Revival Watch Podcast: Recent Episodes
Revival Watch
Watching for genuine spiritual awakening in our time through quality messages from the throne of Grace. This podcast is brought to you courtesy of Revival Watch Ministries. Visit our website at https://revivalwatch.net/
This is a true story of faith triumphing in the face of the hardest tragedy. Charlie Coulson was a young Christian who enlisted as a drummer during the American Civil War. His devotion and loyal commitment to Christ led to the conversion of an unthinkable Jewish Doctor. He was severely wounded in the Battle of Gettysburg during the war. Charlie's courage and faithfulness to Christ in the face of death will send chills down your bones as this young man would not take an alcoholic drink even to reduce the pain of getting his arm and leg cut off. Although Charlie died days after his amputation, his voice still echoes through many hundred years, and as the Bible puts it, Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.Hebrews 11:4 NLTCharlie Coulson stands among the many faithful heroes of the Christian faith looking down on us from the cloud of witnesses. He was faithful to death, will you also? This story has been published in different places and has been inspirational and challenging to many people across the world. It is my sincere prayer that you will find God as you read this beautiful story.
This audiobook is created to help youths use their passion and energy for God while they are young. Listen and share with your friends and family. God bless you.
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”John 16:33 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/jhn.16.33.NKJV
Youths As Vessels Unto HonorText: 2 Timothy 2:19-23I want to begin with the opening word in our Bible reading today. "Nevertheless" - this word also means, "notwithstanding" or irrespective of popular opinions or despite the popular saying in this modern Christian age, God's solid foundation remains true. His truth has not changed in our ever-changing world of compromises and indulgences. You have been told that this time is different and that things must be done differently. The question I am asking is, how much impact are we making as we take this new path and neglect the ways of the scriptures? We have removed the ancient landmarks which our fathers have set, and this is against the will of God (Proverbs 22 verse 28). Whereas God is calling us to walk in the old path, but we have refused. (Jeremiah 6 verse 16). We have refused the way of rest and chosen the path of destruction - may God have mercy on us (Proverbs 14 verse 12; and 16 verse 25). In this kingdom, there is a standard foundation. In fact, there is no other foundation that needs to be laid than that which has already been laid, and that solid foundation is Jesus Christ. Everything must be built on this foundation (1 Corinthians 3 verse 11). Friends, God knows His own. Let no one deceive you, God's people know themselves. You might have heard people remark this way, "Only God knows His own". As true as that statement is, God's people also know themselves. If you are a child of God you can't but know. The Bible says in John 1 verse 12 that as many as received Christ have been given the right to be called God's children. If they are children and heirs of God, how can they not know? Let those who are called Christians, the choirs, youth leaders, evangelists, pastors, ministers, etc, depart from sin. They must flee from sin and must not sin. As it is written, Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.”(2 Corinthians 6 verse 17 to 18)You have been bought with a price, not of corruptible seed but of the incorruptible seed of the word of God (1 Peter 1 verse 23). There must be zero tolerance for sin in your life. Until this condition is fulfilled, God can do nothing with your life. Many people, mostly the youths want to do something for God, but they don't understand the principle of God's anointing. There must be sanctification before ordination or anointing. Whenever God has a special mission, or important task to send a person, He will first make you holy (Jeremiah 1 verse 5).
A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.Proverbs 17:17 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/pro.17.17.NKJV
In this episode, we explore the reason why there are so many churches around us. You will see the wisdom of God in setting so many churches and ministries to see that so many souls are saved.
For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,” Says the Lord, who has mercy on you.Isaiah 54:10 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/isa.54.10.NKJV
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.Matthew 7:13-14 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/mat.7.13-14.NKJV
The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.Psalms 19:1 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/psa.19.1.NKJV
Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.Hebrews 12:11 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/heb.12.11.NKJV
The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.Isaiah 60:3 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/isa.60.3.NKJV
And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.I Thessalonians 5:12-13 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/1th.5.12-13.NKJV
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!Psalms 34:8 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/psa.34.8.NKJV
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,Philippians 2:5 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/php.2.5.NKJV
as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,II Peter 1:3 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/2pe.1.3.NKJV
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.Mark 16:15 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/mrk.16.15.NKJV
Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.Lamentations 3:22-23 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/lam.3.22-23.NKJV
casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,II Corinthians 10:5 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/2co.10.5.NKJV
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.Psalms 32:8 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/psa.32.8.NKJV
So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;James 1:19 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/jas.1.19.NKJV
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’Matthew 22:37-39 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/mat.22.37-39.NKJV
The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.Philippians 4:9 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/php.4.9.NKJV
For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.Psalms 30:5 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/psa.30.5.NKJV
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Matthew 5:10 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/mat.5.10.NKJV
Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.Matthew 5:9 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/mat.5.9.NKJV
Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.Matthew 5:8 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/mat.5.8.NKJV
Hunger and ThirstBlessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.Matthew 5:6 NKJV
Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.Matthew 5:5 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/mat.5.5.NKJV
Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.Matthew 5:4 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/mat.5.4.NKJV
God's Kingdom Offer The kingdom of God is where God Himself dwells and rules as King. It transcends everything in the realm and kingdom of men. Every citizen in God's kingdom is His Children. These are the princes and princesses of His Kingdom. They are Hiers and Joint Heirs with Christ Jesus. No words can describe the beauty and majesty of God's Kingdom other than perfectly excellent. No wonder Jesus said, it must be sought first and every other thing will come.Who Are The Poor In Spirit? They are those who in child-like faith depend on and utterly trust in God for spiritual and material needs. They are not spiritually arrogant but are constantly depending on God. It is true that the closer you get to God the more humble you become. Every one of God's children must operate with this sense of impotence when interfacing with the Omnipotent God. The title you have among people should not get into your head and make you delusional to the point where you've become practically arrogant spiritually. Those who leave themselves as babes in the hand of God will always get more from God. No matter how high you have climbed spiritually in the things of God, always learn to sit at His feet to hear Him. Learn to express your abject poverty and desperate need for His supernatural assistance. The poor in the spirit are the ones who truly believe the word of Christ that without Him, they can do nothing. Honestly, they will have everything that God has to offer. What is God offering to this kind of people? His greatest treasure. The life of His Son and His kingdom.This is defined in these few lines of promise: "that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life". John 3:16. The offer is available for all to grab. Are you ready to take it? Key Points Those who recognize their needs for God get God to move in unusual ways on their behalf.
Verse Of The Day “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Matthew 5:3 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/mat.5.3.NKJV
Freedom From Fear Many times we have been faced with fearful situations that make our hearts cut. The fear of what will happen, the fear of what people will say, and many other fear begins to plague our minds and reasoning. In most cases, it may be as if you are already losing your mind. That level of anxiety can not be met by any human therapy especially when the battle still rages, storms rolling fiercely, and thunders roaring. At this point, even the will to live is gone and the strength to continue is shattered. Then, you must do something else. Something you have been doing been doing but not well. It is natural to seek the help of men when a crisis arises. We call doctors, friends, and families, banks for loans, consult the internet, and every other source we may think of at the time. Basically, we seek help where there is no help. The result is that we get into more emotional troubles as we find out that man can not help and our situation not getting better either way. What then should we do? Seek the Lord for help. In Matthew 7:7, He said you should ask and you will have it, you should seek help from Him and you will find help, you should knock at the door of His mercy and it will be opened to you. God is limitless in time and resources. He owns everything in the universe and is not bound by time. God can go into your past and bring it into now and also he can go into the future and manifest something great for you now. Everything you need in life is Him (God). No matter what has caused you fear, God has handled it in the past and your case will not be different. Even if it is an organ failure or malfunctioning body part, He can create new body parts and give you brand new organs. So, why fear? Why allow the wicked spirit of fear to torment you to death when Jesus the giver of life and joy is willing to help you stand again? Though you are down now, you will rise again. Therefore, be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving make your request known to God, and the God of all peace will flood your heart with His peace. Seek the Lord in prayer, seek the Lord in praise and worship, seek the Lord in humility and fear of God, seek the Lord by obeying His commandments, seek the Lord by trusting in Him that no matter what, He will do you good and everything will end up working well for your good. When you do this, you can expect only one result, a brightened countenance. Look To JesusThose who look to God are never ashamed. This is because the glory and countenance of the Lord rest upon them. They are the ones who though they are down before now will not stay down but will rise and shine because God's glory has risen upon them. It will be impossible for such individuals to lose any battle in life because they carry the presence of God in their lives. Where do you look and to whom do you look for help? Those who look to man will always be ashamed and wear gloom and sadness on their faces. But those who look to God in faith will never be ashamed. Take your eyes away from your problems and battles, fix your eyes upon Jesus the author and finisher of your faith. Trust Him to come through for you and give you the victory you desire and you will not be let down. Think about the woman with the issues of blood and her twelve years of shame and suffering, at one look and touch on Jesus, her face became brightened and her shame was taken away.Have you been failing over and over like the sick man at the pool of Bethesda? This man had failed for thirty-eight years until he finally got the chance to look at Jesus. His years of failure ended immediately and he went home rejoicing. How many times you have failed does not matter. If you look to Jesus today, the last failure you ever experienced was the last time you failed.
Verse of the dayMonday, 18 September 2023. I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed.Psalms 34:4-5 NKJV
Insights The Holy Spirit Helps UsThis I must say is one of the most beautiful assurances that we have in Christ Jesus. The divine assistance to ask God what we do not have the human intelligence or capacity to ask with the help of the Holy Spirit. We know that our human mind is incapable of comprehending the depth of the mysteries and beauties that the Lord has for us, so we must depend solely on the Holy Spirit. One scripture we must hold dear to our hearts is Philippians 2:13. That God is at work in us to do His and His pleasure. After all, we are created for His pleasure. God wants to be in us, talk in us and through us, work in and through us, and walk in us. This made the assessment of Paul more beautiful. In Him (God) we live, move, and have our entire being. Those who tried to live outside of Him always lived below expectations because they lacked the backing of the Highest Intelligence. To think with our carnal mind will only lead to the decay of spiritual man. We often try to explore our inherent strength rather than cling to His. However, we know that by human strength shall no man prevail. I must say that the privileges of being God's children are beyond us. That God helps us when we are weak is incredible and astonishing. No wonder the Bible referred to Christ as our greatest High Priest who can sympathize with us in our weakness. He feels for us when we are discouraged, deflated, unhappy, tired, and experiencing other negative emotions. He comes to our aid and sends us His peace to suit us amid our deepest troubles. This He does because He is faithful and kind.Do you remember that time when you were so weak that you could not pray? That point when you are so discouraged that you lack the strength to pray. That was the state of David and his mighty men, but even at this stage, you can count on the Holy Spirit. One of the works of the Holy Spirit is to help us in that phase. He begins to pray for us with earnestness that we are incapable of us. The beauty of this is that we can trust the Holy Spirit to assist us in praying. Since no one knows the mind of God save the Spirit of God and also He knows our mind. Therefore, He can better pray for us and pray beyond what our human mind can comprehend. Praise the Lord. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.Romans 8:27 NKJVYou can count on Him to help you even when you are in the lowest place spiritually.Groaning That Can Not Be Uttered Only the Holy Spirit knows the depth of God's desire to save the world. As we lend ourselves to be a tool of salvation to the world and people around us. We can trust the Holy Spirit to do the best job through us. By this, I mean, that when our brains and knowledge about a subject are exhausted, the Holy Spirit takes us to another dimension in prayer with deep anguish and passion that may not be fitted for words. In this state intelligence and knowledge are buried under the tears and agony of the Holy Spirit as battles are being won, victories secured, souls saved, and nations being turned to God. This work can only be done by the Holy Spirit. That is the more reason why you must ask for the fullness of the Holy Spirit and keep asking daily until you overflow in the anointing of the Spirit.Thank God we have the Holy Spirit to help us when we are weak. We can trust Him to strengthen us always and give us all the support we need to live a victorious Christian life daily. Action Point Depend solely on the Holy Spirit and He will lift you from your lowest point to a supernatural height. He wants to help you, but you must allow Him.
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.Romans 8:26 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/rom.8.26.NKJV
Today we see the three things that make a successful life. Anyone who has all of these would be deemed to have a great life. Unfortunately, so many people never enter into all these. It's either they have one or two but not all. Not many rich are honorable, and not many honorable who are rich enjoy a long life. Also, not many who are honorable and live long do have riches. Again, not all who live long have either riches or honor. But God wants us to have all this to live a satisfying and well-pleasing life. He is lending to anyone who cares and desires to have this full life of absolute fulfillment to try out doing two simple things. 1. Humility Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, And before honor is humility. Proverbs 18:12 NKJVThe humble is the friend of God. You can be sure God will not withhold good things from him. Certain such individuals will enjoy the influence and riches of God. The first form of humility God wants anyone to exhibit is to surrender his or her life to Him for salvation. This means that you must be willing to accept the plans of God for the salvation of mankind through Christ Jesus. You may not understand everything but when you drop all your knowledge and ability to cling unto God for His unmerited favor and you are saved. Only those who are humble get saved. God in turn will give you eternal life and then prolong your days. With a long life will He satisfy you and show you His salvation every day. Humility is first of the heart. Pride destroys faster than any form of sin. When you are humble in the sight of the Lord, He will promote you before men. A proud man will have God to deal with because He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. The second form of humility is towards other people. It is the fragrance of your humility before the Lord that will reflect in your outer life among people. You will truly be a shining example of the humble nature of God. A humble and meek man can not die anyhow. Such a fellow makes very few enemies. Even when there is a plot against him it will be exposed. Those who gang up against the meek are in trouble no matter how close they are. The Bible recorded that Moses was the meekest or humblest man on earth. This status carries divine coverage. When Aron and Miriam spoke against him, they found themselves in God's net.2. The Fear Of The Lord Those who fear the Lord have the favor of God. Not those who do eye service but people who deeply revere God because of His greatness and power. To fear the Lord is to love life and prevent death. The fear of the Lord prolongs days, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.Proverbs 10:27 NKJVA man who fears the Lord needs to fear man. You are guaranteed divine protection, wisdom, knowledge, understanding, honor, wealth, and many more benefits when you fear the Lord.In short, to fear the Lord is to do what He wants you to do at all times. This will tend to all the blessings of life.Do you want riches to enjoy the benefits of life, honor among men, and long life to have a lasting legacy? Try these two methods of greatness that God has given and you can never miss out on any of the benefits.
