For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one;

much more they which receive abundance of grace
and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by
one, Jesus Christ.

This conclusion is simple, yet profound. Man is free

from sin. Therefore, he is also free from the lordship
of death. The new birth frees a person from the power
of death, also. This explains the title of the book -
Long Life, Your Heritage.

It takes knowledge to place you in the reality of this.

That is the purpose of this book
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 Chapter 1
Jesus Got the Keys

I pointed out the origin of death in the introduction.

Death was unknown, until
sin came. Sin enthroned death as the ruling force on
earth. All life bowed to the power of death. Man’s life
terminated, sooner or later in death. If death was to
be overcome, sin had to be first dethroned. This was
what Jesus achieved at Calvary. He destroyed the
devil, who had the power of death and authority over
everything else in the world.

Before Calvary, the devil was in the saddle. He was in

perfect control of all activities on earth. He had
wrested this control from Adam. It was his to do with it
as he willed. We see a demonstration of it in Luke, the
fourth chapter. He took Jesus to a very high
mountain, from where he showed Him all the

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kingdoms of the world and their glory. Then he told
Him in verse 6,

All this power will I give Thee, and the glory of them:
for that is delivered unto me: and whosoever I will I
give it.

But Calvary reversed that trend for good. Therefore,

in 1 Corinthians 15:54-55, Paul is able to proclaim
triumphantly,

Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is

thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Here is talking about the spoil of Calvary. The power

is no long the devil’s to toy with. The power resides in
the resurrected Christ, and Revelations 1:10-18, is
His shout of victory. That shout, carrying with it
consequences of eternal dimensions was for us:

I am He that liveth, and was dead, and behold I am

alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell
and of death.
Verse 18

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Keys signify authority and power. Jesus now has
power and authority for the believers to use. Jesus did
not require power over death for Himself. He did it for
the believer. Adam’s sin locked the believer under the
power of death, but Jesus came to set him free.

Christ Jesus has abolished death, because He has

defeated sin. He has made the believer holy,
unblameable and unreproveable. The devil no longer
determines the destiny of the believer, but Jesus. He
(Jesus) died for sin once for all and dies no more. He
demonstrated His victory over death by His
resurrection from the dead.

As the believer walks in the newness of the recreated

life, he is also demonstrating victory over death. By
walking in the newness of life, he (the believer) is
appropriating Christ’s victory over death. This is the
meaning of Romans 6:8-11:

Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we

shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being
raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no

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more dominion over Him. For in that He died, He died
unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto
God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead
indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus
Christ our Lord.

Since the believer has been freed from sin, he has

also been freed from the lordship of death. Jesus,
being Lord over you sets you free from the lordship of
death. Death no longer determines the programme of
the believer, but Jesus does.

John 1:1 declares,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was

with God, and the Word was God.

Jesus is the Word incarnate. He is the Logos. Since

death does not have power over Jesus, the Word, it
cannot alter whatever is written in the Word of God
about the believer. The Word is what determines the
life-style of the believer and not any other force,
visible or invisible. There is no mystery deeper than
the Word.
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When Paul wrote to the Philippians about his
dilemma, (Philippians 1:23-24) he was taking
advantage of the keys Jesus took from the devil. The
decision whether to depart, says Paul, belongs to the
believer, not the devil! The dimensions of our new-
found freedom and power are simply deep and
awesome.

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 Chapter 2
You Can Number Your Days

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply

our hearts to wisdom.
Psalm 90:12

Number implies there is a limit. There is an appointed

time. The believer is not supposed to die just at
anytime. Sure enough, Scripture places the lowest
minimum number of years at seventy, for Psalm 90:10
says,

The days of our years are threescore years and ten;

and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years,
yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon
cut off, and we fly away.

It is therefore up to the believer to number his days

and be free from anxiety. Get to know that God does
not intend for you to die before the age of seventy. I
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am never in a hurry. Only the rapture can alter any
part of the Scripture concerning me - and certainly it
would be for the better. (Philippians 1:21).

The Book of Isaiah, chapter 38, tells about Hezekiah’s

mortal sickness, and his desperate fight for life. His
experience has two important lessons for us
concerning the present study.

First, there was a limit of which Hezekiah was aware.

He was conscious of his covenant right as a
descendant of Abraham. This is recorded in verse
ten:

I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the

gates of the grave I am deprived of the residue of my
years.

Second, knowing this limit helped Hezekiah to see

death as a robber of his years on earth. It would cut
off his experience with the Lord among men. Thus in
verse 11, he complained,

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 I said, I shall not see the Lord, even the Lord, in the
land of the living: I shall behold man no more with the
inhabitants of the world.

When the believer dies prematurely, before the

specified age in the Scriptures, he is denied of the
experiences he would have had with the Lord among
men. Just like a baby stays for a certain period in the
womb. Just as we have premature birth, so also we
have premature death. Death of any believer below
the age of seventy is premature.

The devil and death are robbers. (John 10:10). Death

is one of the weapons the devil uses to effect his
robbery. Therefore, the knowledge of the minimum
number of years you are designed to live on earth is
important.

The Lord places a high premium on knowledge. In

Hosea 4:6, John 8:32, and Isaiah 5:13, He stresses
the importance of knowledge. Isaiah 5:13 reads,

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Therefore, My people are gone into captivity, because
they have no knowledge: and their honourable men
are famished and their multitude dried up with thirst.

If you know the number of years the Lord expects you

to spend on earth, you can then resist the thief.
Hezekiah did it in the Old Testament and Paul did it in
the New Testament. You can do it, too. Jesus said,

Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free.
John 8:32

Many Christians have died because they failed to

appropriate and possess that which belongs to them
in the word of God. Death held them in captivity and
they were famished and dried up because they had
no knowledge. The truth will deliver you from the
power and lordship of death.

There is an appointed time to everything.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every

purpose under the heaven: a time to be born, and a
time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that
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 which is planted.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2.

Therefore the believer is not destined to die

prematurely. There is a time to die, but not before the
age of seventy. Jesus demonstrated this fact of not
dying before one’s time. In John 7:6, He told His
unbelieving brethren, "My time is not yet come."

Further on, in Chapter 10:17-18, He stated

emphatically that His life could not be taken from Him
against His will.

No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of Myself.

This commandment, Jesus explained, He received

from the Father. We also, as believers, have the
same command, by Jesus Christ, to stay alive until,
our appointed time, as laid down in the Scriptures.

All that God did in Christ, years ago, He would do in

the born again Christian today, if he (the believer)
would cooperate with Him. The ability to stay alive
until the appointed time in the Scriptures, is a good

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and perfect gift and it comes from God with whom is
no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Jesus was begotten by the word of God: so are we.

We are of the same spiritual stuff as He. He stayed
alive until His appointed time by the power of the
word, so should we. Can we be any less than Him? It
is unthinkable to suppose that we should be any less
than Him!

It is enough for the disciple that he be as his Master.

Matthew 10:25

Let us learn to number our days, just like our Master

did.

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 Chapter 3
Believers Only Sleep

The word of God teaches that the death of the

believer is merely a transition, a falling asleep from
which he will awake sound and whole. A very clear
illustration of this Scriptural position is given in John
11:11-14,

These things said He: and after He saith unto them,

Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may
awake him out of sleep. Then said His disciples, Lord,
if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of
his death: but they thought that He had spoke of
taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them
plainly, Lazarus is dead.

Matthew 9:24, Mark 5:39, and Luke 8:52 all record

Jesus making the similar references.

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Surely one can understand the confusion of the
disciples. Ever since Eden, death has always been
regarded as final. Death terminates life. Every natural
human being understands that the power of death is
strong enough to put an irreversible stop to life.

But the Lord was here showing that the believer is not
hopelessly dead, he is merely asleep. When believers
die, they only go to sleep awaiting the glorious (first)
resurrection and rapture.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even

so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with
Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord,
that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of
the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1 Thessalonians 4:14-15

From this, we are now in a position to understand the

comforting words of Paul in verse 13, that we sorrow
not concerning the brethren which sleep. For unlike
those that are outside, we have a hope; the hope in
the rapture and resurrection.

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The falling asleep of the believer is true as far as the
body is concerned. The body is the only part of man
that can sleep. Neither the spirit nor the soul fall
asleep. Paul talks about this in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8,

Therefore we are always confident, knowing that,

whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from
the Lord: (for we walk by faith, not by sight). We are
confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from
the body, and be present with the Lord.

The spirit and the soul are present with the Lord the
moment we are absent from the body; when we are at
home in the body we are absent from the Lord. The
spirit and soul are in our body while we are alive. The
moment we die (fall asleep), the spirit and soul leave
the body and go and be with the Lord.

At the rapture the body will be resurrected, made

immortal and incorruptible. For the sinner, the spirit
and soul go to hell, awaiting the resurrection of the
wicked dead. (Revelation 20:11-15).

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Real (i.e. Scriptural) sleep is in the night. In 1
Thessalonians 5:7, Paul writes that, "they that sleep,
sleep in the night." You do not say good night at 1:00
p.m. Death is, as far as the believer is concerned,
designed for the night only. And the believer’s night
begins at seventy years. Therefore, when death
attacks below the age of seventy years, the believer
can say with Jesus, my time has not come.

It is evident here, that many have gone to bed rather

too early. Some time ago, I was called to minister to a
certain woman at her death-bed.