By humility and the fear of the Lord Are riches and honor and life.Proverbs 22:4 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/pro.22.4.NKJV
Often times life presents us with difficult situations and circumstances. These bewildering situations often make the human heart faint. In such situations, we like Gideon are quick to ask questions and query if God was ever with us. We wonder if He is truly our very present help in trouble. When you find yourself in such situations, you must be reminded of the many promises of God to us who are His children. He has promised to work all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). Jesus in particular said He will be with us always until the end of the age. You can count on God to be with you in the midst of the battle and come to your rescue at the best time (Matthew 28:20; Psalms 46:5).While you pray and wait for His divine intervention, you must be of good courage. You must never entertain any fear in your heart. Fear is the greatest enemy of victory. Those who are frightful never win their battles. They die before the battle ever begins. The noise of the horses and their riders sends them into hiding but the righteous must be bold as a lion. In whom do you hope? Some trust in chariots and horses, that is, their wealth, connection, influence, wisdom, skills, and other things. In the end, they fall but those who put their hope in the Lord will be strong and stand firm (Psalms 20:7-8). As long as you put your trust in the Lord, He will always strengthen your heart and prepare your heart for victory. Never forget that you must be strong and take courage not in yourself but in the Lord and His mighty power (Ephesians 6:10). The only reason why you are sure of victory is because Jesus your Lord is always Victorious. Don't be deceived to think that you can be strong and have good courage in yourself, you will be digging your own pit instead. How To Build Your CourageIt is no secret that faith comes from hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). The word of God is the sole courage builder that any child of God can trust. This is because God's word is alive to address every problem in your life. The word of God also makes known to you God, and through the knowledge of God, you can be victorious. Again, when you meditate on the word of God, you will see stories of how God has delivered His children in the past, and your faith will be built so strongly to confront your enemies. One of those instances was found in 1 Samuel 30:1-31. In this chapter, the enemy raided the home of David and took his wife and people captive. The pain and grief were so great that the men wept until they had no strength left. But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. That was the turning point, God gave him the marching order to pursue the enemies who were gone three days before, to overtake them, and to recover all. God gave David a huge victory and he returned with great spoils. When you take courage in the Lord, your heart will not faint and you will be able to win all your battles. When God told Joshua to be strong and courageous, He also told him to meditate on His word. True courage can be found in God through His word. The word of God is alive, therefore meditate on it day and night.While you wait for God to show up for you, you must cheer up and not wear despair on your face because you can be certain that He will do you good.
Verse Of The DayBe of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord.Psalms 31:24 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/psa.31.24.NKJV
From Death To Life This is one of the greatest promises of Christ to everyone who believes in Him. We know that the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life to those who believe in Christ Jesus. The Bible made it clear that through the failure of Adam, the entire human race was plunged into the abyss of sin. Everyone became a sinner at birth and is deserving of death. David made this clear when he declared in Psalms 51:5, that he was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin his mother conceived him.The case of everyone was hopeless until God sent His Son Jesus into the world to take care of the problem of sin by dying on the cross to pay its price in full. Now, no one should be condemned again. No one should ever face eternal punishment again because Christ has paid it all. As true as this is, there is a condition to obtaining this endless life with God. This can be found in John 3:16. If anyone believes in Christ, such will not perish but have eternal life. Those who trust in Jesus for salvation will not experience divine judgment because Christ has taken their sin upon Himself. This experience is passing from death to life. It means that when we die now, we will live forever with God. However, those who die without possessing this life will have eternal death or condemnation.And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins. Ephesians 2:1But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),Ephesians 2:4-5 Now you are a new creature in Christ Jesus, your old life died with Christ and you are now raised with Christ into a gloriously new and eternal life. So what should you do now when you have eternal life? It is not enough to have obtained this life (that is, eternal life), it is better to keep believing in the one who gave it to you. You must not in any case or under any circumstance for any reason stop believing and obeying the one who gave you the life. Jesus said, you should not only hear what He has to say but you should do it. Remember, the key to sustaining this new life is simply doing what the owner asks you to do. When you live daily believing in Christ and obeying His words, you are guaranteed eternal safety. No more condemnation, you can now live the God-life in full here on earth and then in heaven. Action Keep believing and obeying Christ and you will always live above the condemnation of sin because you have eternal life in you.
From Death To Life“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.John 5:24 NKJVhttps://bible.com/bible/114/jhn.5.24.NKJV
Verse of the day
Wednesday, 13 September 2023.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2
Don't Be Like The World
The Bible tells us that the world we see will one day pass away with all its fashions, entertainment, glamour and you name it, but only those who do the will of God will abide forever (1 John 2:17).
We know the world is of very little worth though it looks attractive. It does not have eternal value. One day everything in the world will be burnt by fire.
Can you imagine how magnificent the Temple and Palace were? They were one wonder of the ancient world but they ended up being burnt with fire.
The Lord also gave us what the true value of the world is. He said, that even if a man manages to gain the whole world, and loses his soul, such a fellow has wasted his life.
So, the world is not worth pursuing. Whether it is the Porsche, Bentley, Ross Royce, the gold, diamond, luxury houses, the best of wines, or everything called the best in the world, they will one day fizzle out.
The World System
Believers must know that there is a system guiding this world and it is antichrist. Everything has been designed to choke the life out of everyone who dares to believe in God for salvation.
In short, the system of this world is designed to make you sin against God. Never forget, however, that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God (James 4:4).
What should the Christian do?
You are in the world but not of the world. You are of God and you must live by godly values. This is because greater is Jesus in you than all the demons in the world (1 John 4:4).
You can not afford to compromise your faith in God to achieve anything in the world. You can not bend to the rules of this world to fit in among the crowds.
You must understand that the world will present you with rich dainties as was presented to Daniel, Shadrach, Meshac, and Abednego. But you must determine in your mind that you will never defile yourself with the pollution of this world (Daniel 1:8).
Sometimes, you will be offered seamlessly harmless opportunities that lead you to live in an ungodly manner or steal your opportunity to serve God.
You will be asked to change figures and falsify records but you must never forget the instruction of the Lord:
"My Son, if sinners entice you, say: No!" (Proverbs 1:10).
Don't go about saying, I will do it once and God will forgive me. Well, God will truly forgive you, but your life would have been left with a scar.
Do not go about trying to get wealth illicitly, knowing that it is God who makes a man rich without adding sorrow to his life. On the other hand, when you make riches through corrupt worldly means, you can be sure of many sorrows attached.
Let God Transform You
Every day, God is working on us. His goal is to make us in the image of Christ. This work of God is consistent and cumulative. But you must allow Him. No one is capable of changing his life, therefore you must turn to God for help to live a better Christian life.
God wants to change the way you think, the way you talk, the way act, the way you dress, the way do business, and the way you live in general.
Remember that there used to be a way in which you lived in the past until you became a child of God. God wants you to unlearn the way of the world and its value and learn the kingdom-life.
How does God intend to achieve this? He wants to transform you by His word. His word is capable of cleansing and reforming the human heart (John 15:3; Hebrews 4:12).
Therefore, you must spend quality time in the word of God. Stay in the assembly of Godly people. You can no longer enjoy the company of your old friends. They will likely take you back to the world.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/rom.12.2.NKJV
Verse of the day
Tuesday, 12 September 2023.
We love Him because He first loved us.
1 John 4:19
Insights
Our natural heart lacks the ability to love God or other people. Only those who have experienced the love of God can love God truly with all their heart.
This love for God is summarized under the following terms:
- If you love God, you will do all that He says.
“If you love Me, keep My commandments. John 14:15
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If you love God you will love the things He loves and the things He hates.
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If you love God, you will love your fellow believers.
If someone says, “I love God, ” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. 1 John 4:20-21
- If you love God, you will love the people He made, including those who are your enemies.
But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. Matthew 5:44
Before we came to Christ through the unmerited love of God, we were incapable of fulfilling any of these terms. All we love is ourselves and all that brings satisfaction to ourselves.
God had to show us what true love is because we don't know it. In John 3:16, God showed all human race the depth of His love by giving His only Son as a sacrifice for the sins of humanity against Him.
You should understand that God's greatest proof of love to us was His sacrifice. It was not a mere lip service but an act of love beyond the human mind.
In Romans 5:8, we understood our positions as sinful and rebellious people deserving of eternal condemnation and punishment, but God demonstrated His love towards us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
What this meant was that while we were actively in our state of sinfulness and were His enemies, God graciously demonstrated His love by sending Christ to save us.
That was the depth of love God revealed to us. Although, a man may venture to die for someone he claims to love, not His enemy. But God being a loving God, died for us His enemies.
Your Response To God's Love
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You are responsible for loving God by obeying His commandments. Simply put, doing what He tells you to do.
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You are to love God by loving your fellow believers and give no room for any form of hatred.
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You are to love God by loving your enemies and those whom you consider unlovable.
It is the love of God that will gear your heart to reach out and pray for the lost and unsaved people around and beyond you.
Do you love Him? Do you thank Him for His unmerited love towards you?
Action
Reflect on these questions and ask God for more grace to love Him as He has loved you.
He First Loved Us
We love Him because He first loved us. I John 4:19 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/1jn.4.19.NKJV
VERSE OF THE DAY (MONDAY 11 SEPTEMBER 2023
FOCUS: FEAR NOT
For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’
Isaiah 41:13 NKJV
God is holding a dua position in your life. He is first your Lord (I.e. Your Master or Leader), and then your God (Your Father). In the first case, He will be your shepherd so you have nothing to worry about. What this meant is that you are His responsibility and He is obligated to take care of you. At times, He may use His rod and staff to correct you. This you must take in good faith because, in the end, it will bring comfort to your soul (Psalms 23).
As your Father, He will take care of you and not permit your feet to stumble. He is the God of your right hand (Psalms 121).
In both cases, you owe Him certain responsibilities (Malachi 1:6)
As a master, you must have reverential fear for Him. Not the fear of a tyrant but one born out of love for Him who loved you dearly to die for all your sins.
As a Father, you must honor Him. This is because He deserves all honor, glory, adoration, and thanks.
What will He do in response?
He will hold your right hand saying, Don't be afraid, I will help you. This is thrilling to the heart. That the God, and Creator of the whole universe is on your side to aid and assist you every step all the way to glory is quite remarkable and refreshing.
How amazing this is to the praise of His name. Therefore, you must rest and be quiet in your heart knowing that He will work all things together for your good.
Amen!
Yesterday, we noted how the impact of the failure of Adam is still a big deal even today. Many are still plagued by the consequence of sin that originated from him. The Bible recorded that through one man (Adam), not one woman, sin came into the world and death by sin (Romans 5:12). This is because God gave the position of Authority to the man, and not the woman.
In the divine order, the Bible explains clearly that God is the head of Christ, Christ is the head of Man, and then Man is the head of the woman (1 Corinthians 11:3). By default, God expects man to take responsibility for the family, just as Christ took responsibility for the sin of humanity.
The troubles in society today can be directly linked to failure in modern family life. With fathers absconding and leaving their families behind, many untrained or rather unfathered have become the menace of society.
The devil knows what many people don’t know today, and that’s why he kept on attacking the family. That’s why he creating institutions that will devalue the true essence of marriage and family. That’s why we have the mess we have today.
There are two major gates to the human soul, the eye gate and the ear gate. Of the two entry points the eye gate is the most dangerous. This is because the human brain can retain what is seen more than what is heard.The dangerous thing about these gateways is that they are never satisfied.Ecclesiastes 1:8 says that, All things are full of labor; Man cannot express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor the ear filled with hearing.
Give no space to the devil. The believer must understand that there is constant warfare going on to wreck his testimony. That is why God’s people must rise to fight. Thank God we because the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God. Because of this, we know that we will win in the end (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
When God made every living creature, the Bible recorded that everything God made was very good. Do you know that when God made the serpent, it was a very good creature, but later become a tool in the hand of the devil? How then can that which is good become evil? Because the enemy of your soul is watching and looking for a means to destroy you.
How do you know God? So many Christians ask this question, therefore, we must take our guidance from His word. Jesus said in Matthew 11:29 that we must learn of Him. We also know that Jesus is the author and the finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).To know God you must come through Jesus. The Bible says in John 14:6 that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and there is no other way apart from Him. Simply put, you must be born again (John 3:3,7). This will mark the beginning of your relationship with Him.
It is easy to be running around for the things of God and not know God. It is possible to preach the word of God and not know the God of the word. It is very possible to use the name of Christ to perform miracles and not be known of Him. In Matthews 7:21-23, the Lord says that some will come to Him on that day saying, we did miracles and even cast out devils in your name, but He will say to them, I don’t know you, depart from me because you lived in sin.If there is any priority in your life, it must be the cry of Moses, “Show me now your glory” (Exodus 33:13). It must be a tireless pursuit to know God and to be known by God. In Psalms 103:7, the Bible recorded that God honored the request of Moses. He made known His ways unto Moses but to the children of Israel, they only knew His acts.
The ministry of the devil is clear, it is to steal kill, and destroy. Maybe the enemy has stolen something from you or you have lost something tangible, God has promised that you will recover all. No matter how much the enemy has stolen from you, God is going to bring you total recovery.The first promise is that Jesus has come to give you life and abundant life. Even if the enemy has stolen anything, He will bring it back. Every wasted year and opportunity also will be restored. He said, “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. Joel 2:25 NKJV
Are you in the middle of a project and it looks as if it will not be completed because of the situations surrounding your life? Don’t lose heart because there are precious promises of God for over that project. It may be a stalling building project or an inability to complete a course at the right time. Our God has His eyes on you and His promise for your life over that project is very sure.Everywhere in the Bible, you will see how God helped men to start a project and finish it. From Noah to Moses, Solomon, and others, God helped them to finish the project they started. Your case is not an exception.
Precious Promises 7Home2022December8Precious Promises 7CHRISTIAN LIFE, DEVOTIONALPrecious Promises 7Text: Mark 4:39 NKJVFurther Reading: Mark 4:37-41Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.MARK 4:39 NKJVMESSAGEThe storms of life are inevitable. They come in various degrees of strength and ferocity. The storm aims to ruin and scatter the journey of a child of God. The devil will try to stop every genuine child of God by standing storms into their homes, and businesses, or directly attacking their spiritual life. You must not fear because the prince of peace is the master of all storms.Whenever you are faced with storms of life, you can rest upon the precious promises of the word of God. In our text of the day, when the storm arose against the boat of Jesus, all the Master said was, “Peace Be Still”, and there was a great calm. If Jesus is in the boat of your life, then you have nothing to fear because He will speak peace to that situation.
Are you faced with mountains? Those gigantic problems that look insurmountable? Are you in a phase where you are clueless about where help and deliverance will come from? Relax, there are precious promises forG xod to deal with your mountains. Before you finish reading this devotional, those mountains will be leveled in Jesus’ name.Our God is the highest, so, the higher the mountain, the easier it is for Him to prove Himself as God in your life.
Many believers are faced with the burden of financial stress. Many have barely or nothing to get by the next day. Anxiety takes the center stage in many families because of wants and lack, yet God has precious promises for our supplies.Firstly, God’s will is for us to have all-around prosperity (3 John 3:2). Therefore you can be sure that God will bless your labor as long as you are not lazy. Also if you seek God’s kingdom first, He will meet all your other needs (Matthew 6:33).
Vain is the help of man (Psalms 60:11). If God does not help you, no one on earth can. Men will always fail but God has precious promises to assure you of help. The Psalmist says that even when my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up.In Psalms 46, the Bible called God your very present help in times of trouble. Even when the storms of life are raging and tumults roar like thunder, God is in your midst, you shall not be moved, God will help you right early.
God does not only promise good health for His beloved children, He also wants you to live long and fulfill your destiny. Satan has cut so many life and destiny short because they are not under the shadow of the Almighty.Even if the enemy is threatening you with death you can pull up the word of God that says that you shall not die but live to declare the works of the Lord on the land of the living.
God wants you to be fruitful, bareness is not part of His precious plans for your life. So if you are barren physically, spiritually, or otherwise, you can begin to bank on God’s sure promises to counter that negative trend.The first decree of God to man is fruitfulness. In Genesis 1:28, the Bible said,Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth”
Today we want to look at the precious promises of God for your health. It is important to know that God’s word is alive and it can heal your mortal body.One of the major promises for your healing is found in our text of the day. Jesus Himself took your sins upon His body and by His stripes, you were healed. This means that because Jesus bled on the cross and died, those who have truly come to Him in genuine repentance and have been saved have automatic access to healing.
When a man makes a promise, it is usually based on the strength of his capacity. He is however fallible and can come short of fulfilling that promise. He is human, limited in resources, wisdom, and in all wise; therefore there is a limitation in terms of fulfillment.Only the All-Wise God is able and faithful enough to perform all that He has promised. With our God, there is no limitations. Also because of the uncompromising nature of God, we are fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.Romans 4:21 NKJV
God chose you before the foundation of the world. You are not a mistake and you exist for His eternal glory. In His divine plan for humanity, God knew you. Your role in humanity was carefully crafted even when you have no Idea.The fact that you are saved is a result of His eternal counsel. The Bible says that you are predestined to be saved and share in His eternal glory.Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. Romans 8:30 NKJV
A man may have some pretty good plans for his life and be pursuing them with diligence and still be frustrated. However, a man following God’s plan will never be frustrated even in the face of daunting challenges.Another way to prove that God knows you is the fact that He has a plan for your life. Before Jeremiah was ever formed in Mother’s womb, the All-Knowing God had planned his life to become a prophet unto nations (Jeremiah 1:5). If Jeremiah attempted to pursue any other path, he would end up a failure.
God does not only know you, He sees you. From our text yesterday, we saw how Jesus saw Nathanael even before Philip ever called him. This God is amazing and sees everything. The Bible says that He dwells on high and beholds the things which are done in heavens and earth (Psalms 113:5-6).Our text of the day says that He sits upon the circle of the earth, and every of its inhabitants before Him is as a grasshopper. The world of God says that is the High and lofty one who inhabits eternity (Isaiah 57:15).
Can a man really hide from God? Is there any secrete with the maker of the universe? Can anyone conceal a matter from the one who sees the end from the beginning? All the answer to these and many more questions is No.But particularly, He knows you. God knows you more than you know yourself. He knows what you will become before you were ever born and you can be sure that He is working out every event in your life in your favor.
We know that darkness and light can never coexist. God’s word confirms that when darkness was having its way in the beginning God called forth the light and darkness could not comprehend it (John 1:5). In the same light, grace (light) and sin (darkness) cannot coexistSin is bondage while Grace is freedom. How then would anyone have a combination of both? It is because you have not known the truth, once you know th truth, you will be free (John 8:32).
Just as water and old do not mix, grace and sin can never co-exist. No one can claim to be under the grace of God and yet remain in habitual sin. Does the scripture not say that anyone who sins is of the devil (1 John 3:8)? How then can you who have come out of the bondage of the devil (sin) be bound by it again?The Bible told us that all men have sinned and have come short of God’s glory, but God sent His son to deliver humanity from sin. It is a translation according to Colossians 1:13 from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son.
Discouragement is one of the tools by which satan attacks the believer. The enemy knows that he cannot get you to sin, but he can cause you to be discouraged and to want to lose confidence in God. Any discouragement allowed in a believer’s life is a prelude to a gradual fall. Don’t tolerate any form of depressive thoughts and ideas in your mind.For some believers, the devil uses financial discouragement. I have seen this play out to frustrate the work of faithful servants of God. But you must be encouraged, don’t all the enemy to prevail over your soul. Other believers experience discouragement in their marriage, business, and ministry. May the Lord encourage such persons in Jesus’ name.
In a world filled with toil and snares, only Christ can provide succor and support to those who are going through the hardest times of their lives. The present economic challenges in the world certainly have a great impact on the condition of living of many families, but we know that our God is more than enough – He is Jehova Jireh.The Bible says that even though young lions lack and suffer hunger, we who put our trust in the Lord will not lack anything good (Psalms 34:10). This must be your confidence that God will take care of you. The Lord reminded us that we are better than a sparrow and God will take good care of us.
The level of faith differs from person to person. Though all men have a measure of faith. How much faith you have will determine how much you will know and get from God. You can be rich or poor in faith. Since faith receives from God, it is important to ask the Lord to increase your faith.Some people are rich in faith, of such people is the centurion – When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!Matthew 8:10 NKJV
Today we will look at some key areas of the Christian life where simple faith is enough to bring solutions. Although many pray, only a few receives. This is because they lack the simple faith to receive what they have asked.People today no longer believe that God can take care of His servants who are in His service full-time. They say that heaven helps those who help themselves. Has the God of the Bible changed? No, we are the ones that lack the faith required for God’s miraculous works in our lives.
Faith is not the absence of fear but complete confidence in God’s faithfulness and omnipotence. Just as a baby confidently trusts the parents, so does simple faith in God.Simple faith is simply trusting – a complete abandonment of one’s fate in God’s hand. Many people do not receive from God today because they have become so familiar with God and sophisticated. They have left the era of complete trust in God and now they go about adding 2 plus 2.
Can God trust a man? David was quick to ask the obvious question as to why God will be mindful of we mortal men (Psalms 8:4). Yet we find God trusting men.Today we will look at God’s trust over a man’s life. Everything that God gives a man is based on trust. His expectation is that man will be profitable with the talents He has given to Him. The Parable of the talent is a typical show of this trust. In the same light, God has great expectations over your life.
One of the many misconceptions in today’s Christianity is the idea that many will make it to heaven in the end. This is not true, the Lord says that the way to life is narrow and only a few will find it.The narrow way is the way of discipline. The Bible says, “For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” Hebrews 12:6 NKJVThe Father will not tolerate any of His children. He disciplines them when they are wrong, He does not pamper but disciplines when need be.
The Lord told us about two ways, one leads to eternal damnation, and the other to eternal life. The first is the broad way. This according to the Lord is the way that leads to destruction. It is the way of the many, the way of the world that leads to death. The broad way is the popular and easy way. According to proverbs 14:12, it looks right but the end is death.One of the things that makes this way popular is worldliness. Christians who take this way also go the way of the world in passion. They forsake the warning of God that we must not love the world (1 John 2:15). By following the worldly fashions, worldly entertainment, and everything the world offers, these Christians make themselves God’s enemy (James 4:4).
One sin that many believers find themselves falling into is sexual immortality. It is so common among the young and the old. The most common forms are sexual contact, pornography, and masturbation. These form a stronghold keeping many bound, even though God has promised them victory.Sexual sin has brought down both the young and the old. Many great men like Samson and David suffered hard blows from it. Therefore beware and stay off it.
The human mind in its fallen nature is by default faulty. It possesses the power to bind a man in sin. Until the mind is renewed the person will keep struggling with sin and be defeated by sin.Apart from being washed by the blood of Jesus at the new birth, the mind must be constantly renewed by the word of God. That’s why our text of the day says that transformation takes place when the mind is renewed. Until then a man will not know the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God for his life.
Having laid a solid foundation showing you God’s desire for you to be victorious over sin, you must play your part to receive this blessing. Don’t forget that you are created with free will and nothing can override the human will. It is at this point we must work out our salvation with fear and trembling.If we must continue to enjoy the victory that God promised in His words, we must begin to take the recommendations that He has given from His word. Our text and reading of the day showed us that we should be intentional about yielding our bodies unto obedience which gives righteousness.
Judging by the scriptures, God will be asking us to do what He knows we cannot do if victory over sin is impossible. In Matthew 5:48, God desires to require us to be perfect as He is. Also in 1 Peter 1:15-16, the word of God says, “but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”In another scripture, God instructed believers to follow peace with all men and holiness without which no one can see Him (Hebrews 12:14). If you look carefully at the mentioned Bible references, you will agree with me that it is either victory over sin is possible or holiness is impossible...
Sin is the root cause of every evil in our world today. As it was in the days of Noah and Lot, so it is and even more in our days. Our society is being flooded with all forms of sin and sinfulness that have plunged so many into eternal damnation. This is a serious matter that we all must pay attention to and trust God that He will make us overcomers in Jesus’ Name. Amen.In this series, we will answer two key questions in the mind of believers to convince them that Holiness is possible and victory over sin is a reality. The first question is: “Is victory over sin possible?” And the next is the “Practical ways to overcome sin”. Our earnest prayer is that God will bring you into a victorious Christian life through this series. Amen.
One of the quickest ways to lose the favour of God is disobedience. The moment you outgrow divine instructions, you are on the slippery path to destruction. No one will be against you but God’s word.One way to look at this is to study the history of God’s chosen people, the Israelites. Every time they obey God and do His will, all is well. But the moment they go against God’s will and refuse to repent, God becomes their enemy and gives them over to their enemies.
Pride was the first and original sin and it was committed in heaven. This sin brought down the most decorated, powerful, and anointed angel from grace to hell. It became the only singular unpardonable sin because satan would not be content with the position where God place him, but would rather take the place of God.This became an irreversible error, an unatonable sin and led to satan’s ultimate downfall. In contrast, we could see Jesus condescended and humbled himself to the point of death.
No one fights with God and wins. When Pharaoh tried it, he was drowned in the red sea. When Sennacherib spoke against the God of Israel, he returned back to his country in shame and then killed by his children.You must never forget the scripture which says it is a dangerous thing to fall into the hand of the living God. Therefore, by all possible means, you must stay away from behaviours and lifestyles that will get God to become your enemy.
Of all the commandments that Jesus gave us on love, there is one which is very difficult for many people to come to terms with – Which is to love your enemies. How do we love an unlovable person? How do you love a person who is constantly looking out for your downfall?It may be difficult but it is not a grievous commandment. Never forget that we were once God’s enemies but through His love, we were reconciled back to Him. Likewise, loving your enemies has great power to bring them out of darkness into the light of Christ.
Yesterday we started with the commandment on love and we examined the first face of this commandment, which is to love God. Today we will look at the next face which is to love our neighbours and brethren as ourselves.The Lord said in John 15:12 – “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you”.The word of God further said, Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another – Romans 12:10.
Jesus said, if you love me, you will do what I command you (John 14:15). We must note again that obedience is proof of our love for Jesus. Today, we will look at another commandment which is “LOVE”.There are three faces to this instruction and none of them is grievous, they are rather meant to bless us. Today we will be considering the first face which is to “Love God”.
One thing we must never forget is the fact that God loves us and He means the best for all in all situations. Just as a good Father with perfect foreknowledge He tried to guide us away from danger.Our myopic nature however does block our perception of His dealings. Yet if God loves you, He will check you and discipline you. The Bible says that such corrective discipline by God is proof of our sonship (Hebrews 12:6-11).
Every time God ask us to do anything, we must understand that it is in our best interest. We must learn by principle and action to do those things which he approves and withdraw from those which He disapproves.Anytime man goes against His commandments, that man is usually at the losing end. The story of Adam and Eve lays a proper template for everyone to learn. When God asked them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, it was for their good, it was the only tree they had no access to, but they blew it and went for the fruit of that same tree.
Jesus is not in league with any other religion’s gods. He is the word from the beginning, the light to this darkened world. Men may reject Him but cannot deny His power and authority.In the early stages of His ministry, many were astonished by His power and authority. Here’s how the Bible puts it, “And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out” Luke 4:36 KJV.
People may reject Jesus, and religious persons may gang up against Him, but He is still the Son whom the Father approves.And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.Matthew 3:17 KJVThe Bible says in our reading of the day that the kings and the rulers of the earth as simply wasting their time ganging up against Christ – they will soon be destroyed if they don’t back out. In the days of Jesus, many people tried to crush Him and His ministry but those men amounted to nothing.
Jesus said whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels. Luke 9:26 KJV . This was no mere statement because many are ashamed of the Lord today.Many Christians are ashamed to witness and share the gospel with their colleagues at work, friends, family, and strangers. To some, preaching the gospel does not dignify.
Apart from the earthly benefits that the Lord promised those who follow Him till the end rich eternal rewards. Those who are faithfully following Christ must know that He has made special eternal rewards for them in heaven.The greatest reward is to be with God at last.Jesus promised those who follow Him that He is going to prepare a place for them in heaven so that they may be where He is (John 14:1-2). This implies that one day, you will be at Jesus’ feet and there will be no more sorrow or pain.
Does it truly pay to follow Jesus? What do you tend to gain by following Him wholeheartedly?If you are asking God these questions, you are not the first nor would you be the last. Great men like Abraham has asked God similar question.In Genesis 15 verse 2, the Bible recorded that Abraham asked God, “Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?”Genesis 15:2 KJV
Many follow the Lord today because of what they would gain from Him. They fixate their eyes on the material blessings that they can get from following Jesus. This is only half true, even though God’s will is to bless and prosper His children, following Christ may also come with the low season of nothingness.In our reading of the day, the Bible told us of a man who wanted to follow Jesus and how the Lord gave him a simple picture of nothingness. Even though He was the Son of God, Jesus Christ had no place to lay his head. He was not hanging out at a swanky hotel and catching fun.
Do you know that Jesus may ask you to sell something as part of the cost of following Him? The Bible says that you no longer belong to yourself because you have been bought with a price.Contrary to everything you might have heard from modern teachers and preachers, nothing is off the limit when it comes to giving up something to follow Jesus.
The Lord said in Matthew 16:25 that anyone who loves his life will lose it, but those who lose their lives for His sake will gain it again. Let this sink in, following Christ will require you to take up your cross and follow Him.The cross is a symbol of death, and for you to truly live for Christ, certain things must die off. Old passions and desires must all be laid at the cross and allowed to die.
Everything has a cost – for every value derived from any goods or services, there is a prize paid. Likewise following the Lord Jesus will cost you something. Although we live in a Christian society that tries to erase this truth but cannot. The reason why many derail on their Christian journey is a lack of proper evaluation of the cost of following Christ.It all boils down to asking serious questions like: “Is Jesus really worth it? Can I risk all for Him? Can I stake my all on Him? And many other questions.