When I arrived at the bidding of the Spirit, she was

already sharing out her property. The husband and
other friends were mournfully waiting for her to die. I
was told, upon asking, that the dying woman was only
forty-one years old. I was grieved in my spirit. At that
time I had just concluded a series of teaching on
"Victory Over Death."

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I held her hand and rebuked the spirit of death, on the
basis that it was not time for her to pack it up. Praise
God. Death obeyed. Her health was swiftly restored.

Moses and David each received this promise from

God:

Thou shalt sleep with thy fathers.

Deuteronomy 31:16; 2 Samuel 7:12

Both were appointed to die at the night of their lives.

Of Moses, Deuteronomy 34:7 says,

And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old

when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural
force abated.

And of David, 1 Kings 1:1 says,

Now King David was old and stricken in years.

Both slept in the night, when their days were fulfilled.

This is the will of God for all His children. For what He
says to one, He says to all. There is no respect of
persons with God.

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 Chapter 4
Long life Is Your Covenant Right

Acovenant is an agreement, an agreement between

two or more people,
imposing some kind of duty or responsibility on both
sides. Normally, the agreement consists of an
exchange of promises. It works roughly like this: one
person, out of his own free will, makes a promise.
Usually, it is in this form: "I will do so and so, if you will
do such and such."

In Deuteronomy 28:1-2, God is telling His people that

He will bless them with all the blessings written there
and more if they would be obedient to Him. If His
people obey, they get a deal. If they do not, there is
no agreement, no deal. So, an agreement (or
covenant) is made as soon as the other fellow does
what the person is asking him to do.
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Concerning long life, it is written in Exodus 23:25,

And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and He shall

bless thy bread and thy water; and I will take sickness
away from the midst of thee. There shall nothing cast
their young, nor be barren in thy land: the number of
thy days I will fulfill.

If you serve the Lord, He has pledged Himself to

bless your bread and water and remove all forms of
sickness from you. Bread and water here represents
all kinds of provisions from God. Whatever you have,
if God blesses it, it would be sufficient and nutritious.

Sickness and poverty are common causes of death.

When both are present in a life, premature death is
likely to set in.

Jesus came to deliver us from poverty, sickness and

other causes of death so that we might fulfill our days.
If only you will serve the Lord, He owes you a duty to
fulfill your days. Long life and prosperity are your
covenant rights.

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Regarding the fulfillment of His covenant obligations,
God says in Psalm 89:34,

My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is

gone out of My lips.

God is committed eternally to His part of the

agreement any believer reaches with Him. He is God,
He cannot changed His word. Psalm 91:14,16
reinforces the covenant of long life and God’s
committal to such.

Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I

deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath
known My name, He shall call upon Me, and I will
answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver
him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him,
and shew him My salvation.

Serving the Lord involves doing His will (His word),

seeking and calling upon Him in prayer, abiding in His
love and knowing His name. Your covenant with God
rests upon a solid foundation, for it is ratified by the

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blood of Jesus, which "speaketh better things than the
blood of Abel."

As a part of the entire new covenant package, the

covenant of long life is based upon better promises.
Fulfilling your own part will cause God to fulfill His
part. Then will your joy be full. God will rejoice over
you.

Your joy cannot be full in premature death. God can

only rejoice over you when He is given room to fulfill
your years. The reason is that only the living can
praise God. As Hezekiah the King said in Isaiah
38:18-19,

The grave cannot praise Thee, death can not

celebrate Thee...The living, the living, he shall praise
Thee.

God will set you on high because you know Him.

Because you have set your love upon Him He will
answer you. When you are in trouble, He will be there
with you. He will deliver you and honour you. He will
satisfy you with long life.
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This is your covenant with God. And such a covenant
He has sworn to keep. The Bible bears record that
whenever people serve God, He in turn satisfies them
with long life.

Abraham lived one hundred and seventy-five years;

Isaac and Jacob were hundred and eight and hundred
and forty-seven years old respectively when they
died. Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third
generation - he was a hundred and ten years old at
the time of his death. These were all covenant-
keepers.

Moses was a hundred and twenty when he died,

Joshua a hundred and ten. David was well stricken in
years at the time of his death.

At the age of eighty-five years, Caleb the son of

Jephunneh was ready to take on a mountain full of
giants (the Anakims). He said,

In the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was

then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go

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 out, and to come in.
Joshua 14:11

The reason he gives for this youthful energy in spite

of his great age is to be found in verse 8:

But I wholly followed the Lord my God.

Following God is the only reason God is looking for to

satisfy us with long life. If we be willing to serve Him,
we can also, at very advanced ages say to the glory
of God, "I am as yet strong." We can, then, claim
Deuteronomy 33:25,

Thy shoes shall be iron and brass: and as thy days,

so shall thy strength be.

Here is a promise of strength all the days of the

believer’s life. You will not die prematurely, and when
you die at the fulfillment of your years (the minimum
of seventy years), you will go to the grave a very
sound and healthy man. As you continue in prayer,
worship and fellowship, you will grow from strength to
strength.

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They go from strength to strength, every one of them
in Zion appeareth before God.
Psalms 84:7

This is your covenant of long life. As you cooperate

with God through His word, it will be established in
your life. All you need to do is obey the word of God.
Do the word. Then long life and prosperity will be your
portion.

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 Chapter 5
The Word Of God

The word of God is the life-giving force of the Spirit.

The word is like the physical heart that pumps blood
to all parts of the body. Every blessing of God is
available to the believer through the Word of God.

You get saved by the word (1 Peter 1:23); healed by

the word (Psalm 107:20); delivered and set free by
the word (John 8:32); sanctified by the word (John
17:17); cleansed by the word (Ephesians 5:26);
guided by the word (Psalm 119:105); and renewed (in
the mind) by the word (Romans 12:1-2).

The word of God has the solution to all the problems

of the believer. The word on the lips of the believer
saves lost men, brings courage and victory where
defeat has reigned as a king, produces faith in
faithless circumstances and hope in hopeless
circumstances. The word of God gives courage and
mastery over the fear and lordship of death.
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It is the word of God on our lips that heals the spirit of
sick men and women. The word of God is the healer.

When you know how to rightly divide the word you will
be able to administer the right kind of spiritual
medicine, the right portion of Scripture to this sick
people to bring healing and the right portion of
Scripture to keep yourself in the realm of divine health
where death and disease cannot operate.

The secret of divine health is to learn how to live in

the spirit realm, how to have one’s lamp filled with the
oil of heaven, and how to keep one’s spirit fit so that
no disease can break in upon it.

God imparts this message to your spirit. God is a

Spirit and you can only operate with Him in the realm
of the spirit. Death and disease operate in the realm
of the spirit but manifest in the physical. Sin operates
in the realm of the spirit but manifests in the physical.

Therefore, you will need to operate in the realm of the

spirit by the word of God to physically demonstrate

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divine power and victory over death, diseases and
other negative and foul forces.

Your spirit would have to gain mastery over your

senses by the word of God. Then can your mind gain
mastery over your body and bring it into subjection,
consequently into the realm of the Spirit of God where
death and disease cannot victoriously operate.

Until you recognise this fact and know that disease is

an outlaw, and make your spirit to grasp this truth,
you will never build a fence against physical distress
and disease. When you don’t realise that physical
disease is an outlaw, and you tolerate it by pampering
it, you are joining forces with the outlaw, and it will
bring you to condemnation and premature death.

Until your spirit gains mastery over your sense

through the word of God, your faith will never be
strong and vigorous. Your recreated human spirit
when fed and developed by the word of God, is in the
realm of creative faith, of dominating faith; faith that
rules demons and diseases.

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How can this be done? How can I make my spirit gain
mastery over my senses through the word?

My son, attend to My words; incline thine ear unto My

sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep
them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto
those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
Proverbs 4:20-22

These Scripture show four secrets of health and long

life by means of the word of God. First, you must
attend to the word of God by giving thorough care and
thought to the word. Let your entire life and being
revolve around it.

Second, incline your ears to the sayings of the word.

This means hearken, or seriously listen, to the word of
God. The word "hearken" also implies to obey
whatever the word of God says.

Third, constantly look into the word. Always focus on

the word of God. Let your actions and utterances be
based on the word. Finally, keep the word in your
heart. Meditate on it constantly. Chew it, digest it, and
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get it out through right confessions. As you do that,
the word will manifest the power and ability of God
and rightly execute His will for your life.

These secrets are life and health to all who find and
obey them. Disobedience to the word of God
produces diseases and premature death. For this
reason, verse 10 of Proverbs 4 declares,

"Hear, O My son, and receive My sayings: and the

years of thy life shall be many"

Jesus referred to the word of God as "Spirit, and life."

Another translation of John 6:63 puts it this way:

The words I speak unto you, they are the life of the
spirit.

In other words, the word is the sustainer of the spirit

of man. Without the word of God, the spirit of man has
no life. This is a profound statement.

Hearing and studying the Word of God, meditating in

it and obeying it will produce many years of life. On
the other hand, not paying attention to the word will

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result in years of distress, poverty, disease and
eventually, premature death.

It is only God’s word that can guard the heart from

going astray and once the heart goes astray, life
cannot issue from it.

The first Psalm sheds further light on the life-giving

forces of the word of God. The first three verses
reads,

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of

the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor
sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in
the law of the Lord; and his law doth he meditate day
and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the
rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his
season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever
he doeth shall prosper.

The law of the Lord is the word of God. Showing

delight in the word of God generates long life and
prosperity. You will not wither off. Withering off means
loss of supply of life and substance.
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Instead of your health and means of livelihood
deteriorating, you will have all the good things God
has provided in His word. Death, disease and the
devil cannot break through God’s protective hedge
around you if you will cooperate with Him in His word.