The business of the dead is to bury the dead, but those who are alive in Christ are bid to follow Him in bringing other souls into the kingdom (Luke 9:59-60).Your living will only be purposeful in the agenda of heaven if you are setting forward the kingdom’s values.When a soul is saved, that fellow wants to go tell everyone about it. Saved souls are great soul winners at conversation. That was what happened to the madman of Gadarenes in Mark 5. Immediately after he got saved, He went all out to tell everyone.
Have you ever been on fire for God and zealous for the things of God but suddenly you have grown weary and lukewarm? Can you point to a time in your life when you study the Bible and prays for hours but now you lack stints? If you are such a fellow, then you need revival.What it means is that your spiritual fire, hunger and thirst have gone out. You need to cry to God for an awakening. This must be a plea with great agony knowing that you have lost something valuable that only God can restore to you.
Today’s message is a warning to us believers to be careful of men who call themselves shepherds but are mere hirelings. Are you aware that many are out there in ministry just because of what they would eat? Such are those who always want to get from the sheep and not feed them. They will milk money off the sheep all in the name of strange offerings, beware!
You can never possess mountains for God unless you have a positive attitude. Though the word of God says that you can possess the nations for your inheritance, you can be like the rest 10 spies who say we cannot possess the land and they perished in the end.But Caleb had a positive attitude, the word of God said, but my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it. Numbers 14:24 KJV
One of the biggest concerns I have is pastors and church leaders telling sinners that it is well with them. I know that such a statement is not true because the Bible says in our text of the day says it will be well with the righteous but unto the wicked, it shall not be well.Automatically those living in sin are under a curse because there is no blessing for the wicked. Therefore I charge you to reassess your life now and check if you have been made righteous by the blood of Jesus. Are you born again? If yes, then it shall be well with you.
Some doors will remain shut except the believer persist in knocking at the doors of heaven for immediate action. God is also not wicked but sometimes He wants to see the proof of intent (how serious we are about what we are praying for).I have learnt one lesson from children, they are persistent in asking. Until you have honoured their request, they will not allow you to rest. This is the same principle of continuous knocking at the doors of heaven for your blessings.
Refuse It!Home2022October19Refuse It!CHRISTIAN LIFE, DEVOTIONALRefuse It!Text: 1 Kings 3:21 KJVFurther Reading: 1 Kings 3:16-28And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.1 KINGS 3:21 KJVMESSAGEWhatever you accept in your life will stick with you. You must stand against whatever is troubling you in the name of the Lord. David will not allow the uncircumcised Goliath to continue to threaten his nation and so he confronted him in the name of the Lord. This led to an end of 40 days of threats and smears by the enemy. Do not be afraid, take the battle to the enemy in the name of the Lord and you will win.The Bible also affirms that whatever we allow on earth will be allowed in heaven. Jesus said, I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth shall have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth shall have [already] been loosed in heaven. Matthew 18:18 AMP
Sacrifice is the greatest proof of God’s love for us. He showed us this example by giving His only Son to die for our sins (John 3:16). On the other hand, we must prove that we love him. Scripture says that we love Him because He first loved us. This love can not be by mouth but by deeds.Therefore, our most important proof that we love Him (Christ) is our obedience to His instructions. It is not in what we give in church or towards missions, but in our day-to-day obedience to His voice.
One of the many ways the devil uses to keep men in bondage is ignorance. Truly, many people perish today because of a lack of knowledge of God for themselves. The devil even will do anything to block a man from hearing the gospel, because he knows when such a heart hears the gospel, he will be exposed to the truth and thereby experience his freedom
Even though God has promised that no one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in our land; and that He will fulfil the number of our days, the enemy tries to bring barrenness into many lives and families.A lack of results for one’s labour is barrenness. Some people work but have nothing to show for it, they become frustrated and many give up on the way. Those who are in this category must not give up but rather follow after Jabez who decided to pray away sorrow from his life.
Some mountains will not move until a man prays. Prayer to God in Jesus’ name is the greatest mountain crusher, problem solver, and hope renewer. Some problems will keep persisting until a man persists in prayer to cause effective change.In mark chapter 9 verses 17-29, a man brought his demon-possessed son to the disciples of Jesus but they could not cast it out. When they ask the Lord why they couldn’t, Jesus said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”Mark 9:29 NKJV
When we speak of prayer, many Christians are still yet to grasp the full power of prayer. The day you realise how potent prayer is, that day you will covet a strong prayer life.We have a loving Father who gives liberally and is willing to give to those who ask Him in prayers. He is willing to change those hard situations and turn them around only if we pray.
At times it looks as if God has forsaken His people and forgotten his promise to His beloved children. But we know that God works all situations for the good of His saints who loved Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).Apart from the fact that He has not called you to seek Him in vain, He has also promised never to leave nor forsake you. Therefore, no matter how difficult your present situation is, God has not forgotten you.
Sometimes when a person is serving God or following the Lord, it may look as if there is if there is no gain. Such may begin to be anxious, fearful, and doubtful because of the situations surrounding him.Hope indeed differed causes weariness to the soul, yet the saint must not forget that our God is faithful and true. He is not a man that He should lie, whatever He has promised, that will He do.
When a believer loses his saltiness such will become good for nothing. That moment the deep ouflow of the life of Christ stops manifesting, such will begin to fade into a shadow. That is why God is warning you through this message that you should not lose your saltiness.Imagine the salt in your kitchen suddenly lost its taste, you will obviously throw it away and buy a new one. Likewise also, when a believer loses his/her true Christian values, that fellow will be cast off and a new person takes his work.
Have you ever tasted food without salt? If you have, is it delicious that you want more? No is the answer. Any food cooked without salt is tasteless and lacks value, and so also is the world without Jesus, the light of the world.The Lord in our text of the day referred to believers as the salt of this earth. If you are born again and following Christ, the Bible calls you salt to this Earth. This means that the world as it stands without true Christians is tasteless and valueless.
The great commission is not to a few but to all who have been saved, it is also not something you do today and forget for the next few months. You must constantly go after the souls of men.From the words of the Lord, we know that the harvest is truly plenteous but the labourers are few (Matthew9:37). There are many people today who sit in the region of the shadow of death and are waiting for someone to come to preach the gospel to them. Sadly, even the few people that are sharing the gospel do it without serious commitment and passion.
The world defines a wise person as one who has good judgement or is well-informed in matters relating to this world. We know for certain that the earthly wisdom and prowess of men ends here on earth. But the Bible told us of a particular kind of wisdom that if anyone possesses, such will obtain eternal rewards.In Proverbs 11:30, the Bible says that he that wins souls is wise. Our text of the day says that a true witness delivers souls. Whenever the Christian witnesses for Christ and such us converted, he has won that soul from death.
Apart from the fact that God will not hear the prayer of a saint when he commits a sin and refuses to expose them to God’s mercy, such will be living under the cruel whip of his guilty conscience.It is important to know that covered or unconfessed sin brings a person failure in life. Proverbs 28:13 says that if you cover your sins, you will not succeed, except you confess and forsake them.
Unbelief is one of the biggest reasons why men do not get saved. It is the last barrier that must be broken down by completely trusting in the merit of the blood of Jesus Christ.Without faith, it is impossible to please God, so also it is impossible to be saved from sin without absolute faith in Christ. Anyone who will truly experience pardon for sin from God must believe that God can truly save them from sin.
Confession is an outward expression of acknowledged sin. In this state, the person seeking salvation admits to the truth that he deserves judgment and pleads with God for mercy.In Leviticus 5:5, the Bible says that when a person is found guilty of breaking any of the laws, he must confess that he has sinned.
It is one thing to acknowledge one’s fault, it is another thing to be sorry for doing it. A person may acknowledge a fault but with a bold face defending his actions. Such a person can not obtain mercy whether in the court of men or the heavenly court.Repentance means to think differently about one’s sins and actions; and to make up the mind never to go back to them. Repentance usually involves sorrow of the heart. In this state, a person truly sees himself as a worthy hell-deserving sinner who needs God’s mercy to make it.
We know that God’s will is for men to be saved from sin and be translated into God’s kingdom but man must do his part to receive the blessing of salvation. In this series titled “Path To Salvation”, we will be looking at the steps a man would need to take to be saved or reconciled back to God.Today, we will study the importance of acknowledgement to salvation. To acknowledge one’s sin is to simply agree with God. The sinner must agree that he has broken the rules and deserves punishment. He must also agree that he needs the mercy of God.
In Revelation 4:11, the Bible says that all things are created for God’s pleasure. We are made to glorify and bring Him glory. Of all of God’s creations, man is the most spectacular and perfect. But more amazing is the fact that you are unique and God designed you specially for His own glory.God makes no mistakes, He has crafted you to fulfil a special purpose. You are a unique and special breed made in His image to reflect His glory. In Isaiah 60:1-2, the word of God says that you are to arise and shine forth. You are to go about radiating the glory of God.
The natural man cannot love, he is full of envy, anger, and hatred. Honestly, it is not the fault of that unregenerate, he simply cannot please God in his unconverted state. That is why you see some people who cannot forgive others. They say it’s over their dead body to forgive the person who offended them.
You can not separate love from God. It is safe to say that love is the trademark of God visible for all to see. The Bible confirms this truth by saying that, God is love.The Bible says that God so much loved the world that He gave His only Son to die for her (John 3:16). It was not only the Father that loved us but also Christ. The Bible says that Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.John 15:13 NKJV. Though Christ could have denied us, yet He took our sins on His body because of His love for us.
Kings are leaders and the livelihood of their subjects depends on how they govern. A wise King will lead a peaceful and prosperous community, but a pervert will ruin everything. In the same light, we believers are called to lead. We are the light bearers, we are to model the true life of God to men, and can not be anything less.
There are strict rules by which a king or royalty must live, which may not apply to other regular persons. That is the reason why you can not find a king brawling or yelling at someone – such an act will downgrade the honour of such a king because it belittles the throne and the kingdom.
Mountains represent impossibility in a man’s life, but when such a mountain is brought before God, they are crushed. The Bible says that when God steps down, mountains melt at His presence. This shows that when you invite the God of all possibilities into the issues of your life, He will melt away those problems (Isaiah 64:1-3).
In Genesis 15:1, God came to Abram and introduced Himself to him as the Almighty God. This means that He has all power and ability to do all things, even those things that are humanly impossible. By implication, He can use His mighty power to turn your situation around for Good. This is because He has a track record of reversing the irreversible and turning impossibility into possibility.God can do what no man can do for you. Stop relying on the report of men but rather allow God through His mighty power step into that situation.
There are so many situations in life that are humanly impossible to deal with. A man at his greatest ability and strength is still limited but our God is the limitless God – the God of all possibilities.
The Lord in Matthew 19:26 showed us that certain things are impossible with humans but with God all things are possible. The tougher the impossibility the more God makes a name from it.
One popular and true statement that people make is that change is constant. But with our God, there is no change. He is the unchangeable changer. The unchanging nature of our God qualifies Him as the ruler of the whole universe.
We serve a living God. He is endless and ageless. He is the ancient of days. The Bible says that even when everything will fail, He will remain the same and His years will not fail (Hebrews 1:11-12).
God is still working wonders as in the Bible times, Hs is still healing the sick, raising the dead, and saving souls. He has not changed.
Maybe you are like Gideon asking questions, saying, where is the God that our fathers spoke about? Where is the God that moved during the Azusa Street Revival or in Wales? Where are the His salvation and Miracles? Has He forgotten to be gracious, or in anger has His shut up his tender mercy?
God came down and gave deliverance to His people through His servant Gideon and He can do it again. Are you doubting? Doubt no more, because God never changes. Whatever He has done before, He can repeat again.
In every generation and time in history, God has His own people. No matter how corrupt or wicked a generation may be, He has a remnant who will show forth His glory. Amid the greatest apostasy in Israel, God still had Elijah and seven thousand Israelites who did not bow to Baal (1 Kings 19:18). Daniel also distinguished himself in Babylon and showed forth the glory of God.
You will notice that God needs quality men and women even in our time. Christians who will stand in key positions in Government, Business, and religious leadership.
Our nations are in serious chaos today with so many value-destroying policies in government and workplaces. Our societies are being infiltrated by all sorts of sinful practices and God is counting on His people to rise and defend the faith.
Have you ever been in the same place with unbelievers, doing the same job and working your best and they are prospering more than you? This might have even led you to question whether God is on your side or not.
Naturally, the heart faints and begins to fret. The devil may even begin to use your spouse or family member to pressure you into thinking that God is partial. They may say, why are you not prospering despite being on God’s side, and those living carelessly are prospering?
God’s word says that even though evildoers are prospering, you can not envy them because they will soon be cut off. The Bible says that the prosperity of a fool shall destroy them (Proverbs 1:32).
Why then should you worry or envy them, when their end is destruction? David further said, I have seen the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: Yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.
There are so many things that cause the human heart to worry. Some of them could be personal and family needs. Parents who need to provide for their kids as the new school year begins may have one or two things to think about.
No doubt the soaring prices of food, groceries, and energy bill is worrisome for many folks. But the Lord in the Beatitude charges us who believes not to worry or be afraid of the circumstances surrounding our lives.
Since by worrying we can solve no problems, and worrying is harmful to our health. Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
Matthew 6:27 NKJV
The Lord gave us the best standard practice for our daily living, which is not to be afraid or worried.
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
Matthew 6:31 NKJV
The devil knows that it would be very difficult to get a person living for God to sin so he devices a more subtle way to gain a foothold into his life. Whenever the enemy finds you on fire for God, and you will not indulge in sin, he begins to smuggle some non-sinful habits into your life. The whole idea is simple – to create a disconnect between you and God. When we are all out for God without any divided attention, we can do more for Him. But immediately we get distracted by other things, we will lose a grip on our spiritual stability. The truth is that you are a soldier, and if you are correctly living the life of Christ, you become a menace to the devil and he sets a target on you. Therefore as a good soldier of Christ, you must be extremely disciplined and focused on winning the crown. Paul the Apostle explained this principle in two ways, the first way was to describe us as one who is trying out to become a master in a particular art and also as an athlete who has to be disciplined in order to win the race which is temporal but ours he said, is eternal (1 Corinthians 9:24-25).
Whenever God wants to show off His ultimate power, He allows a certain situation that defies all human ability to happen to a person. He would do it in such a way that it would be impossible for man or any machinery of the flesh. One of such occasion was found in John chapter 11 when Lazarus who was Jesus’ friend was sick unto death. Rather than Christ jumping to go and heal him, he waited until the situation has become humanly impossible. Many people were already questioning if Jesus truly loved Lazarus, but all this was for Christ to glorify the Father.
Great is our God and He is greatly to be praised. When you think of His goodness and mercy over your life, you see that God deserves all the praise and honour. Praising Him is not limited to singing and dancing, but also making a joyful noise unto Him. Let me first establish that making a joyful noise unto the Lord is a command to all the earth and nations. This is because our God is a great God, and a great King over all the gods of the earth. Everything was made by Him and for His pleasure. The Bible says in the book of Revelation that the host of heaven sings and worships God who is sitting on the throne, and with a loud voice, they worshipped Christ (Revelation 5:5-14).
From Sorrow To Joy
Home
2022
September
17
From Sorrow To Joy

CHRISTIAN LIFE, DEVOTIONAL, JOY
From Sorrow To Joy
Text: John 16:20 KJV
Further Reading: 1 Chronicles 4:9-10
Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. JOHN 16:20 KJV
MESSAGE
The joy in the hearts of many has ceased and their dance turned into mourning, but the word of the Lord to you today is that all those things that have caused you sorrow for years will be taken away in Jesus’s Name. Instead of sorrow, you will begin to experience joy again. It does not matter how hopeless or discouraging your situation may look, God’s promise to you is that your situation will be turned around for good. The word of God says in Isaiah 61:3 that Christ came To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” Isaiah 61:3 NKJV
Joy Of Salvation
Home
2022
September
16
Joy Of Salvation

CHRISTIAN LIFE, DEVOTIONAL, JOY, SALVATION
Joy Of Salvation
Text: Isaiah 12:3 KJV
Further Reading: Luke 2:7-14
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. ISAIAH 12:3 NKJV
MESSAGE
When a new child is born, there is joy in the family. However, when a person is born again, there is a greater joy called the joy of salvation. This is because the Bible says that when a person is saved, there is joy in heaven – I.e the entire host of heaven rejoice with exceeding great joy over a sinner saved by grace (Luke 15:7,10). This newborn believer gets the same heaven treatment as the time when the Lord was born. Angels and a multitude of hosts of heavens singing and praising God (Luke 2:13-14). It is this same heavenly joy that is translated into the soul of the converted sinner. He will not be able to define it because it’s from above, and this day becomes arguably the best of his life. A joy that springs up from the knowledge of forgiveness and eternal life in Christ Jesus. He is sure that God is no longer angry with him and that he is now at peace with God.
One of satan’s biggest devices is to try and spoil the believer’s joy. He wants you to be all sad and gloomy, so he goes out there to try and bring about some evil events to steal your joy and rob you of your peace. No wonder the Bible calls him a thief whose primary ministry is to steal, kill, and destroy – thank God for Jesus who came so that you may have abundant life and joy. Amen (John 10:10).
Since we have Christ as our true and only source of Joy, we can boldly claim the joy of the Lord as our strength. Our joy is not dependent on anything man or flesh may give but on the Lord Jesus Christ.
No matter what you are going through, you can be confident in the fact that God is to turn your mourning into dancing and weeping into Joy. Praise the Lord! (Isaiah 61:3).
In our text and reading of the day, we saw the joy that resulted in the hearts of the Jews when God turned the plot of their enemy over and delivered them. Rather than being wiped off, God turned what could have been a scene of slaughter into an arena of unspeakable joy and celebration.
When God decides to leave a man alone, the end of such a person is worst than the beginning. That person would continue to live in regrets and wish he had not violated God’s precept.
Even though God has promised never to leave nor forsake you, you also must be very careful not to go against His will. Sin will only turn his face away from you so that He will not hear you when you cry to Him for help. Do your best always to stay within the confines of God’s will for your life.
Consider Samson in the book of Judges 16, when he continued to live carelessly in sin, the spirit of God left him. He lost his anointing and ended up becoming an entertainment to his enemies. The later end of Samson was worse, he died in the camp of his enemies. May God not withdraw His grace and mercy from your life in Jesus’ name.
The Christian is not like any other person, he has been bought with a price – now his life no longer belongs to him but to Christ. Apostle Paul showed us what this life truly means in Galatians 2:20:
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Galatians 2:20 NKJV
All these means that you are now to live for the glory of Christ. Not even for yourself but everything for Christ. Our salvation cost so much, this new life we have received is not cheap, therefore we are to live godly and righteousness in this world.
Today’s message is not just a random statement, it is God’s position over your life. This is the Lord committed to helping you out of all your situations. You should be confident in this fact and rest in Him.
Our text of the day says emphatically that God will help you and you will not be ashamed. It does not matter whether your situation is beyond human ability, God said He will help you. As long as you are a genuine child of God, He will help you fight all your battles visible and invisible.
Maybe some situations have been threatening to disgrace or embarrass you, God’s word to you says you will be helped and instead of shame it will be glory. Whether the devil likes it or hates it, you will be helped.
Maybe you are wondering where the help will come from. Your help will not come from man, it will be God Himself helping (Psalms 121). Even if men promised and fail, the promise of divine help is sure because God has committed himself to you.
Are you amidst some crisis, God is there with you and you will not be moved, God will help you even quicker. No matter the threats of men, may the Almighty God help you.
The Psalmist in our text of the day began with a language that will easily resonate with many of us. It was a Psalms of reflection upon God’s love, mercy, care, and safety over His children. David further spoke of the countless attempts by the enemies to destroy him but for God’s divine protection. This is more like a Psalm of a man’s testimony. And it is rightly a psalm describing the goodness of God over your life. God has done a lot for us and if not for the Lord who was on our sides, our enemies would have swallowed us up quick, and their wrath would have kindled against us and consumed us. If not for the Lord who was on your side, the story would have been different.
Men and women who have touched the height of God’s grace are those who never settle for the less. I have heard a great man of God share the testimony of how he told God that he does not want to be an ordinary pastor. He wanted God’s anointing and power. That man of God is more than 80 years old today and still walking in the supernatural.
Men in the world have paid a serious price to get the things they desired, but ours was paid already 2000 thousand years ago by the selfless sacrifice of Christ. God want to give us these things but we must ask. We can take great courage in the fact that He did not withhold His Son but freely gave Him up for our sins. Certainly, He will not deny us anything we desire according to His will.
If you are okay the way you are, God will not force anything on you that you don’t want. The Bible is full of stories of men and women who were not satisfied with empty religion or status quo. Such a man is Caleb who at 85 was asking for a mountain to conquer. While other men could have asked for the plain, Caleb chose the mountain (Joshua 14:10-15).
God does not force anything on a man. What He does many times is to make invitations, announcements, or advertisements for what He wants to give to the sons of men. In the book of John 7:37-38, we saw the Lord making an outstanding invitation to bless all who will come. On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:37-38 NKJV It was as if Jesus was saying to us, look this is available but also subject to you desiring it. Though is free and available for all, I cannot force it on you. Indeed there is more available in God if you will dare to want more. Why should you have little of the limitless God when you can possess all of Him?
Many follow or worship God today mainly because of what they hope to receive from Him. But for us, it’s beyond that. It’s serving and loving Him wholeheartedly even when there is no promise or when the promise is delayed.
How does a person get to this point of intimacy and affection for his creator that one would say with Job, even though He slays me, yet will I trust Him?
At what point does He become the object of attraction at the very core of our soul that we would rather not live than to live without Him? Many saints did touch this dimension and it became their reality. To them, God was their all, and if you must take Him off their lives, you must be willing to take their lives as well.
Of such men was Paul the Apostle, who boldly claimed that nothing could ever separate him from the love of God. He was persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39 KJV
Even though Joseph was hated by his brothers, sold to Egypt, and wrongly imprisoned, he was not wearing a sad gloomy face and grumbling about the whole place. He seems to me a very happy man. He was in God’s will and certainly, the presence of God must have been with him. It takes a cheerful man to cheer another person up. Be careful of the people you surround your life with. When you go into your hour of testing, you need people to encourage you and not those who will compound your problems. While reading my devotional text this morning, I noted how God had to bring David intentionally to the palace so that he might learn the royal way. He was no royal seed, yet anointed by God. Even though this would bring him face to face with death, God was preparing him for the throne.
Our response to temptation will determine whether we will overcome or be defeated. There are some temptations that you can just rebuke the devil. One such occasion occurred when the devil asked that the Lord bow and worship him – the Lord said, get out of here satan, you shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve. The devil ran away (Matthew 4:8-11)
When it comes to sexual temptations, you don’t start casting and binding the devil, you must simply flee. It is not even the time to start quoting scriptures. The Bible is very clear about this, FLEE. In 1 Corinthians 6:18, scripture says, Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
To further show us how serious this matter is, Paul in his admonition told the young Timothy to flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
II Timothy 2:22 NKJV
The Bible says, But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away. Isaiah 64:6 NKJV The above scripture showed us that in our highest moral status, we are still unclean in the sight of God. Every self-righteousness of man cannot measure up to His righteousness. As far as God is concerned, with our default fallen nature, everything we do cannot simply measure up to His high moral standards. To show us the seriousness of this, the Bible told us the story of Cornelius the centurion. Even though he was a devout man who feared God, his works were not enough. His almsgiving and charity, could not simply save him. God had to send Peter to him so that he can have the righteousness that comes through Christ (Read Acts 10).
Darkness is confusion, it takes light to dispel darkness. It is safe to say that the world without Jesus is in darkness and will continue to wallow in confusion.
From the fall of man, the entire humanity was plunged into spiritual darkness, Satan was oppressing and suppressing men, until Jesus the light of the world step down into the dark world.
Everyone who has come into the new life in Christ is a carrier of light. They are different from every other person. They have been given the power to drive out every darkness in their domain. One such power is found in Mark 16:17-18. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Mark 16:17-18 NKJV
Yesterday we spoke extensively on God’s desire for us to be different in this present world as believers. While some people may think it is impossible, the Bible gave us example after example of men who were different despite all odds.
Today we will consider one of such men and how he distinguished himself amid corruption as a man of God. Towards the end of his life, he finished with this testimony – Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.
1 Samuel 12:3 KJV
Samuel grew up in the house of God in Shiloh but in the same place were the godless sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas. The Bible told us that these two sons of Eli did wicked things before the Lord. Even though Samuel had every excuse to be wicked, he was different.
Someone said that the world is not waiting for a new definition of Christianity but the demonstration of it. The reason why your friends and people around you have not received your Jesus is because they have not seen the life of Christ in you.
The world knows its own and expects that if any one will claim not to be part of her, such must prove it in lifestyle, appearance, and conduct. It is very sad to see that those who call themselves Christians are living lives that doesn’t represent Christ.
We live in a time when it is very hard to differentiate between believers and none believers. From the highly seductive dressing to other worldly lifestyles, there is nothing really to show forth the life of Jesus. Our places of worship are no different from any regular disco clubs in terms of beats, dance, dressing, and so on.
Life is a battle, and more than any other, the Christian is faced with more battles. The devil, the corrupt world system, and false brethren, all set themselves against this child of God. No wonder the Bible told believers to always put on the full armour of God. That is to say, hey you are in a war, get ready for a fight. The Bible even says that we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood and that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. II Corinthians 10:4-5 NKJV The truth is that we have victory. Our victory was secured two thousand years ago when Jesus laid His life on the cross, but we must constantly walk in it. This requires that we live our lives in the will and purpose of God. As long as we do this, safety is sure.
Let me reiterate this truth, whether the world believes it or not, Jesus will come again to take His followers to heaven. What a glorious day it will be because we shall all be changed and have a new body and we will be with Christ forever. Our hope as believers is beyond this passing world, we are sure that Jesus has gone to prepare a place in heaven for us and we will see Him in glory one day (John 14:1-3). But when will this be, and at what time will that event take place? We don’t know – no one knows, not even the angels or even the Lord himself but the Father.
Famine
Home
2022
August
30
Signs Of The Endtime: Pestilence, War, & Famine

CHRISTIAN LIFE, DEVOTIONAL, END TIMES
Signs Of The Endtime: Pestilence, War, & Famine
Text: Matthew 24:7 NKJV
Further Reading: Luke 21:9-11
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. MATTHEW 24:7 NKJV
MESSAGE
The last two and half years have been a year of global crisis as the pandemic-hit world is still struggling to recover from the devastating blow dealt to her. Apart from the many people who died as a direct result of the pandemic, many more are forced to live in great financial distress. We can say truly that these are the last days of pestilence, war, and famine. The Lord who is the alpha and omega foretold of these events more than two two thousand years ago. With the Russia invasion of Ukraine, and the deadly drought ravaging the world, there is now famine in nations just as Jesus predicted it to happen in the end times.
One of the many signs of the end times is the increase in the rate at which people sin. Jesus foretold that sin and iniquity will abound in the end times. We see right in our faces how sinful practices have gained great approval both in the world and in the church. Sinful and unrighteous agendas a being put forward by governments of nations and many are drinking sin as water without any thought about eternity. We live in a time when people are not afraid to sin and practice unrighteousness.
Those who say that once a person is saved such is forever saved are either not reading their bibles properly or are intentionally dishonest. Our text of the day explicitly contradicts that school of thought. As a matter of fact, the Holy Spirit says that in the last days, many people will depart from the faith; i.e. they will fall away from their faith in Christ. The Lord Jesus while speaking about the signs of the last days also told us that the abounding level of iniquity and sin will cause the love of many for God to wax cold. The Lord concluded that remark with a warning that only those who endure till the end will be saved (Matthew 24:13)). Does it mean that many believers will not be saved in the end? Yes! Multiple times in the book of Revelation Jesus said that only the overcomers will be rewarded. To the church in Smyrna, he said only those who overcome will not be hurt by the second death (Revelation 2:11). The second death is the lake of fire and it is for those whose name is not written in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 20:15; 21:8).
If you have been following this devotional, you will notice how extensively we have been speaking about persecution and suffering. This is because persecution and suffering are part of what we would encounter on our Christian journey to heaven. They are also some of the signs of the end times. We have come to a point in the world today where more Christian minorities all over the world are being so highly persecuted. Many are being killed and imprisoned in nations like North Korea, Afghanistan, Eritrea and many other countries for their faith in Christ. One story that was so touching was of one Fatima in Saudi Arabia. She was brutalized and killed by her own brother because of her devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. We who live in free and democratic nations must pray to uphold these brothers and sisters. Many have taught that suffering is not for the new testament Saints, but this is not true. Throughout the new testament, we see references pointing to suffering as part of what we would experience in this world. The Lord himself pre-prepared our minds for the obvious tribulations that we will undergo for his name’s sake.
Of the many signs of the end times, it’s amazing how the Lord spoke about the deception that will take the major stage in the church and society. Two thousand years later, Christ’s assessment could not be any truer. Sadly we live in a very dangerous time of high deception and lies. Many deceivers have gone out to deceive and turn many away from the way of life. Jesus sternly warned us against these deceptions because many false prophets have gone out into the world. I John 4:1 NKJV
Jesus will come back again! Praise the Lord. Though the people in the world try to contest this truth, it does not make it untrue because heaven and earth will pass away but His word will remain the same (Matthews 24:35). The same Jesus who was taken up into heaven will so come in the same manner as He went to heaven (Acts 1:11). The book of Revelation says that He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. Revelation 1:7 NKJV Many people have argued that it’s been more than two thousand years now since the promise has been made and He has not yet come. So they conclude that Jesus will not come again. The people in the days of Noah said the same thing, they despised Noah’s warning but perished in the end. So be warned.