On the other hand, disobedience to the word of God

would generate withering. It will generate disease and
finally premature death.

God does not have any plan for a short span of life for
any of His children. His plan has always been long life
and prosperity here on earth. This has never
changed, for God never changes. There is no
variableness nor shadow of turning in Him.

If you keep and obey the word of God, you would

have length of days, long life, peace, divine health,
prosperity and everything else that is good and
perfect. It is a spiritual law that can neither be broken
nor faulted.

Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever a

man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that
37
 soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption;
but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap
life everlasting.
Galatians 6:7-8

And Romans 8:6 says,

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually

minded is life and peace.

Being spiritually minded and sowing to the Spirit

speak of the same thing. The word of God is what you
sow; it is spiritual seed. If you pay attention to it, that
is, you sow, you will reap a spiritual harvest. You will
make immense profit.

Sowing to the flesh means being carnally minded. It is

the exact opposite of spiritual sowing. Poverty and
untimely death are what you reap as a result of
sowing to the flesh. That is, not heeding the word of
God and doing everything contained in it.

God advised Joshua at the time he was taking over

from Moses:

38
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth;
but thou shall meditate therein day and night, that
thou mayest observe to do according to all that is
written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way
prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success,
Joshua 1:8.

Give the Word of God first place in your life.

39
 Chapter 6
The Blood Of Jesus

Throughout the history of man, blood as been

recognised and used as the
irreversible seal of all covenants and human
associations. Even among the most primitive tribes,
blood as a binding force of covenants is attested to by
dependable eyewitnesses, who, one way or the other,
were themselves partakers of blood agreements.

It is probable that God, the Creator, revealed its

importance early in His dealings with man. He
revealed that the life of all flesh is in the blood. In
other words, the blood was the life. Leviticus 17:11
(AMP);

For the life (the animal soul) is in the blood, and I

have given it for you upon the altar to make
atonement for your soul; for it is the blood that makes
atonement, by reason of the life (which it represents).

40
Verse 14 adds "As for the life of all flesh, the blood of
it represents the life of it."

Therefore, under the Old Covenant, the blood of bulls

and goats (representing the life in them) atoned for
the sins of the Isrealites. The life (blood) of the
animals went for the life of the children of Israel.

This system of atonement began with the Passover in

Egypt. On the eve of their rescue and deliverance
from the hand of Pharaoh, God instructed each
Israelite household to kill a lamb, eat the flesh, but
mark the door post with the blood of the animal. In
Exodus 12:13, God said,

And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the

houses where ye are: and when I see the blood. I will
pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you
to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

Death is a spirit. The death angel (spirit) in operation

in Egypt was the destroyer. The destroyer was under
instruction not to touch the children of Isreal. The
blood was upon their lintel, and it was the mark of
41
God upon them for the angel of death to steer clear.
The angel of death, the devil’s messenger, had
absolute respect for the blood mark.

Afterwards, Jehovah decreed that the Day of

Atonement was to be observed as a perpetual
covenant by Isreal (Exodus 12). It was a day in each
year on which the blood of the goat on the mercy-
seat. By this he obtained redemption of sin for himself
and for the entire nation for that year.

However, this Passover, executed with the blood of

bulls and goats, was only shadow of the real thing.

For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and ashes of an

heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the
purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood
of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered
himself without spot to God, purge your conscience
from dead works to serve the living God?
Hebrews 9:13-14

Jesus is become your Passover. Paul exhorts us to

"purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a
42
new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our
Passover is sacrificed for us" I Corinthians. 5:7.

The lamb whose blood was shed in the Old

Testament was a type of Christ. As the lamb’s blood
was shed and put on the lintels of the children of
Israel, so also the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God
was shed on calvary and completely shields and
covers the believer.

Only the spiritual eye can see it, everyone under the
Blood of Jesus is saved from the embarrassment of
the devil and death. Only the born-again are covered
by the Blood of Jesus Christ. You have to be
conscious of this fact all the time, otherwise the devil
would take advantage of your ignorance. The Blood of
Jesus is set as a seal, is a better covenant than the
Old. The Word of God speaks for itself:

But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry,

by how much also he is the mediator of a better
covenant, which was established upon better
promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless,

43
 then should no place have been sought for the
second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold,
the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new
covenant with the house of Judah:

Not according to the covenant that I made with their

fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to
lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they
continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them
not, saith the Lord
Hebrew. 8:6-9.

The New Covenant (or Testament), sealed by the

Blood of Jesus, provides a better, more inclusive, and
impregnable wall of protection for the believer. If the
angel of death could stay off the children of Israel on
whose lintels the blood of a lamb (an animal) was
shed how much more would he stay off believers,
who carry the Blood of Jesus Christ, and have the
Father, Son and the Holy Spirit residing on the inside.

This is a great, terrifying, powerful and mighty

combination that would effortlessly crush any

44
aggression from the camp of the devil in whatever
form it manifests itself.

45
 Chapter 7
The Name Of Jesus

When we come to the Father in prayer, we come in

the name of JESUS. We do not come in our names
as believers. Therefore, whether we are praying for
our own needs or for the needs of others, we do so in
the Name of Jesus. This is the Scriptural order of
prayer. Jesus taught us this in several passages. For
example in John 14:13, 14, He said,

And whatsover ye shall ask in my name that will I do,

that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Later, in chapter 16 verse 23, He further stated, "And

in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say
unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my
name, He will give it you."

The Father gives us the things we ask for because we

ask in the Name of Jesus. He will do those things for
us because when we use the name it is as if Jesus

46
Himself is making the petition. The church has His
power of attorney. Therefore the name of Jesus
ensures us answers in the face of odds.

Now this is but one dimension of the use of the Name.

Apart from this, the Name of Jesus is a mighty
Spiritual weapon of offence, as well as defence. This
means we can use the Name to change things and
situations.

Wherefore God hath highly exalted Him, and given

Him a name which is above every name: That at the
name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in
heaven, and things in earth, and things under the
earth; And that every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-12.

All the warfare that may ever confront the believer at

any point in time in his life are within the boundaries
of heaven, earth and hell.

God has given the Lord Jesus a Name that is above

every other name in all spheres of the three inhabited
47
worlds. A person’s name portrays his personality.
Thus, the personality of Jesus Christ supersedes and
triumphs over any known or unknown personality in
heaven, on earth and in hell. This personality is more
potent and imposing than any other personality or
group of personalities in the entire universe.

Moreover, the word should portray an obligation, a

compulsion and a state of no other choice. All the
beings in all the spheres of the three inhabited worlds
are meant to tremble and respond in total and
unconditional obedience at the mention of the Name
of Jesus. This is true even in the mouth of the young
or even least spiritual child of God.

The Name of Jesus is an unchallengeable weapon

against death, disease and the devil. This puts at the
disposal of the believer an all-round victory over every
aggression and assault from any quarter.

The Name of Jesus has the pre-eminence. It is the

more excellent name. When you mention that Name,

48
the angels of God respond to that situation to crush
the foul forces and produce the desired victory.

This is precisely what happened in the case of a

brother who was travelling on a company aircraft.
Suddenly the engine developed some problems, and
the pilot was heard to say, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, we
are gone.’ The brother replied spontaneously (no
doubt, he had the Word and was conscious of the
power in the Name of Jesus): ‘In Jesus Name, I’m not
gone’.

In a split second, the aircraft went into pieces,

scattering debris on the ocean. The angel of the Lord
placed this brother on a floating piece of metal. The
Name of Jesus rescued him in a situation that was
clearly beyond human control.

Another brother was involved in a similar air accident.

The angel of the Lord lifted him and placed him on top
of the aircraft, from where he found his way to safety.

49
No other name could have saved those two brothers
from the hand of death besides the Name of Jesus.
Acts 4:12 says emphatically.

Neither is there salvation in any other name, for there

is no other name under heaven given among men,
whereby we must be saved.

Using the Name of Jesus glorifies God. God will

surely do anything that is in line with Scriptures and
would glorify His name. Your failure to use the Name
of Jesus Christ in dangerous situations would rob you
of joy and the glory God would have got from your life.
Using the name of Jesus Christ produces joy and
victory for you and glory to God. Begin to use that
name today. It is a powerful divine provision.

50
 Chapter 8
The Holy Spirit

Many people identify the Holy Spirit with tongues, and

tongues only. But the Bible emphasises the Power
and not the tongues.

Jesus told the hundred and twenty disciples that were

with Him before He was taken up into Heaven:

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost

is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me
both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria,
and unto the uttermost part of the earth"
Acts 1:8.

Now, do not get me wrong. I am not against speaking

in tongues. In fact, I speak in tongues for hours every
day, but I am talking about manifestation and
demonstration of the power of the Holy Ghost.
51
When you speak in tongues, there should be power in
your utterance. Tongues would edify you (that is, build
you up spiritually) but in the face of death power is
required both in your tongues and understandable
utterances for you to be delivered.

In an emergency, the memory (mind) gets under

attack but the Holy Ghost comes to quicken, and with
His ministry, the believer is able to apply the sword of
the Spirit (the word of God).

Thus, Isaiah 59:19 declares,

...when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit

shall lift up a standard against him.

The same truth was stated by Jesus in John 14:26,

"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"

The word of God spoken and operated under the

power of the Holy Ghost would crumble any

52
aggression of foul forces of death no matter the
magnitude and intensity.

In the following Scripture, Jesus was telling the

disciples about the vital function the Holy Ghost would
perform in the believer.

Howbeit, when He, the Spirit of truth is come, He will

guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of
Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He
speak: and He will shew you things to come.
John 16:13

The Holy Spirit, Jesus is saying here, would direct the

believer along the right path. He would speak to the
recreated human spirit telling him the steps to take at
each stage of his life. Many people have died for lack
of direction and guidance. The Holy Ghost is the chief
guardian because He knows the mind of God and
God knows all things.

Jesus did not start His earthly ministry until He was

baptized in the Holy Ghost. The Apostles did not
become victorious Christians till after Pentecost. No
53
more can you be a victorious Christian over death,
disease and the devil without the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Ghost, the power of the Godhead, carries

out and performs the will of God in the life of the
believer. He brings to a fulfillment that which the word
of God has said about the believer. He keeps the
believer above all the attacks of the devil in all its
various forms and raises a standard against the
enemy in defense of the believer.

The Holy Ghost helps the believer to pray in line with

the will of God for his life. If the believer would obey,
the Holy Spirit would lead him (the believer) in His
will. Many have died prematurely because they
walked outside God’s will.

"Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we

know not what we should pray for as we ought: but
the Spirit (Himself) maketh intercession for us with
groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that
searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the
Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints

54
 according to the will of God"
Romans 8:26-27

When the believer is so troubled that he finds great

difficulty in praying, the Holy Spirit is interceding for
Him with divine intensity (groanings which cannot be
uttered).

We need the Holy Ghost to become children of God

(John 1:12-13), but we need the baptism and power
to live as victors and overcomers in our Christian life
and earthly pilgrimage. The believer cannot operate
the divine provisions, promises, strategies and
knowledge contained in the word of God without the
ministry of the Holy Spirit.

We need God’s power to dismantle the powers of

death, disease and the devil, and this power is
supplied by the Holy Ghost through baptism in the
Holy Ghost.

This gift is available to all who ask. God would not

deny the believer of this gift because He has
promised to give Him (the Holy Ghost) to the believer.
55
He (God) knows how impossible it is for the believer
to live victoriously over all circumstances, aggression
and oppressions of his (believer’s) enemies without
the ministry of the Holy Ghost in his life.

If you love long life and divine health and all the
blessings God has promised, get baptized in the Holy
Spirit today.

The believer is very secure under God and His word

through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit
reveals God and exposes His word to the believer’s
recreated human spirit. This is strong tower for the
believer and it keeps him under the shadow of the
Almighty. The Holy Spirit keeps you totally secure and
victorious.

56
 Chapter 9
Angels On Duty

The ministry of angels has been severely down-

played. The reason is based on a combination of
wrong doctrine as well as the unbiblical use to which
angels are put by practitioners of spiritism and other
false religions. Sometimes, this has resulted in angel
worship. Angel worship is satanic and it is,
accordingly, forbidden by the Bible.

The sad thing is that the perverted use of angels has

succeeded in creating a psychological dislike for
correct angelic activity on behalf of believers. Many in
the true church would rather not hear about angels.

However, such an attitude deprives us of God’s

superb methods of providing protection for believers.
For, though our knowledge of angels has been

57
distorted and abused, Bible truth makes is plain that
believers are assigned angels to ensure their safety.

Who are angels? They are created spirits who help to

carry out God’s plan and purpose for man. The Bible
records several instances of angelic activity. Abraham
saw and talked with angels, and Sarah’s maid, Hagar,
was ministered to by angels when she was driven
from her mistress’ presence on two occasions.
(Genesis 16:6-7; 21:17).

Two angels destroyed Sodom, saving Abraham’s

nephew, Lot. (Genesis 19); thus demonstrating the
future state that angels will participate in the judgment
in the last day by casting the wicked into the lake of
fire. (Matthew 13:49-50). The book of Revelation talks
about this future role of angels in detail. It was an
angel of the Lord who smote Herod with worms. (Acts
12:23).

Jacob mentions in Genesis 48:16, "The angel which

redeemed me ..." And angel of the Lord went before
the camp of Israel. (Exodus 14:15). Shortly before

58
Jericho was taken, an angel was despatched to take
command of the Israelite army under Joshua (Joshua
5:13-15). These are a few examples of the role played
by angels in the affairs of men.

The Bible teaches that angels have a personal

ministry to believers. This ministry begins in infancy.
In Matthew 18:10, Jesus talked about the guardian
angels of children beholding the face of God
continually.

But to which of the angels said He at any time, Sit on

My right hand, until I make thine enemies thy foot
stool? Are they not ministering spirits sent forth to
minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
Hebrews 1:14

The Bible described angels as excelling in strength.

(Psalm 103:20). The book of 2 Kings chapter 19
underscores the ability of angels. In that incident, only
one angel destroyed thousands of the enemy. This
should excite every believer.

59
 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the
Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the
Assyrians an hundred four score and five thousand;
and when they arose early in the morning, behold,
these were all dead corpses.
Verse 35

The book of 2 Chronicles chapter 32, adds some

details of this encounter with the Assyrians:

And for this cause Hezekiah the king and the prophet
Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven.
And the Lord sent an angel, which cut off all the
mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in
the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with
shame of face to his land. And when he was come
into the house of his god, they that came forth of his
own bowels slew him there with the sword. Thus the
Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of
Jerusalem from the hand of Senacherib the king of
Assyria, and from the hand of all other, and guided
them on every side.
Verses 20-22
60
This was certainly a mighty deliverance. Today, the
angels of God still engage in battle and resist every
form of aggression on the believer’s behalf. Psalm
34:7 is for all time.

The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them

that fear Him, and delivereth them.

They constitute the spiritual manpower of God to fulfil

His word and promises. Angels are innumerable and
heaven cannot run short of this manpower. Hebrews
12:22 mentions an "innumerable company of angels,"
and Revelation 5:11 says, "the number (of the angels)
was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands
of thousands."

When you are in a bad situation, speak the word of

God. For although we do not pray to angels, the Bible
says they "hearken" unto the voice of His word.
(Psalm 103:20).

This means that at the utterance of the word of God,

angels are set in motion. They are eagerly waiting for

61
you to issue the word of command, which is God’s
word.

It has been wrongly taught that believers cannot direct

angels about what to do, and that it is only God’s
voice angels will obey. But Psalm 103:20 overthrows
this thinking. For it is not God’s voice, but the voice of
His word that they hear.

If we replace the "voice" with utterance, then what we

have is that angels hear the utterance of God’s word.
Here is plainly stating that the believer has only to
speak God’s word, and angels of God will go into
action.

I want to tell you that rescue by angels has come to

believers who dared to put them to work by speaking
the word of God.

They are at every emergency spot to defend the

believer. Such was the case of the mighty deliverance
of Daniel from the jaws of hungry lions. In Daniel 6:22,
Daniel told King Darius,

62
My God hath sent His angels, and hath shut the lions’
mouths, that they hath not hurt me.

In the New Testament, Peter was rescued through

angelic aid when the church interceded on his behalf.

Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was

made without ceasing of the church for unto God for
him. And when Herod would have brought him forth,
the same night Peter was sleeping between two
soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers
before the door kept the prison: And, behold, the
angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined
in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and
raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his
chains fell off from his hands.
Acts 12:5-7

Angels ministered to the Lord Jesus Christ during His

earthly ministry. In Matthew 4:11, after His temptation
by the devil,

Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came

and ministered unto him.
63
During His arrest, the Lord hinted at the ready use of
angelic power at His disposal:

Thinketh thou that I cannot now pray to My Father,

and He shall presently give Me more than twelve
legions of angels?
Matthew 26:53

The angel of the Lord delivers those that believe in

the Lord and serve Him continually. Their deliverance
brings glory to God and destruction to their enemies
and the enemies of God. The angel of the Lord is
always on hand to deliver from death and the threat of
death.

64
 Chapter 10

Faith
The wonderful truths of Scripture concerning long life
shared in this book, like every blessing of God, can
only become a reality to the believer through faith.
For, just as we get saved and healed through faith, so
also we can fulfil our days through faith in the word of
God. There is no performance without faith, as we
read from Luke 1:45,

And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a

performance of those things which were told her from
the Lord.

A basic admonition of the new birth is that the just

shall live by faith. This statement was first given in
Habakkuk 2:4 as a prophecy for the days of grace.
Thereafter, it is repeated in Romans 1:17; Galatians
65
3:11 and Hebrews 10:38. The believer can only live
by faith. The opposite is true: without faith, the
believer, will die. Faith determines the quantity of life
of the believer.

The gospel in its fullness will not profit you unless you
mix it with faith. Hebrews 4:2 says,

For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto

them: but the word preached did not profit them, not
being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

Many have heard the word concerning many areas of

their lives but have not believed. In Matthew 9:29,
Jesus said,

According to your faith be it unto you.

Alas, it is not according to your spiritual maturity, nor

zeal, nor eloquence, consecration, or other Christian
virtues. But, according to your faith! What then is
faith?

Faith is a product of the recreated human spirit. Faith

is not a product of the sense. It is born in the human

66
spirit that has been worked upon by the word of God.
The word of God defines faith in Hebrews 11:1,

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the

evidence of things not seen.

While hope alone will not suffice, without hope, there

is no operation of faith. Hope is what you desire or
expect. Faith is the substance, or catalyst, that you
add to your hope to produce the desire.