What do men like Paul know that we do not, what did they see that we seem to be ignorant of, and what was the persuasion that made them dogged and rugged to obtain the eternal crown? How do they measure and assess things that we have not come into?
Paul was no special breed, though an uncommon man in many ways. He distinguished himself as a missionary, writer, and sufferer for Christ. Paul could have had anything in the world. He would have become a successful leader in his field of Choice but became all things including poor, destitute, hungry, without clothing, shipwrecked, disgraced, imprisoned, stoned, and so on for Christ and the gospel.
Paul was an indomitable man of little stature but a giant in faith. Whatever was driving him must be bigger than any earthly motivation or accomplishment. He was not fighting as one beating the air, Paul had a goal: He had seen the crown of glory, he had seen the Lord of glory, and nothing would make him miss it.
With his long list of suffering, Paul never looked back. He even called them light afflictions which is nothing compared to the glory to be revealed in us. Though pressed hard on every side, Paul will not be crushed, though persecuted, nothing will destroy his faith, though forsaken, Paul never abandoned his cross and calling (2 Corinthians 4:8-10). He was determined to win Christ even if He lose the world. And He did.
Paul stood before Kings undaunted and unchallenged, he had seen someone bigger than Festus or Agrippa. He had seen a vision bigger than the whole Roman empire. Whatever he saw in the Arabian desert had shaped his heart. He was on a journey of no return to the world. Paul was crucified to the world, none of its glamour ever moved him. And for this cause, he said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel”, and also that he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.
When the scripture spoke about laying up our treasures in heaven where they won’t be corrupt, many believers today do not yet understand the full concept and reason behind it. This is because earthly treasures will fade with time and their value will depreciate. As the preacher, king Solomon said, they will all be left behind for someone else who has not laboured for it. He said that if such is a fool, he will waste them (Ecclesiastes 2:18-19).
We are not saying that believers should not leave an inheritance for their children. Even the Bible says that a good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.
Proverbs 13:22 NKJV
Though it is good to leave a material inheritance for them, it is best if they are given spiritual inheritance in Christ Jesus. It is best to train them in the fear of God and bring them up gracefully in knowing God.
Until a man sees the invisible riches of Christ, He will not leave the treasures of Egypt. It is my greatest prayer that the Lord will open your eyes of understanding to see the rich and incorruptible inheritance which Christ has kept for you in Jesus’ Name.
That was what Moses saw that made him forsake Egypt. He took a proper estimation and realised that riches, treasures, and even the throne of Egypt is not worth what God is offering Him. He would not trade the eternal riches of God reserved for him for the ephemeral treasures of this world. (Hebrews 11:24-27).
The reason why many believers are still joking about the subject of their final destination at the end of their journey on earth is that they have not personally seen the real value of heaven. The cost of following Christ is high, but the gain is higher. Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Matthew 16:24 NKJV But if we suffer with him, we will also share in His glory. Nothing you go through on earth is worth losing your salvation. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:18 NKJV
Everything we see today points only to one thing, and it is the fact that the end of all things is near. It’s amazing how many people are not watchful to read the sign on the wall. Everything the scripture says will happen in the end times is already happening and the last few years have been highly exceptional. From the coronavirus to monkeypox and more recently, a huge ecological imbalance. We must all awake and get out of our slumber. We have been caught sleeping. The church and the people of God are fast asleep. When you read the scripture you will also find a unique and interesting event that the scripture says will happen to believers. Many will sleep and slip out of the faith. Because iniquity will abound, the love of so many will wax cold (Matthew 24:13-14).
Many people complain of not having answers to their prayers and they are looking for the possible reasons why this is so. They are sure that they have prayed in strong faith yet they do not receive what they have asked for.
Our God is infinitely wise, He will not give us what will harm us. Think about our earthly parents, even when we asked for something we think we need, they apply their discretion to give us what they are certain that we need and not what we want. The Lord instructed that no earthly father will ever give a serpent, stone, or scorpion to any of his children who have asked for good things; and that God is far better and will give us much better things as long as it is to His glory (Matthew 7:9:11).
You must settle this in your mind, God will not give you everything you ever ask for. This is because He is the alpha and omega who knows the end from the beginning. If that thing you have asked for will later become a snare to you, He will not give you.
Remember Samson, he asked his parent to marry a strange woman for him. They warned him but he went on anyway and later burnt his fingers. Likewise, God will not allow us to have some things if it is sure to land us in trouble.
One primary reason why many people pray and never receive is that they never have faith that they will have what they have prayed for. By doing this, they displease God.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6 NKJV
The Lord Jesus says that we would have whatever we asked in faith. God want us to come as His children asking Him with full confidence and assurance that He will hear us. Unbelief is one major reason for unanswered prayer, and it grieves God when His children don’t trust Him to be faithful and committed to His promises.
Although our human minds may not be able to comprehend how God will answer certain prayers, still we must believe or we don’t pray for such things at all. This is because at the end of the day we may not get it and we start accusing God of not answering our prayers.
God has given us an open check to ask of Him anything, this includes wisdom. The Bible says that God gives liberally and upbraids not. However, the word of God told us that the condition to receive is based on faith. Here is how Scripture puts it:
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
James 1:6-8 NKJV
Today we will continue with the hindrances or what makes prayer so difficult many times. In our previous lesson, we noted emphatically that a sinning man will find prayer difficult and ineffective. But what about the things that the devil does to hinder us from praying?
The enemy knows that prayer is a weapon that believers have to counter-attack. He knows that the effectual prayer of the righteous man avails much, so he tries every means to get us far away from prayer.
Today we will look at a few ways the devil tries to keep believers away from praying.
The first is distraction: have you noticed that it is the very time you begin to pray that your phone rings or someone starts knocking at your door? It is not by accident, and the person is not the problem, but your enemy using such to divert your attention.
The Lord Jesus told us to pray in the closet. This way, you will not be easily distracted. Place your phones on silent mode or shut them down altogether.
The enemy also distracts us by placing vanities in front of us so that we will lose focus on what we are praying about. Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
Matthew 4:8 NKJV
The condition of a man’s heart will determine whether his prayer will be answered or not. The truth is that a sinning person can not pray with a faith-filled expectation to receive from God. This is not because such cannot open his mouth to pray but because there is a quarrel between him and God. It is natural for people to avoid the people they are not on good terms with, sinners feel the same way and avoid prayer because they have no living relationship with God. To us children of God, prayer is more than a means of receiving from God but for fellowship and communion. As long as the relationship is intact, prayer will be beautiful and effective. Our reading of the day highlighted this obvious truth. As long as there was no sin in the garden, Adam and Eve fellowshiped with God and they enjoyed it. But the moment sin came, they could not come out to face God.
How often should Christians pray? Is there any specific number of times to pray? Are there special hours on the clock to pray? These are a few of the most likely questions people ask in connection to the regularity of prayer.
The answer to these questions is found in our text of the day. Jesus said that it is expedient for us to pray always. He was not giving us a bogus rule of number-based times of prayer. Jesus, Himself was always praying. This does not mean that we have to maintain a specific prayer posture and be in one place always.
“Always” includes praying over the meal, praying when stepping out, praying when starting off at work, praying before sleeping, praying while taking a walk, and praying everywhere as the opportunity presents itself.
Some have limited prayer to the place of worship, a once-in-a-week ritual, and rarely engage this great power. Some have limited prayer to the time when they have needs. Some Christians only pray when they get into trouble. Rather than pray proactively, they pray reactively.
Prayer is more than receiving from God, it is the best way to get intimate with Him. When we read God’s word, we must pray to understand and apply it to our daily lives. If you want to know God intimately, then you must spend quality time in prayer always.
Some great minds like Daniel who mastered prayer prayed three times a day. Nehemiah was a man who had the attitude of praying always and on every occasion. The king said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
Nehemiah 2:4 NKJV
There is no greater need in our time and age than more prayer. With the world economy failing, sin thriving, and people dying; Christians must pray or many more would be lost eternally.
It is however unfortunate that only a few believers know how to pray effectively. What we see in the church is even more discouraging, prayer is fast losing its place and relevance in most churches. We are fast becoming more sophisticated in terms of equipment and gadget. Truly in these last days, the love of many for prayer and the things of God has waxed cold (Matthew 24:12).
The reason why there is much sins in our camp today is that there is lesser prayer. A praying people will stop sinning and sinning people will stop praying. For our nations to change, then we must ask God to teach us to pray. Oh, that we would all enrol into this school of prayer.
Prayer is the engine room of any life or ministry. When you see a man of great spiritual stature, such is connected to prayer. The two secrete to spiritual power are prayer and holiness, and Jesus excelled in both. For you to share in His power you must also live the life He lived.
Are you amazed that the disciples didn’t ask Jesus to teach them how to preach or cast our devils? It was because they saw that prayer was the secret power of Jesus’ ministry. They needed that power too, so one of them asked Jesus, Lord teach us to pray. If you truly want to do greater works as Jesus promised, then you must learn to pray (John 14:12). There is no secret to becoming a prayerful person other than praying.
Since a sinner’s prayer is an abomination to God, what prayer then does God hear from a sinner? Does it mean that God does not listen to any prayer of a person who is unrepentant? The way God treat the prayer of His children who falls into sin will show you the seriousness of the matter.
David said, if I regard sin in my heart, God will not hear me (Psalms 66:18). What does that mean? If a child of God falls into sin, until such repents, God will listen to none of his prayers. No wonder the Bible says that if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
II Chronicles 7:14 NKJV
How then does God treat the prayer of those who continually live in sins? He will close his ears and push all their requests away, but for one prayer. That sinner’s prayer that will be answered is the one we read about in our text of the day. The humble repentant prayer of a sinner asking for mercy.
It is not a mere lips service or utterance that many people make today when they go to the altar. It is a prayer said from a broken and contrite heart that the Lord will not reject (Psalms 51:17). This requires godly sorrow, a sorrow for sin leading to repentance. When a sinner cries to God for mercy, He will answer and receive him as His child.
Prayer is the way by which the believer talks with God and receives blessings from Him. When we read the Bible, it is God talking to us. Prayer, therefore, is God’s open cheque to ask anything from Him in Jesus’ name. Prayer is also a way to know God more, it is a relationship builder. The more we pray, the more intimate we get with Him.
While the Bible admonish us not to be anxious about anything, the Bible however told us to submit our requests to God in prayer. Jesus said to His disciples; Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
John 16:24 NKJV
God wants your joy to be full and it’s subject to you asking in prayer. This shows clearly that God always want to bless His children but many times the reason why we don’t receive is that we do not ask (James 4:2). When we ask, God will be gracious to supply. No wonder Jesus said in Matthew 7:7-8:
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Matthew 7:7-8 NKJV
It takes a lot of courage to be a saint. The pilgrim’s progress to heaven will bring him face to face with many obstacles and fierce tribulations that require resolute faith in God. He will have to endure hardness as a good soldier of Christ. He cannot be timid or afraid of the enemy’s rants, rather he must press on to win the race. God cannot do anything with a fearful heart. Such a heart is defeated before the battle ever begins. Anyone who will accomplish great exploit for God must be a radical man of faith. It is amazing to see God repeatedly saying to Joshua, “fear not”. This was because God knew Joshua would face giants and would have to fight wars to possess the land. The same is true about us, we will encounter on our journey, things that will make us really afraid, but we must not be afraid. God’s Spirit in you is not of fear but love, power and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).
Fear is one of satan’s strongest weapons to attack the believer. He puts the thoughts of possible failure and disappointment in the saint’s mind to destabilise him. In our text and reading, when the enemies of Nehemiah saw that they could not stop the work of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, they decided to play the fear card from the devil’s playbook. But Nehemiah prayed and remained resolute in God.
Among those who the word of God told us will be cast into the lake of fire and experience the second death are the ‘fearful’. Although God did not say that the believer will go through fearful phases in life, He assures us of His divine presence. David said,
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Psalms 23:4 NKJV
In another Psalm, he said, whatever time I am afraid, I will trust [put my faith and confidence] in you (Psalms 56:3). Don’t ever allow fear to settle over your soul because it will drain you of inner life and power, and you will not be able to accomplish those God-given visions in your heart.
To regular persons, wealth is defined by the amount of money, properties, and other material fortunes that a man has. But the Lord said that a man is not measured by the abundance of the things he possesses (Luke 12:15).
If that is the case, how does God measure riches in the kingdom of God? What are God’s parameters for judging a man rich? Let’s not forget that the Kingdom of God is eternal and it is nothing compared to the sinful and temporal system of this world.
The Bible says that God uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. According to our text, the Bible says that God chose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and correspondingly possessors of God’s kingdom.
God’s way of measuring how rich a person is by the level of faith such has in Him. A man whose complete dependence is on God is considered the possessor of God. Remember Abraham, the father of faith; Abraham because of his radical faith in God became the possessor of God Himself.
Many believers are specialists in complaining. They are always complaining about what God has not done for them. They seldom take time to thank God for the things He has done. They quickly forget that the only reason why they could complain is because God has kept them alive.
The dead cannot praise God. The dead do not praise the Lord, Nor any who go down into silence. Psalms 115:17 NKJV
Recently I went with someone to the hospital and the bill made me thank God for good health and a sound mind. If you consider how many people are lying in the hospital and many living in war-torn nations, you will be grateful.
Whenever someone does something for you, always be grateful. Gratitude attracts more blessings from God. Just as parents will be willing to do more for a grateful Child, so will God do more for you.
In our text of the day, Jesus healed 10 lepers, but only one came back to thank God. That grateful leper was not only healed of leprosy but he was made whole. He got a double blessing because he was grateful.
Today’s message is a warning to those who think they can live in sin and get away with it. Never, your sin will find you out. Let not one deceive you, there is a grievous judgment awaiting all those who live and practice unrighteousness.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.
Romans 1:18 NKJV
The only remedy for sinners is to repent and turn to God. The Bible also warns the Christian who thinks he is standing to take caution and watch his inner life closely, lest he also falls. You will see other warnings like those who endured till the end shall be saved, or to him who overcomes.
It is very clear that those who preach that once a person is saved, such is forever saved are deceivers – they are false teachers. Apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthian Church said, But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
I Corinthians 9:27 NKJV
Everything in the kingdom is completely opposite of what it is in the world. When anyone sees the topic of today’s message, he would think that it is about joy and great gladness that comes as a result of some blessings that God promised.
But in reality, Jesus told us that we should rejoice and be exceedingly glad for being persecuted and when we suffer. How does that even make sense? But it is the kingdom’s code. This is not a worked-up joy or gladness but the joy of the Lord that is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost.
The Bible told us that the apostles were rejoicing after they had been imprisoned and beaten. They considered it a thing of joy to be a partaker in the suffering of Christ. They know that if we suffer with Him, we will also share in His glory, but if we deny Him, He will also deny us.
Remember the word of the Lord: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. John 15:20 NKJV . He also told us that the world will you because the world hated Him. It is not you that they have hated but Christ himself, so rejoice.