Faith is of the now: "Now faith is ..." You believe you

receive what you pray for now - ever before the
manifestation arrives. If faith is substance, then one
might well ask, where do you obtain the substance
from? The word of God leaves us in no doubt.

The substance of hope, or faith, is obtained from

repeated hearing of the word of God. In other words,
faith is a product of hearing the word. When you are
operating in faith, you are operating in the divine
realm, the spirit realm. This is because the word of
God, which produces faith, is spirit. (John 6:63).

67
Thus, faith is the ability to see invisible things. It is, as
Romans 4:17 puts it, "calling those things which be
not as though they were." It is a total reliance upon
God’s faithfulness. When you operate in faith, you are
testifying that God is true. Such an attitude pleases
God.

But without faith, it is impossible to please Him: for he

that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that
He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6.

The natural man (the unbeliever) cannot have the

God-kind of faith, the type of faith that delivers from
the lordship of the devil, disease and death. The Bible
says in 1 Corinthians 2:14, that

The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit

of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can
he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The natural man has satan’s nature, so it is very easy

for satan to have his way in his life. It is easy for the
natural man to do the will of satan and have it reign in
68
his life. The will of satan revolves in the realm of sin,
disease, and death.

On the other hand, the believer has the nature of the

Father. Therefore, it is easy for the Father to reveal
Himself to His child through the living word. The will of
God (His word) embodies long life, divine health,
prosperity, and countless other blessings.

It is written in 3 John 2,

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest

prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

We receive the reality of this by faith. Faith is the live-

wire of the believer.

69
 Chapter 11

Praise
Praising and worshipping God are great secrets to
physical and spiritual fitness, sound mind, good
health, long life, deliverance and prosperity. There is
but a simple reason for this. God dwells in the realm
of praise.

But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabitest the praises

of Israel.
Psalms 22:3.

God abides in the midst of the praises of His people,

and where He abides, you can be sure that all good
things will be there. God is light, and light dispels
darkness and all that has to do with it. The Psalmist
sang,

70
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is
fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures
for evermore.
Psalm 16:11

God has nothing to do with disease, poverty or

premature death. His path is the way of life and this is
the path through which He takes the believer. He
would take you through no other path. He is no
respecter of persons. He does not change. Fullness
of joy and pleasures are His will all the days of your
life. If anything outside these blessings come your
way, the devil is the author.

In the Book of Nehemiah, chapter 8, verse 10, there is

an astonishing revelation of God. It says,

Then he said unto them, go your way, eat the fat, and
drink the sweet and send portions unto them for
whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto
our Lord: neither be ye sorry, for the joy of the Lord is
your strength.

71
Sorrow and grief are not part of the heritage of the
new birth. Rather, the joy of the Lord is your portion,
and strength. Praising the Lord is evidence of the joy
of the Lord. The easiest way for the devil to rob you of
your strength is in robbing you of your joy.

Quite early in their dealings with Jehovah, Moses and

the children of Israel discovered God’s method of
operation. In Exodus 15:11, they said,

Who is like unto Thee, O Lord, among the gods? Who

is like unto Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in
praises, doing wonders?

They discovered that God does fearful and amazing

things in the realm of praises. They had seen Him
execute a great deliverance by burying the Egyptians
and their horses and chariots under the waters of the
Red Sea.

In the New Testament, the Book of Acts tells of a

mighty act of deliverance through prayer and praise.

And at midnight, Paul and Silas prayed, and sang

praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And
72
 suddenly there was great earthquake, so that the
foundations of the prison were shaken: and
immediately all the doors were opened, and
everyone’s bands were loosed"
Acts 16:25-26

Prayer and praises are a powerful combination. The

forces of hell will bow when this combination is in
operation. God responded to the prayer and praises
of His two apostles by sending an earthquake that
shook the prison to its foundation.

God can go to any extent to glorify His name and

bless His children in the realm of praise. Indeed, 1
Thessalonians 5:18 says giving thanks is the will of
God concerning believers. His will is that you praise
Him continually. Praise brings down the blessings of
God. 1 Corinthians 10:10 cautions:

Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured,

and were destroyed by the destroyer.

Murmuring brings one into the camp of the destroyer.

It makes you accessible to him, and he eventually
73
catches up with you. Those that murmured in the
wilderness, instead of praising God, were destroyed.

Hezekiah, King of Judah, and the Psalmist both

recognized that the duty of the living is to praise the
Lord. (Isaiah 38:18-19; Psalm 115:17-18). Hezekiah
in Isaiah 38:18-19 said,

The grave cannot praise Thee, death cannot

celebrate Thee: they that go down into the pit cannot
hope for Thy truth. The living, the living, he shall
praise Thee, as I do this day: the father of the children
shall make known Thy truth.

Those who are dead physically cannot praise the

Lord; hence, He has kept you alive. Those who are
dead spiritually cannot praise the Lord; hence, the
Lord has saved you that you might praise Him.
Therefore, if you fail to praise the Lord while you are
alive, you are as good as dead.

As you sing the praises of the Lord, He will break

loose your captivity and unlock all your blessings that

74
the devil has hitherto locked up. Psalm 149:5-6,9
declares,

Let the saints be joyful in glory: Let them sing aloud

upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in
their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand. To
execute upon them the judgment written: this honour
have all His saints.

That is the will of God for you. Appropriate it. All the
saints, including you, have the privilege of executing
the written judgment. This comprises, among other
things, divine health, prosperity and length of days (a
minimum of seventy years).

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 Chapter 12

Prayer
Prayer is the vital weapon at the disposal of the
believer. His life as a believer is sustained and
strengthened largely by his prayer life. The central
truth that the Lord sought to teach by the parable of
the unjust judge was "that men ought always to pray,
and not to faint" (Luke 18:1).

Those Old and New Testaments are filled with

accounts of praying saints. The leaders of Israel in
those ancient days were noted for their praying
habits. Paul, a great teacher of prayer, did a lot of
praying and continually requested for prayers.

In Joshua 10:12-14, Joshua made the heavenly

bodies subject to him by the power of prayer. The sun
stood still and the moon stopped in its tracks at the
command of this praying man of God, till the Lord’s
people had avenged themselves upon their enemies.
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By the power of prayer, Jacob caused Esau’s anger
to abate and God protected and blessed him
throughout his journey. After praying through the
night, he received from God a righteous pattern of life
and his name was changed to Israel because he had
prevailed with man and with God (Genesis 32:24-32).

Samuel, the mighty intercessor in Israel and a man of

God, was the product of his mother’s prayer. Hannah
is a memorable example of the nature and benefits of
importunate praying. Her whole soul was in her desire
and God granted her request (1 Samuel 1:9-20).

Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah and

God heard him. He also delivered Abimelech the king
of Gerar, from destruction and death by the power of
prayer (Genesis 20:1-18). 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 shows
how, by the power of prayer, Jabez changed his
destiny. God readily granted him the things which he
had requested.

Hezekiah, the king of Judah knew the secret of

prayer. He was delivered from the hands of death,

77
and had his life prolonged. The incident is recorded in
Isaiah 38:1-6.

In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And

Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz came unto him,
and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, set thine
house in order for thou shalt die, and not live. Then
Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed
unto the Lord... Then came the word of the Lord to
Isaiah, saying, go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith
the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy
prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto
thy days fifteen years. And I will deliver thee and this
city out of the hands of the King of Assyria: and I will
defend this city.

God did not only heal and prolong Hezekiah’s life but
He also delivered him and his people from the
physical aggression of the King Assyria. These are
some of the mighty things prayer can achieve. Prayer
would deliver you from disease and premature death
and put you on the path of divine health, length of
days and prosperity.
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Prayer and praises delivered Paul and Silas from
imminent death (see Acts 16:23-26). Prayer and
praise are a powerful combination. They will at any
time pull down any demonic and devilish barrier and
bring victory.

In the same way, Peter was delivered (Acts 12:5-11).

God sent His angel to deliver Peter from prison in
response to the prayer of the church. God always
responds to collective or individual prayer.

In Isaiah 43:26, the word of God instructs us to put

the Lord in remembrance. Remind God about His
promises of long life, divine health, and prosperity
concerning you and it will be granted you. This
scripture is teaching word-praying. When we pray in
accordance with His will He hears us. The simple
truth is: when we ask, we receive (Matthew 7:8; Luke
11:9; James 4:13).

God would give good gifts, long life and prosperity to

them that ask Him. Ask for long life, you will have it.
Seek it, and it shall be given you. Knock and you shall

79
walk into the realm of divine health, long life and
prosperity. If we desire long life, we should receive it
through prayer.

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 Chapter 13
Confession

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and

they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Proverbs 18:21

On the basis of this spiritual principle, the Lord

advised Joshua, when he took over the leadership of
the nation of Israel, in Joshua 1:8:

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth.

In these two passages, God is making us understand

the importance of confession. Confession is saying
the same thing as God. The basic law of the universe
is that you have what you say. You have life, if you
speak life. In the same way, you have death, if you
speak death. Thus, when we confess Jesus, we
should have life, because Jesus is life. This is what
you have - life, if you confess Jesus. It is a never-
changing law.

81
Your faith will never grow above the level of your
confession. Man’s faith is measured by his
confession. If you confess fear and doubt, you will
produce fear and doubt, which are, indeed, death.

God Himself demonstrated the power of words. For in

Hebrews 11:3, we are told,

Through faith we understand that the worlds were

framed by the word of God, so that things which are
seen were not made of things which do appear.