God’s word is explicit and clear when it comes to the subject of eternity with God – the final destination of each soul will be determined by what sort of life they lived here. A life spent and used for God can not lack God’s eternal reward.
Even when you have used your life for God, there is a need to maintain a pure heart to see God at the end of your race here on earth. It is very clear from the scriptures that without holiness, no one will be able to see God. God is Holy and dwells in holiness. He is of a pure eye that He cannot behold sin (Habakkuk 1:13).
Therefore as God who has called us is Holy, so must we also be holy in all manner of conversation (1 Peter 1:15). God’s expectations over lives are that we maintain a life beyond reproach. You will also have no excuse because men like Enoch walked with God and He was not because God took him (Genesis 5:24).
Believers who missed heaven will be most miserable because all consecrations and sacrifices will only be a waste in the end.
The Bible says that a Christian who will make it to heaven in the end must fulfil some of 1the following conditions. Such must walk uprightly, he must always speak the truth. The person must not be a back-biter; he must also not be among people who accept bribes.
Many times the challenges of life seem overwhelming, the children’s school fees, unpaid rent, lack of food, and other important needs set to way us down and worried. In most cases, we have done all we know how to do but still, nothing is showing up.
This is when the devil introduces fears and worries. He begins to replay in our minds the many needs and even the urgency of some of them. He will at times even work out a compromise for us to get those needs met.
Rather than focusing on God, the enemy of our souls shifts our focus to the problems and we get worked up. As someone who has been in this state before, I call it a big prison house in the mind. We lose our peace and joy and become quickly irritated by almost everything and everyone around us.
Though those needs and problems are many, God’s word to us is that we should worry about nothing, but by prayer and supplications, with Thanksgiving, we should tell God all our needs (Philippians 4:6). But some will say, I have prayed and nothing has happened. Yes! Wait for it, worry solves no problems anyways, it rather complicates it.
The greatest command that Jesus gave us is Love. He called Love the summary of the entire law and prophets. We are commanded first to love God and then to love our neighbours as ourselves. (Matthew 22:37-40, Deuteronomy 6:5).
But are all neighbours lovable? No! The truth is that many are looking for ways to hurt and harm us. Do we still love these kinds of people? Yes! Because Jesus commanded us to. Believers are admonished not only to love their friends but also their enemies.
That boss at work who is constantly looking out for your mistakes; that teacher or professor who is threatening to fail you because you will not compromise your faith; your colleagues at work who hated you because you will not join them to change figures; and many others who may be looking for your downfall – all these people must be loved.
God has never asked us to do what He has not done. He always gave us examples to follow. When the Bible says in John 3:16 that God loved the world and gave His only begotten Son, it was not a world that loved Him but rather hates Him. Still, God sent His Son because He loved His enemies.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Romans 5:8, 10 NKJV
When it comes to the subject of heaven and eternity, one scary truth is that not everyone will make it in the end. The words of the Lord particularly point to the fact that even among those who have believed, only a few will enter in the end.
When Jesus gave us the parable of the 10 virgins in (Matthews 25:1-12), He told us that only 5 i.e. fifty percent made it in with the bridegroom, and the rest were shut out. One prayer you must sincerely cry out of your heart is that of Apostle Paul’s desire, “Lest by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (1 Corinthians 9:27).
We already know that the way is narrow and only a few will find it, but among the few, it is those who endure till the end that will be saved (Matthew 24:13). That is why I pity those who have fallen into the error of eternal security which teaches that once a person is saved, such is forever saved.
No one is eternally secured until he has followed peace with all men and lived a holy life. Apart from this, no one can see God (Hebrews 12:14). Although we live in a time when holiness seems to be out of fashion, Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
II Timothy 2:19 NKJV
When we look through the Bible we will see several places where sickness or disease is linked to sin. The original creation of God was free of Cancer, Corona Virus, Malaria and other sickness and disease rampaging the world today. The Bible told us that God said everything was very good (Genesis 1:31). We can see how damaging and consequential sin was from the fall of man. People live in pain and suffer ailments because something went wrong when the human race was polluted with sin. We also know that everyone who is born through the same line inherited not only sin but also sickness, diseases, and other woes of the human race. Since God loved the world, His plan for our salvation is not only to save our souls but also to heal our bodies. God wants us to be healed. That was why Jesus was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him and by His stripes, we were healed (Isaiah 53:5).
If there is anything so sad today is seeing men making a business out of the work of God. They are everywhere, they sell oil, handkerchiefs, and water for bogus amounts claiming to have prayed and anointed them. Our text of the day says that they will exploit many with deceptive words. We live in that time today. If you don’t want to fall victim to these religious swindlers, you must heed this warning by allowing God’s word to be your compass. Those who are looking for quick miracles and prophecy will most like fall victim to these false prophets. That is why I want you to take the time to claim every promise and prophecy in the Bible, they are for you and you get your miracles. We hear of these false prophets burying humans and animals in their church all in the name of gathering crowds. They have gone to the devil to receive power. Christians must stop running to men whose life does not match that of Christ.
Today we will look at the ways to identify false prophets. Since they will dress and behave like sheep but inwardly are ravenous wolves, believers must watch for certain signs to identify them.
Let us not be deceived beloved, many false prophets have risen in the world today and are here to deceive many. We must therefore put on our defence to guard against falling victims of these false prophets.
As an African proverb says, a man’s behaviour is like smoke, no matter how you cover it, it will find its way out. No matter how a man pretends, his true nature will still show forth one day. Also, Jesus said, we will know them by their fruits, no one calls Jesus Lord and dishonour Him. If the life of any preacher does not produce the fruit of righteousness, we can question his calling and avoid his ministry altogether.
One of the commendations of Jesus to the church in Ephesus was their ability to identify and send out those who called themselves Apostles but were not. So likewise we must trust God to help us. One way to do this is to test all spirit and discern if what they preach glorify Jesus or self.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. I John 4:1 NKJV
Anyone who preaches the gospel of greed and covetousness is a false prophet. They are they who say that gain is godliness and make merchandise of the people of God. Such is not a true Shepherd.
“Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is given to covetousness; And from the prophet even to the priest, Everyone deals falsely.
Jeremiah 6:13 NKJV
One of the many signs of the end times is the rise of false prophets who will deceive many people from the way of truth. The Lord said that false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Matthew 24:24 NKJV
We are living in that time today with great deceptions and lying wonders. We have men whose goal is to milk and exploit people in the name of miracles and wonders. Many of these false prophets use the ploy of false security to put many in bondage.
They continually say to those who despise Me, ‘The Lord has said, “You shall have peace” ’; And to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, ‘No evil shall come upon you.’ ”
Jeremiah 23:17 NKJV
Our text says that they will come as lambs but in reality, they are wolves that devour. We are told to be careful and watch out. Whenever the believer leaves the simplicity of the gospel and way of holiness, such will fall victim to these false prophets.
Can unforgiveness send someone to hell? Do you mean God will not allow me into heaven because I did not forgive someone who deeply offended me? But I am doing other things for God and I even avoid any sinful lifestyle may be your query. The obvious truth is that God will not hold any person guiltless who fails to forgive others.
The Bible is explicit and clear on this, Jesus said: But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:15 NKJV
Getting to heaven is not a smooth ride, the Lord told us that only a few will make it in the end.
Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Matthew 7:14 NKJV
Those who travel on the broad way can do so with the baggage of unforgiveness, malice, and others, but any pilgrim who will make it home, at last, cannot afford to do so.
Eternity is so vast that no human mind can ever comprehend it. It is an endless space of time where the immortal soul of man will either rest in bliss or be tormented.
Imagine a man living in torment and never dying. Jesus spoke about hell as a place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:42). A place of eternal torment and suffering. It is an endless loop of suffering for any unfortunate soul.
After escaping the condemnation of sin through salvation, the saint must work out his salvation with fear and trembling. He must keep checking whether he is still standing in the faith or not (2 Corinthians 13:5). No stain must be allowed to be on our garment – Christ would only present anyone without a spot, wrinkle or blemish to His Father.
The subject of Eternity becomes so serious that through the Scriptures there is an emphasis on enduring to the end. Jesus said that only those who endure to the end will be saved (Matthew 24:13) – this implies nothing must be allowed to hinder you on your journey to heaven.
When we read through the Bible on the subject of eternity, we will see how serious it is. It is sad to see preachers and Christians treat this subject with levity. The way the Lord spoke about it shows the seriousness of the matter and we must take it to heart.
In the Lord’s instruction to believers in what’s known as the sermon on the mount, He addressed some issues to which we must pay careful attention. The Lord concluded that message by saying only those who heed the instructions are wise and will stand the test of time(Matthew 7:24-25).
Today we will look at the subject of forgiveness and its impact on our pilgrim’s progress. The truth is that people will offend us, and the devil will even use others to intentionally try and pull us away from the faith. We must learn to forgive at all times so that we will not miss heaven.
One hard thing people find difficult to do is to forgive. Some people have endured hurt in the past and it seems so difficult to go forward in life because they are not able to forgive. Some have sworn to go to their graves without forgiving those who offend them.
But here is what Jesus said, if someone offends you, find a way to fix it. God will not even accept your offering. What that means is that your tithe and offering are not acceptable to God. The pastor may accept it and even bless you, but heaven says No! to that gift you have brought.
One common way by which people dishonour God today is swearing by His name. Many even use God’s name as curse words. Many people have sworn falsely by the name of God and they refused to hallow the name of God.
Jesus said in our reading of the day to believers, don’t swear at all. You must be straightforward in your conversation. The Bible also commanded that we should not take the name of God in vain; for the Lord will not hold anyone that takes His name in vain guiltless (Exodus 20:7).
Your life as a believer must be different from others. You can not live by the ways and standards of the world. Don’t forget that worldly people are also holding you to this standard. You can imagine a child of God swearing by the Holy name of God. It does not speak well of us.
The Bible says that our speech should not only be straightforward but also filled with grace and seasoned with salt. If you are truly the salt of the earth then your lifestyle must season people’s life. Apart from speaking the truth at all times, no vulgar or idle words must be found in your mouth.
Believers should not be caught in the web of gossip and backbiting. We are called to represent our Lord as His ambassador (2 Corinthians 5:20). In any circumstance, our speech must be Yes or No, whatever is more than that is sin.
Treasures are those things that you value the most in life. Since you don’t keep valuables carelessly, a man stores up his treasure in a safe place. In life, there are so many things that seem important to us and are like treasures. Things like wealth, possessions, influence and so on could account for those treasures.
It is sad how Christians consider the things of this world as treasures. Those things will pass away with the world. People usually forget the fact that we brought nothing into this world and we will certainly take nothing out of it (1 Timothy 6:7). Those earthly treasures will become another’s one day.
The word of God in our reading is a pointer to us that though God wants His children to prosper materially, they should not make those things their treasure. The greatest treasure any man can find is Jesus. He is the eternal life that God gives to those who believe.
When you carefully look at the rich fool in our Bible reading, he was not condemned for being rich, but not for not having the true riches of God. He was so full of himself and desire to secure himself in the world.
“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
Luke 12:21 NLT
God can take a nobody and make him somebody. The Bible says that He takes the poor from the dust and lifted the needy from the dung hills to make him seat with princes (Psalms 113:7-8).
That was the story of King Saul, God took him from the lowest place and placed him above all the people in the land. Saul himself admitted that he was not fit for the throne, yet God placed him there. I want you to know that however high you have climbed in life, it is not because of your smartness or your hard work, it is because God has placed you there.
The Bible says that pride goes before destruction, if you want to quickly fall, attribute your success to your might (Proverbs 16:18). You don’t have to be another Nebuchadnezzar to be humble.
Today’s message is a warning to us all never to tread the path of dishonouring God for any reason. Do not allow God to become your enemy.
The way of the transgressors is hard (Proverbs 13:15). I am fully persuaded that it is the most dangerous thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrew 10:31). If a man offends another person stronger and more powerful than himself, he can ask God to help him solve the problem, but what happens if a man offends God? Who will plead with God for him?
If God is for us, who can be against us, but what if God is against a man, who can be for him?
In our reading of the day, We saw God’s judgment pronounced upon the house of Eli. Though God had promised to give him and His house the office of the priest in all generations. But now God is saying, far be it from me, I am revoking my promise.
Although it is a common saying that you give honour to whom honour is due, many people do not honour God who is the most honourable. Jesus said, ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. Matthew 15:8 NKJV Though many claims to love Jesus and honour Him, it is mere lips service and vain shows. To these kinds of people, Jesus will never commit Himself. These are people who will rather honour their team leader, pastor, the boss at the office, but accord God little honour. Our text of the day must drive us to pray and plead with God for help and mercy. What God is saying in this short text is that “I am the priority, not your spouse, children, family, friends, jobs or any other thing”. God deserves to be in the first place in our lives. It is the greatest honour we can accord Him. The silent prayers made before making little decisions show that we prioritize Him and we are totally dependent upon Him. The Lord further said, He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. Matthew 10:37 NKJV God demands our lives to be totally yielded to Him. The Apostles when faced with the threat would rather dishonour men than dishonour God. Listen to their response to the council: But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. Acts 4:19 NKJV (Also Read Acts 5:29).
The Christian must always remember the words of Paul in 2 Timothy 3:12, which says:
Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
To be a Christian is no small business, it’s a call to trials and persecution. Paul admonished the young Timothy to endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:3).
This veteran Apostle was not speaking based on hearsay but his own experience of suffering. We have spoken of the several trials in the life of Paul, from the infirmity in his body to the many persecutions he endured.
The question is this, why does a Christian have to go through all these? The world, the flesh and the devil seems to always be against him. What all these forces are targeting in the believers’ life is the faith of Christ in us.
Since Christ is the hope of our glory, if Christ is removed there will be no more hope of glory. Our further reading further buttresses this point by saying that if any man suffers as a Christian such should not be ashamed, but should glorify God.
Advance research and methodologies have been applied to solve many complex problems on the human level. What many scientists struggle with is the idea of a God that can not be discovered through means of scientific tools and analysis.
Who is this God that hides from men?
Truly You are God, who hide Yourself, O God of Israel, the Savior!
Isaiah 45:15 NKJV
Men conclude because they can’t find Him in their human wisdom that He does not exist.
Paul on his trip to the city of Athens saw many gods but there is one particular inscription that struck him. “To The Unknown God” – This God who is unsearchable in wisdom (Acts 17:23).
This is the God who sent His Son into the world to die for humanity. God though incomprehensible cannot be denied.
Trying to search Him out will be a waste of time and resources. He is way ahead of us all and our minds are too small to comprehend this God whose throne is heaven and the earth His footstool. The High and lofty One who inhabits the eternity.
God is all-powerful and all-knowing. He is in charge and control of every situation. Nothing happens without His knowledge and He will not allow any of His children to suffer without an active purpose of good. We must always remember that God uses all things, situations and circumstances to do us good (Romans 8:28).