In other words, God confessed things into physical

manifestation. Thus, in the place of the deep
darkness that was over the face of the earth in the
beginning, God called for light (Genesis 1:3). God’s
system of operation has never changed.

In any negative situation, God speaks forth the things

He desires. He does not talk the problem. He does
not debate its merits and demerits. Thus, because He
does not meditate on the problem, He is never
overcome by unbelief.

Romans 4:17 tells how God operates:

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 As it is written, I have made thee a father of many
nations, before him who he believed, even God, who
quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which
be not as though they were.

Notice it does not say He calls those things which are

as though they were not. Confession is not a denial of
the existence of a particular problem. Rather, it is
speaking into existence those things that one desires.
That is God’s style.

God created man in His likeness and in His image. He

gave man the same ability to speak the word of
power. That is why Jesus said in Mark 11:23,

For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say

unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou
cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but
shall believe that those things which he saith shall
come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

You have what you say. In Deuteronomy 30:19, God

placed the choice of life and death before the children

83
of Israel. He told them they could choose to die if they
wanted to, and this they could do by their confession.

In Numbers 13, when the people heard the report of

the ten spies, they allowed fear to consume them.
They said, "We be not able to go up against the
people; for they are stronger than we" (Verse 31).

God respected their choice. In Chapter 14, verse 25,

He laid before them the consequences of their choice.
The carcases of all adults, from twenty years and
upward, would fall in the wilderness. It was a result of
negative confession - murmuring.

On the other hand, Joshua the son of Num and Caleb

the son of Jephunneh presented faith’s report. They
said,

"Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well

able to overcome it," God justified them. He said they
were going to do it.

This incident illustrates the principles Jesus laid down

in Matthew 12:36-37. The Lord said a man’s words
either condemn or justify him. The murmuring of the
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majority condemned them to death in the wilderness.
The confession of faith of Joshua and Caleb ensured
that they survived to possess Canaan.

Jesus said,

But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall
speak they shall give account thereof in the day of
judgment. For by thy words thou shall be justified, and
by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Matthew 12:36.

As Goliath the Philistine giant threatened the army of

Israel day by day, Saul said, I can’t face him. God
said there was no need for him to try. David’s brothers
and the rest of the army said, we can’t do it. God said
he could.

A certain woman I know faced imminent death. There,

on her death-bed, she continued to shout and confess
Psalm 118:17, "I shall not die, but live, and declare
the works of the Lord." Gradually, life started surging
through her being and over a few days, this woman
was on her feet, healed, and praising the Lord. She
85
chose to live. She knew she was expected to live a
minimum of seventy years and God granted it to her
in response to her confession of faith. God will never
fail to respond to a confession of faith. You have what
you say.

God told Joshua, "I want my word to be in you. Never

let my word cease to be in your mouth. Keep
repeating my word. As you speak and meditate on my
word, you will have good success."

What God tells one, He tells all. Learn to confess the

word of God.

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 Chapter 14

Boldness
Death approaches all men first through fear. The devil
uses fear as a device to get the believer into wrong
thinking, wrong believing, wrong action and,
ultimately, wrong confession. This in turn makes the
believer to lose ground and step out of the word of
God. The enemy, the devil now comes into his life to
steal, to kill, and to destroy.

Therefore, fear is the first weapon the devil uses to

get the believer into a state of bondage before doing
havoc. Without first of all getting the believer to make
a wrong confession or act wrong through fear, the
devil cannot get the believer into bondage. Every
plan, attempt, or attack of the devil starts with fear.
The story of Job offers some insights into the strategy
of the devil.

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It was Job’s fear that removed the hedge around him.
It was not God who did it. This is what he said,

For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings

are poured out like waters. For the things which I
greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was
afraid of is come unto me.
Job 3:24-25.

You can see exactly why trouble comes. First he was

afraid; second, he made confession of insecurity and
unrest. He had what he said! The devil caught him at
the wrong spot, because the Bible says,

Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art
taken with the words of thy mouth.
Proverbs 6:2

Job was snared with the words of his mouth. Notice,

however, that what caused him to speak these words
was the fear that was in his heart. Fear produced the
words that took him. Out of the abundance of his
heart, his mouth spoke.

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Once Satan gets you defeated in the realm of fear, he
carries out his remaining attack very quickly and in a
vicious cycle before you realize what you are doing.
Job’s calamities all happened in one day. He lost his
property and children. Then, to crown it all, the devil
entered his wife and she deserted him.

Job turned around to do exactly what some believers

still do today. He held God responsible for Satan’s
actions.

Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his
head, and fell down upon the ground, and said,
Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked
shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath
taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.
Job: 1:20

Job might not have sinned or charged God foolishly,

but he reasoned foolishly and acted foolishly.

The Bible is full of warnings to believers not to be

afraid. This is because God is aware that fear is

89
capable of opening doors to the enemy. We are
admonished in Psalm 91:5-6,

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for
the arrow that flieth by day, nor for the pestilence that
walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that
wasteth at noonday.

In other words, God is saying to the believer, "Be

bold." Fear in the face of the devil’s onslaught, will
frustrate God’s effort on your behalf and give the devil
a place. But boldness is a strong defence. When you
are bold, you encourage the heavenly forces to work
for you. "Thou shalt not be afraid". The reason Adam
gave for hiding from God after he fell was that he was
afraid.

The Bible explains that this spirit, which was in Adam,

is in every believer (Hebrews 2:15):

And deliver them who through fear of death were

all their lifetime subject to bondage.

This means that if you are born again, if you have

accepted Jesus, then you have been delivered from
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fear. Romans 8:15, and 2 Timothy 1:7 both speak of
this deliverance from fear.

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again

to fear: but ye have received the spirit of adoption
whereby we cry, Abba Father.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of

power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Therefore, the believer should recognize fear for what

it is and resist it.

Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be
strong.
1 Corinthians 16:13

Being strong calls for being bold, too. We need

boldness to withstand the devil.

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 Chapter 15

Guidiance
Throughout all the ages and dispensa-tions, God has
never left His people
in want of divine guidance and direction. In fact, God
will not take His people anywhere without giving them
the required guidance and direction.

For the children of Israel leaving Egypt, it was by day

in a pillar of cloud to lead them the way; and by night
in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and
night (Exodus 13:21).

Moses, a great servant of God, had come to the point

where he knew that it was absolutely useless trying
anything without the guidance of God. Thus, in
Exodus 33:15, Moses told the Lord,

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If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.

Moses was saying, "Lord, if we can’t be sure of your

leading and guidance, we’ll not go at all." If Moses,
who knew God face to face said that, then we better
not belittle divine guidance and leading. Blessed be
God. His will and desire, then and now, is to lead us.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are

the sons of God.
Romans 8:14

The twenty-third Psalm is popular with Christians. It

has much to say on divine guidance and direction.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh

me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me
beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he
leadeth me in the path of righteousness for his
name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of
the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art
with me; thy rod and staff they comfort me. Thou
preparest a table before me in the presence of mine
enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup
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runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow
me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house
of the Lord for ever.

The will of God is that the believer be led by His Spirit

into safe places. But the believer needs a very high
sensitivity in the spirit to be able to discern and
understand God’s leading.

God leads the believer principally through his (the

believer’s) spirit and the word of God (the Holy Bible).
He also leads by the Holy Spirit who is in the believer.
Here are three scriptures that emphasize the point we
are making:

The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching

all the inward parts of the belly"
Proverbs 20:27

Man’s spirit is the lamp God uses in dealing with the

individual. It is not the man’s head (mind), but his
spirit. Many times we are hoping to get led through
our mental faculties. But we have to differentiate
between mind and spirit.
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Often, the leading of the mind, which is based on the
senses, is wrong. Except the mind is renewed over
time with the word of God, it is in fact, an enemy of
God (Romans 8:6-7). No, God will deal with your spirit
- the regenerated spirit.

He also leads by His word.

Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light unto my

path.
Psalm 119:105

The word of God shows the believer the paths of life,

in much the same way that a lamp will show one’s
path at night.

God also leads the believer by the Holy Spirit.

But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye

know all things...But the anointing which ye have
received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that
any man teach you: but as the same anointing
teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie,
and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
1 John 2:20,27
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The words "unction" and "anointing" are from the
same Greek word, "charisma" It refers to the Holy
Spirit. The anointing or unction of the Holy Spirit is the
ability of God in you and it does not reside in your
head or your flesh, but in your recreated human spirit.
Jesus said of the Holy Spirit that "when he, the Spirit
of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth" (John
16:13).

Many believers have run into situations that

prematurely terminated their lives because they failed
to listen to the voice of their recreated humans spirit.

Listening to and imbibing false doctrines have also

cost some believers their lives at the prime of their
youth. The believer’s human spirit, when developed
by the word of God, can never lack God’s will, or
situations where God’s grace would not be
abundantly present.

When the Lord guides you, He stays with you. But

when you dabble into situations and places where He
has not led you, you are exposed to the devil.

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According to Isaiah 58:11,

The Lord shall guide thee continually.

But it is the duty of the believer to cooperate with Him.

This cooperation is vital.

There was an occasion when I was to travel to Port

Harcourt, Nigeria, along with three brethren. At last
everyone was set to travel, but somehow I had no
leading in my spirit to go. I succeeded in delaying the
trip for a few hours but, eventually, I went along. Right
on the inside of me I knew I was taking a wrong step.
As the journey proceeded, the indication became
stronger, so I decided to take the wheel myself.

It happened on the return journey. At a point on the

Benin-Ore road, a drunken driver in a car right ahead
of me made a U-turn without any indication. It was all
so sudden and, travelling at a speed of between 130
and 140 km/h, I ran head-on into him. Both cars
somersaulted several times.

It was a narrow escape from death. We were bruised,

but the drunkard in the other vehicle much more.
97
God’s mercy rescued us from the devil’s snare, which
we got into through disobedience.

Any believer that desires long life must be ready to

obey the voice of the Spirit - whether it is through his
own spirit or another believer’s.

The point I am making is: we must learn to listen to

the voice of the Shepherd. Jesus said, "My sheep
hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me"
(John 10:27). It is the responsibility of the sheep to
identify the voice.

A friend of mine told me he was proceeding on a trip.

He had no car of his own, but he intended to use that
of another brother. My friend could drive well, indeed,
he had driven me on very long distances on
numerous occasions. But, then I received this urge in
my spirit to stop him. I told him, but he insisted on
going.

The vehicle owner had given him his word already.

When I asked this brother to withdraw his word, he

98
found it difficult to do so. It seemed there was nothing
to do than reluctantly consent to his going.

By 1:30 p.m. that day when he made the journey, I

sensed a deep sorrow on the inside of me. At 2:40
p.m. news came that there had been an accident. It
involved this friend, and he had died on the spot,
along with two others.

It was not the Lord’s will for him to die at the time he
died. The Lord had tried to prevent the trip through
me. He was disobedient. Do not toy with divine
leading. The Holy Spirit resides in your recreated
human spirit and He will always guide and lead you
because you are a child of God.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are

the sons of God.
Romans 8:14

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 Chapter 16
Stay Clear Of Sin

We have already proved by the word of God that

death is the consequence of sin. Romans 6:23 says
"the wages of sin is death."

Both spiritual death and spiritual death (which means

separation from God) result from sin. Therefore sin
has a penalty. This penalty is death.

However, we have also shown that the believer has

been redeemed from the bondage of sin. Therefore,
the believer has been redeemed from death. Physical
death has been made a thing of joy and gain, to occur
only at the old age as ordained in the word of God.

After his redemption, the believer would have to stay

clear of sin if he would want length of days. Here is
how Paul puts it in Romans 6:16,

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves

servants to obey, his servant ye are to whom ye obey:
100
 whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto
righteousness.

In the next verse, (verse 17) tells us about the

Romans, that they actually were the servants of sin
once — but no more. In verse 18, he says, "Being
then made free from sin, ye became the servants of
righteousness."

But now these believers are servants of

righteousness! In other words, the purpose of their
redemption was so that they might be set on the true
course acceptable to God. They are now capable of
bearing "fruit unto holiness" (verse 22) whose reward
is everlasting life. However, by way of warning, he
tells them in verse 23, that the penalty of sin has not
changed: "the wages of sin is death."

It is clear what Paul has in mind not only for the

Roman believers but for all others. If a believer toys
with sin, he toys with death!

The soul that sinneth it shall die.

Ezekiel 18:4
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Acts, chapter five records the story of Ananias and
Sapphira. It was the great custom of the brethren of
the early church to sell their possessions and bring
the proceeds to the apostles for common use. It was
a great exhibition of love. People were moved by love
to do this.

But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his

wife, sold a possession, and kept back part of the
price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a
certain part, and laid it at the apostle’s feet. But Peter
said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie
to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price
of the land..? And Ananias hearing these words fell
down, and gave up the ghost.
Acts 5:1-3, 5

Later, Sapphira his wife also died. This couple died

because they lied. Lying is a sin. Sin exerted its
penalty. Death came upon them.

The great lesson is this. If a believer is living in sin, he

is breaking down the hedge built round him by God.

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The spirit of death penetrates the broken wall and
snatches up his life. So you see that God is not to
blame in any case of untimely death.

If you are not prepared to live right, you are not

prepared to live long. Darkness and light cannot mix.
1 John 3:8-9 reads,

He that committed sin is of the devil; for the devil

sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son
of God was manifested, that he might destroy the
works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not
commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he
cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the
children of God are manifest, and the children of the
devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of
God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

The righteousness of God which is imparted to every

believer at the new birth provides him ability to live
right. If you are born of God, then you have an in-born
ability to live holy.

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In other words, the power of sin over your life is
broken.

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are
not under the law, but under grace.
Romans 6:14

Because sin has no dominion over you, death also

cannot have dominion over you. If you allow sin to
reign in your life, death also will reign in your life. If a
believer is practising sin, God cannot protect him
because He is not a minister of sin. The devil is the
minister of sin.

Therefore, if you are sinning, you will be under his

control and manipulation. The devil will give disease
and death as he pleases. Ecclesiastes 7:17 has this
to say:

Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why

shouldest thou die before thy time?

Sin will result in premature death. Twenty-three

thousand Israelites died in one day as a direct result
of fornication. In the whole of Scripture, sin is the
104
main cause of plagues in the form of fires (Numbers
11:1-3); sickness (Numbers 11:4-35, 13:33, 14:37,
16:41-50); leprosy (Numbers 12:1-16); earthquakes
(Numbers 16:1-30); death (Numbers 14:28-35); and
serpents (Numbers 21:5-9).

The believer’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1

Corinthians 3:16). Verse 17 warns that, "If any man
defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy: for
the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."

105
 Chapter 17
Walk In Love

A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love

one another: as I have loved you, that ye also love
one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my
disciples, if ye have love one to another.
John 13:34-35

Love is the commandment of the New Testament.

God Himself fulfilled that law when He gave mankind
His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ (John 3:16). So
serious is this commandment, that the Lord taught
that except we forgive, we should not expect to be
forgiven. In Matthew 7:12, He said,

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men

should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the
law and the prophets.

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Love is reciprocal. We expect to be loved, then we
must love. This nails the coffin on selfishness, self
promotion and self-seeking.

Selfishness is the disease of many in the church

today. To the extent that we have forgiven others we
can expect our heavenly Father to forgive us our own
fault. The Lord made love a requirement in the Lord’s
prayer which He taught the disciples. Look at the
language carefully:

And forgive us our sin: for we also forgive everyone

that is indebted to us.
Luke 11:4

In other words, our forgiveness by God is predicated

on our own willingness to forgive others. Many in the
church are bearing grudges all the time. They easily
get hurt. They get angered by the remarks of others
and they think it is safe to harbour such a feeling. But
it is not. To love means to forgive everything and
everyone.

107
Now we know that love is a commandment.
Disobedience to any commandment of God is sin. Sin
is the sting of death. Therefore failing to walk in love
is an invitation to death.

This new kind of love was not known to the world until
Jesus came. It is called in the Greek "Agape": that is,
the God kind of love. This love is not conditional. It is
not based on the performances of the object of love.

Remember, God sent Jesus, even though at the time

He came Jews and Gentiles alike were perfect God-
haters. Nobody cared for God. The Jews, who knew
the law and the prophets, were as far from the love of
God as the east is from the west. Yet, Jesus said love
is the sum of the law and the prophets. Why was it,
then, that the Jews at least could not fulfil the law of
love?

The reason is supplied by the Bible. Romans 5:5

declares,

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 And hope maketh not ashamed: because the love of
God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost
which is given unto us.

The believer has the ability to love because he has

the Holy Ghost with whom he has been sealed. The
Holy Ghost implants the love of God in the believer’s
heart. From the heart (or spirit) it is expected to
blossom into maturity and reflect on the outward.

Thus, if a person is unregenerated, (or not born

again), it is certain that he cannot walk in love. Hatred
and selfishness are his life-style. Where love is, we
find the outward sign of the indwelling Son of God.
And, since the Son of God is the life- giver, Love and
Life are bedfellows.

Love produces life. Therefore, hatred shows the

absence of the Son of God and the presence of the
devil and death. Here is how the word of God puts it,
in 1 John 3:14-15,

We know that we have passed from death unto life,

because we love the brethren. he that loveth not his
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 brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his
brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer
hath eternal life abiding in him.

The love of God in your life is the sign that you have
passed from death unto life. Many believers have died
prematurely because they failed to walk in love. As
we have said before, love produces life. Love
conquers death.

John the Beloved, who wrote the Gospel named after

him and the three Epistles, was soaked up in love. He
knew what it was to walk in love. Church history
recounts that the persecutors of the church put John
in boiling oil in an attempt to kill him. John did not get
fried up. He went on to write the Book of Revelation
and lived to a very great age.

People have to get into divine love. It is not something

you decide to do by choice. It is a matter of life and
death. If you die in hatred, you cannot see God. It
shows you do not have His nature in you. In first
Corinthians, chapter thirteen, from the fourth verse to

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the eighth verse, Paul defines the kind of love the
believer is called to walk in:

Charity suffereth long, and is kind: charity envieth not:

charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not
behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not
easily provoked, thinketh no evil: rejoiceth not in
iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things,
believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all
things. Charity never faileth...
I Corinthians 13:4-8

Longsuffering is when you absorb insults, abuses and

unkind actions towards your person without
retaliating. Kindness implies fellow feeling; it never
acts without consideration for the other fellow’s
interest.

Humility is the opposite of pride; it avoids vain glory,

but works quietly and without fanfare.

Courtesy means polite behaviour; when you are

courteous you do not behave unseemly (or

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unbecomingly) towards any one. Courtesy avoids
rudeness in behaviour towards other people.

When you are good tempered you do not get easily

irritated or resentful. Love is not selfish, neither sour
nor bitter. Divine love is also generous, and is never
envious or jealous. Love despises sin, for it is born of
righteousness.

Finally, love will be there when it is most needed. It is

an unending stream.

This is the sort of love God has shed abroad in our

hearts. Such love is not found in the world; it pertains
to the realm of God. It is the enemy of death. Live
long by walking in love.

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 Chapter 18
Abhor Pride

Another expression for pride is arrogance. The term

haughtiness is also used for pride. When a person
has too high an opinion about himself, his position,
abilities, possessions, etc., that is pride. Proverbs
21:4 says,

An high look, a proud heart, and the plowing of the

wicked is sin.

Pride is such a deadly sin that, of the seven

abominations listed in Proverbs chapter 6, it is placed
first. When pride is present in a man, that means God
has been reduced in estimation. Pride makes a
person self-centred. Self-centredness is nothing but a
violation of the second commandment:

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 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only
shalt thou serve.
Matthew 4:10

Pride is the sin of Lucifer (or satan). It is the sin which

turned him into the devil and the eternal enemy of
God. Isaiah tells of this incident:

How art thou fallen from heaven, O! Lucifer, son of

the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground,
which didst weaken the nations. For thou hast said in
thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my
throne above the stars of God: I will ascend above the
heights of the clouds: I will be like the most high.
Isaiah 14:12-14

The result of this direct challenge to God’s

sovereignty is given in verse 15,

Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of

the pit.

God resists the proud. Proverbs 29:23 says,

A man’s pride shall bring him low.

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This warning is repeated in chapter 16 verse 11:

Everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to

the Lord: though hand join hand, he shall not be
unpunished.

Herod the king was one such person who was

punished for his pride. The details can be found in
Acts 12:21-23:

And upon a set day, Herod arrayed in royal apparel,

sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.
And the people gave a shout, saying, it is the voice of
a god, and not of man. And immediately the angel of
the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the
glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the
ghost.

Herod died because he would not give God the glory.

This was unpardonable pride. God does not share His
glory with another man.

Too many people are deceived by their personal

achievements. They have such and such, the devil
tells them, because of some personal abilities. This is
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no achievement but what God has caused to come
about through His grace. James tells us in James
1:17 that every good gift and every perfect gift comes
from God. Paul adds,

What hast thou that thou hast not received? Now if

thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou
has not received it?
1 Corinthians 4:7

The rich fool of Luke chapter 12 did not see it that

way.

And he spake a parable unto them, saying, the

ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
and he thought within himself, saying, what shall I do,
because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
And he said, this will I do: I will pull down my barns,
and build greater; and there will I bestow my fruits and
my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast
much goods laid up for many years; take thine rest,
eat, drink and be merry.

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 But God said unto him, thou fool, this night thy soul
shall be required of thee: then whose shall those
things be, which thou has provided? So is he that
layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward
God.
Luke 12:16-21

The rich fool felt satisfied with his achievements and

thought he had no need of God. He depended on his
earthly treasures rather than God. This was pride
before God and he was destroyed suddenly. He was
seeing only himself throughout. Pride makes one
defenseless and open to the devil.

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was turned into a

beast as a result of pride. he lifted himself above God
and claimed all the glory due to God. He was instantly
turned into a beast and remained so until he repented
(Daniel 4:28-37). Usurping the glory due to God is
dangerous, and all who indulge in it are heaping upon
themselves coals of fire.

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Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit
before a fall.
Proverbs 16:18

The true believer’s boast is in the Lord. Boasting in

the Lord is not pride but celebration of revelation. The
believer’s boast is neither in men nor in himself but,
as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:31,

He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

The believer recognizes that he is nothing without

God’s grace. He absolutely agrees with Jesus when
he says, "I am the vine ... without me ye can do
nothing" (John 15:5). In Christ Jesus the believer
lives, and moves, and has his being. Therefore his
boast is in Him.

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 Chapter 19
Diligence

By much slothfulness the building decayeth, and

through idleness of the hands the house droppeth
through
Ecclesiastes 10:18

A physical building which is not inhabited wears out

much faster than an inhabited one. A building would
decay and its roof fall in through lack of use.

The human body is a building. In John 2:21, Jesus

referred to His body as a temple. The word of God
teaches that the believer is the temple of God, indwelt
by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16).

Therefore, like the physical building, improper care

and misuse can bring about decay (or weakening)
and then death of the body. You have to be diligent in
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physical matters. We are advised in Ecclesiates 9:10,
"Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy
might."

This is a vital requirement for physical well-being.

Through diligence you can maintain a healthy and
strong body.

Here is an example Jesus laid:

Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being

wearied with his journey, sat by the well: and it was
about the sixth hour.
John 4:6

Many Christians have never known what it means to

be tired or wearied physically. They hardly find
anything to engage their time. Such people cannot
expect a prosperous life. God has only promised to
prosper what we lay our hands upon (Psalm 1:3).

Notice Proverbs 6:10-11,

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Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the
hands to sleep, so shall thy poverty come as one that
travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

Jesus knew hard work. He is our perfect example.

Now, there is something else that John 4:6 teaches.

Diligence does not mean overwork. Diligence is the
opposite of idleness. Here in this scripture, we are
told that Jesus rested His body. His physical body
was tired. It needed rest and He was not going to
overwork it because the spirit of man cannot function
on earth without the body.

Many have died prematurely due to physical

breakdown of their system, resulting from lack of rest
and overwork. When we talk of a believer not being
slothful, we mean that he should be hard working, but
not however, overwork himself. Overwork would
shorten a believer’s life-span because the human
body requires rest. This is one secret of long life.

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God expects us to apply divine wisdom in this area of
our life. Sufficient rest would produce a sound and
healthy body. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 10:10

If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then

must he put forth more strength, but wisdom is
profitable to direct.

A cutlass, knife or any other instrument of work not

sharpened would require more strength and effort to
do a job a sharpened tool would. In the same way,
rest sharpens the body and makes it more efficient at
work. Less work would be done with less strength.
We need wisdom in this direction.

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 Chapter 20
Eating Good

You need good food to sustain your physical life.

Good food stimulates good health. And, bless God,
He is aware of this fact, therefore, He provides you
with good food to make you strong like the eagle.
Psalm 103:1,5 says,

Bless the Lord O, my soul and all that is within me

bless his holy name... Who satisfieth thy mouth with
good things: so that thy youth is renewed like the
eagles’s.

The eagle is a peculiar bird, characterized by strength

and long life. God provides you with food through His
blessings in your life in order that you might be
nourished and live long. The health of Adam was
sustained only by food.

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Every herb on the earth’s surface was designed for
food - not drugs - for Adam.

And God said, behold, I have given you every herb

bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth,
and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree
yielding seed: to you it shall be for meat.
Genesis 1:29

Meat means food here. Since then, the Lord had

never left His people without the necessary provision
of food. The manna with which the Lord fed the
Israelites in the wilderness was balanced diet. It
contained all the necessary nutrients to make the
body grow well and sound. God is a great physician.
He is everything to His people.

A good description of the manna is given in Numbers

11:7-8,

And the manna was a coriander seed, and the colour

thereof as of the colour of bdellium. And the people
went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or
beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made
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cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh
oil.

Scholars agree that the manna was properly balanced

diet, able to meet all bodily requirements. A caution is
necessary here. As much as food is necessary to
provide long life, over-eating would promote disease
and death. Mid-way between the extremes, a balance
must be struck. The good advice is, eat well, but
avoid gluttony.

This issue requires wisdom rather than faith.

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 Final Word
Long life is your heritage. God did not spare His Son
but gave Him up that you might have all that you
require in this world to be comfortable and to serve
Him. Long life, divine health and prosperity are issues
that have been settled at calvary in the favour of the
believer. We read in Psalm 91:14-16,

Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I

deliver him, I will set him on high, because he hath
known my name, he shall call upon me, and I will
answer him: I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver
him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him
and shew him my salvation.

This is talking about the saint, the born again. He is

the one who has known the name of the Lord. He is
called by the name of the Lord.

The whole of Psalm 91 reveals how God provides a

secret place of security for His children. All the divine
strategies employed by God are geared toward
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satisfying you with long life and assuring you of His
providence in your earthly pilgrimage.

God has provided you with divine prosperity and

health so that your long life would really be a
satisfying one and not a life of sickness, poverty and
sorrow. Your long life is meant to be a life of joy,
peace, prosperity and whole-hearted service unto the
Lord.

Read the whole of Deuteronomy chapter 28, verse 1-

14 to find out the blessings God has designed for you
if only you would cooperate with Him in obedience
and service. Verse 15-58 also spells out the danger
and curses of disobeying the Lord. These curses are
reserved for the heathen. Those who hate God. Why
should you partake of their punishment? Avoid
disobedience and you will avoid the curses.

There is nothing to fear about long life. You have

guarantee for equal strength:

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 Thy shoes shall be iron and brass: and as thy days,
so shall thy strength be.
Deuteronomy 33:25

One way to keep on the line is continual fellowship.

Fellowship renews strength. Don’t be left outside the
city of refuge. Psalm 84:7 says,

Thy go from strength to strength, everyone of them in

Zion appeareth before the Lord God.

Zion is the gathering of the Lord’s people. Hearken to

God’s word. Reach out in faith for all that He desires
for you and it shall be well with you and your seed.
God is your life and your length of days. The devil has
no right over the days of your life.

Long life is your heritage.

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