We are safe in His hands. Our God is a good Father and our saviour is a great shepherd. He jealously watches over us and will not even a strand of our hair falls to the ground without His knowledge (Matthew 10:29-30).
Truly we may not see the big picture, we may not be even aware of what God is doing but we can rest assured that He is on our side. Job never knew how proud God was because of his loyalty and commitment. He was not privy to the idea that God so much trusted him that He will not fail.
One lesson I learned very recently is that whatever the devil does in my life is part of God’s plans. As long as I have checked my life and there is no breach in my relationship with God. If God has allowed it, then it is for my good. Rather than whining or crying about it, I’d rather praise God for it. That does not take away the fact that it may hurt so badly, but God has everything under control.
One of the biggest lessons which God want His children to learn when they are in a very difficult place in life is trusting Him. The word trust means to completely throw oneself at the mercy of another. In the case of a Christian, it is a complete reliance on God to give the grace to help in times of need.
The human hearts find it difficult to trust. Trusting requires staking your all on someone else in a particular situation. Trust involves risk. Some people who have had bad experiences of break of trust find it more difficult to trust because of the hurt of the past. God is not like men, he has ever been faithful and ever trustworthy.
It is easier to trust in man than in God. It’s obvious that men are trusted based on their integrity and track record. But even such can fail and disappoint. The Bible says that it is better to trust in the Lord than to trust in man or put your confidence in princes (Psalms 118:8-9). Even when you have great people in your life, God still wants you to trust Him.
The Bible also says that men do not only trust in their fellow men but the weapons of the flesh. Some trust in chariots and horses but were disappointed because the arms of flesh will always fail. Only those who trust in the Lord will rise and stand firm (Psalms 20:7-8).
Read the full message here.
In a very busy and buzzy world where everyone seems to be in a hurry, patience is lacking a virtue in our society. You will agree that if you are more patient, you will become a better person.
The world system is designed to frustrate the believer, the very reason why we must all trust God for more patience. Some people whose goal is to choke you up will do things that will irritate you, but if you are patient, you can weather the storm.
God knows that the Christian needs patience to obtain the eternal promise (Hebrews 10:36). The entire Christian race requires us to be steady and fixed. It could be tiring at times, that is why the Holy Spirit equips the believers with this great virtue of patience. When patience is fully developed, our faith will be boosted and enhanced. We will be able to endure hardship and learn to give thanks in our most difficult times.
God uses suffering to bring His children to a state of maturity. Our text of the day shows us that when we are tried or suffer, it produces the fruit of patience in us. Scripture spoke about the patience of Job and the end of the Lord. The road was rough but through patience, Job was able to recover all (James 5:11).
Read the full message here.
We do not have a high priest who does not sympathize and feel for us in our sufferings. This is because He also had a fair share of suffering to become our worthy high priest. Christ can understand our temptations and trials because He had been there and was victorious (Hebrews 4:15).
The path to this eternal priesthood of Christ was made possible by His suffering. The Bible told us that He had to learn obedience through suffering and being made perfect by the experience of suffering, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all that obey Him (Hebrews 5:8-9).
The suffering and death of Christ made Him a worthy fit to be called our Saviour by the resurrection power. We read in our text of the day that the captain of our salvation was made perfect through suffering.
God may be using the suffering in your life to shape you for better things. As sister Elizabeth Elliott said, Suffering is not for nothing. Since God uses the best for His glory, He also does His best to make them fit for His service. This may be done at the price of suffering.
Read the full message here.
Since God does not do things without a purpose, and will not allow His children to suffer without a greater glory head, there is always a reason why God allows your sufferings. There are lessons He wants to use the situation to teach you. The Bible highlighted a few lessons that we can draw both from the suffering of Christ and the many saints who have gone ahead in triumph. Today we want to look at obedience as a lesson that God may be teaching us through our suffering. To do this we will look closely at our Lord Jesus Christ whose mind the Bible admonishes us to have (Philippians 2:5).
Suffering can be very overwhelming especially when you a living correctly in Christ. It is hard to understand why with all your devotion and commitment to the cause of Christ and His kingdom on earth you still have to suffer.
When you think about Job and the things He suffered, you will be amazed. This was by far the most righteous man of his time. He loved righteousness and hated sin. Job was very conscious not only of the state of his relationship with God alone but that of his children.
This was a man who had no Bible but had in his heart a reverential desire to please God. But then the storm of life came and his life fell apart. It reminded me of the words of David in Psalms 34:19, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous”.
The Bible also says that the righteous cries. It is unthinkable for humans to see a man living for God and yet buffeted with much suffering. The fact that we live godly in Christ will attract great suffering. The world will persecute us, the devil will attack us, and the genuineness of our faith will be tested.
Read the full message here.
One man who succeeded greatly above his contemporaries was Paul the Apostle. He was the one who also made the claims we read about in our text. This was different from the claim of Peter who said he was willing to die for Christ but when trouble came he fled. Thank God because after Pentecost Peter was able to stand for Christ even in the face of death. When looking through the life of this successful Apostle Paul, who made such a great impact on the history of Christianity and the Church. We would see that all that He did came at the cost of great suffering. We hear this man make statements such as: We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— II Corinthians 4:8-9 NKJV
There is nothing greater than knowing that you are not alone in your suffering. The support that people give will bring a kind of comfort, and goes a long way to give hope to such.
But men are not God, they may sympathize with you at first and turn around to accuse you of wrongdoing. The three friends of Job came all the way and all they did was accuse him of secret sin. Rather than healing Job’s wound, they made it sorer for him.
However, our God is different, He is not a mere human who cannot fully understand the depth of pain we go through when we suffer. God said that a mother can forget her child but because of His love, He will not forget us (Isaiah 49:14-16).
There is a limit to which men can go, and it is at this point that the strength of God becomes visibly manifest. In our text of the day, God gave us three categories of suffering and corresponding assurances. The Holy Spirit listed them according to their degree of danger. To every one of these categories, there is an assurance of divine presence and safety.
Read the full message here.
Gold in its purest form must have to go through the fire to come out shining. Everyone loves gold, but not many people like the refining process. Many want to be like gold in form and appearance, but not many want a gold-like purifying process.
One of God’s means of purifying His church and children is suffering. In the infiniteness of His wisdom, He uses suffering to take the dross of unrighteousness out of them so that they may shine in the brightness of His glory.
I must admit that the process is hard and would require only the grace of God. In our text, the Lord said, He had chosen Israel from the furnace of affliction because of His glory.
One of the works Christ wants to do in you is to make you pure and fit for God’s use. Until that happens, you will only be a vessel unto dishonor (2 Timothy 2:20-21). The purging process may not be easy but because of what God wants to bring out of your life, He allows you to go through the furnace of suffering.
The Book of Malachi recorded that Christ would come to purify us with fire so that our worship might be acceptable unto God (Malachi 3:1-3). You may be in the fire of suffering today but you will come out as pure gold.
Read the full message here.
Nobody can really put a hand on why God allows suffering. Some say that if God were to be good and loving, He would not allow suffering. But we who are saved by His grace know that all things (including suffering) work together for our good (Romans 8:28).
The truth is that God will never allow His children to go through what He has not provided adequate grace for them to bear. He said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you and my strength is made available to perfect your imperfections” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
While we may not understand the purpose of suffering in its early phase, one truth however is certain, we understand better by and by. God loves His children and empathises with us in our sufferings. We can be certain that if He allows it, it will turn out for our good.
Whenever we hear the stories of Christians being seriously persecuted, tortured, imprisoned, and killed for the sake of Christ, we wonder why Christians should suffer. But the honest question is not ‘why’ but what is the purpose of God in it. Suffering is an integral part of the Christian faith. Christ suffered and so must we in any form or size that God permits. Though we live in a time when culture-dominated Christianity is in vogue, and people have been pampered to the point that they consider it a strange thing to suffer for the sake of Christ. God’s Word is however our anchor, Christ has called us to share not only in His glory but also in His suffering.
Along with the great commission comes one of the greatest promises Christ ever made to His disciples. He told them He will be with them always even unto the end of the age. This is very comforting to know that our saviour will keep and care for us in all the hustle and bustle of this world. Whether in tribulations or distress, or famine, or persecution, there is a promise of His overwhelming presence that comes in the form of peace which passed all human understanding. Our Lord knows that the world will come with its load of challenges, but he is not going to leave us alone. He told the foremost disciples that He will not leave them alone as orphans but that He will pray to the Father to send them the comforter who will be with them and guide them (John 14:16-18).
Whenever Jesus saves a man, it is that through him others can come to the light. God’s concept of multiplying believers is quite unique. It is a discipleship model. Other religions may try to gain dominance and influence by having more children born into their families, but it is not so in the gospel.
This is because the Christian faith is practical. Everyone must personally decide to follow Christ. Though you are born in the church, until that decision is made and you become born again, you are no different from a pagan worshipping stone and carved idols.
God is intentional about what He wants to make out of every save d soul. He wants them all to go and save others. Imagine all the Christian in your community bringing a person to Faith yearly, and the new believers also bring others. You can be sure that in a few years, that would be a Christian society. Until we all come to understand this role that Christ has given us, many around us will keep dying and wasting eternally.
The Bible says that the Lord called his disciples so that they can learn from Him, learn His ways, and understand the principles of the Kingdom of God. Through observation and interaction, they must come into the Kingdom’s life, and afterward, they will be sent to teach others the things they have learned.
The testimony of Apostle John will show you the level of impact the process of learning from Christ had on them.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— I John 1:1 NKJV.
It was a practical experience. Those early believers so much exhibited the life of Christ that people were forced to call them Christ-like people or Christians.
Read the full message here.
Nothing moves in the heart of God than having all men saved and coming to the knowledge of the truth. Nothing burns in His heart above seeing many people from different tribes and ethnicity come to worship Him in the beauty of Holiness.
The love that God has for this world and His continuous effort to save her is not hidden but visible for all to see. God sent His only Son to die for the world. It is indeed true that the greatest proof of love is sacrifice and God would not hold back anything from the man He loved so dearly.
When the first man fell, it grieved the heart of God to see His creation fall into darkness. He knew that man is helpless and hopeless in Himself and needs a redeemer. Someone must die, it’s either man dies and is lost eternally or God sends His Son to die to avert the eternal damnation waiting for the man.
God chose the hardest option, it was the ‘love option’. His Son must die so that He would have many sons and daughters. Jesus describes this truth when He said,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
John 12:24 KJV
Read the full message here.
One of the greatest power of the Gospel is its ability to transform lives. Any gospel that does not produce a change in the heart of men is most likely incomplete or false. The heart of the Gospel is change.
The more reason why 2 Corinthians 5:17 is a valid proof of the Gospel’s power. If anyone has come to Christ, he becomes new inwardly and outwardly, old habits and ways of living are passed away and everything is new.
There are many stories in the book of Acts that shows how powerful the Gospel is in bringing men to Jesus. Yesterday we spoke briefly about the ministry of Philip to the Samaritans. When Philip preached ChriChrists t to them, many were changed and converted. There was great joy in the city of Samaria (Acts 8:8).
You can imagine a city where thieves, prostitutes, extortioners, and all kinds of sinners were saved. It must indeed have been a city filled with joy. There will also be peace in that city. May God send us such Revival through the preaching of His word in our cities. Amen.
The Bible further told the story of a Sorcerer who also believed and was baptized. Only the Gospel can change such a man’s heart. The Gospel is not mere words but the power of God to save men from sin.
Anywhere the Gospel is correctly preached, not with wisdom of word but with the demonstration of the spirit and power, souls are saved.
Read the full message here.
Those who preach the gospel are wise because they turn many away from the path of destruction to eternal life. Many who have caught the vision of God have come to realize that even a soul won into the Kingdom of God is worth it.
A great eternal reward awaits them because they fulfilled the heartbeat of God.
Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever.
(Daniel 12:3 NKJV)
God has found many vessels of honour from the Bible times even to our modern-day who gave themselves wholly to His service. Those men and women are not Angels, they are not necessarily so gifted and talented but they are children who knew their Father’s will and are willing to lay their lives to do it.
Every prayer unprayed for the lost, every moment of refusal to share the testimony of Christ, and every chance missed to hand out a tract are all disappointment to heaven. Are you doing the will of your Father in heaven?
I want to write to you from my heart about what I perceive as God’s desire for you. There are endless possibilities in our God. The Bible says eyes have not seen it nor has anyone heard what God has reserved for those who loved Him (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).
These are the days when God is doing special work in the world and He needs loyal and faithful children who will with Him take the battle to the gates of His enemies.
You have heard of the great commission, but you may be ignorant about the state of the world and why you cannot fold your hands any longer. The world lieth in darkness and the evil one has kept many in bondage (1 John 5:19). The god of this world has blinded many so that they will neither hear nor obey the gospel.
As it stands today there are nations and peoples to possess for our God. There multitude who sits in the Islamic states and communist nations who have not heard the message of the gospel. Many people groups are yet to be contacted by modern civilisation and have no chance of hearing the gospel.
Read the full message here
Many hear the word of God today but will neither obey nor practice it. Many sinners have heard the gospel message but ignore it. Such a person will not receive the blessing of salvation because he refused to apply the word he has heard to his life by responding to the call for salvation.
The word you don’t obey or practice will never produce a great effect on your life. God told the children of Israel that the only condition to be blessed is to diligently pay attention to His law. It must be obeyed and practised (Read Deuteronomy 28).
We have many people in the Christian circle today who are merely deceiving themselves because week after week they hear the word but won’t pay attention or apply them to their lives. Though they hear the word, the word has no real impact on their lives.
Believers must be intentional and determined to practice the word of God. Many have heard messages on forgiveness and yet they will not forgive those who offend them. Such is a hearer alone and not a doer of the word. Are there black spots in your life? Intentionally apply the word of God to them. You will see how the word will transform your life.
Read Full Message Here
Just as we have our earthly family, everyone who has become saved from sin is adopted into the family of God.
Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.
Ephesians 1:5 NKJV
The Bible says that everyone who received Christ is given the absolute right to become God’s child (John 1:12). These are not born by the will of the flesh or man but by the will of God through the working of the Holy Spirit (John 1:13).
In this family, Christ is the firstborn, He is the heir of all things and all things are made by Him and for Him. He is the perfect Son and every other child in the family is the beneficiary of His selfless sacrifice. In Him, we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of our sins (Ephesians 1:7).
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The word of God is active and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, it has the ability to pierce through the human heart and save a soul from his way of destruction.
The Bible says that the word is God, therefore God’s word carries enough power to create and restore lost virtues in a person’s life. It has the ability to save a man from the bondage of the enemy.
Whenever God sends His word, it heals and delivers a person from destruction (Psalms 107:20). Anytime God wants to save a man from sin or evil, He sends His word. We read in Romans 10:17 that faith to believe is produced by hearing the word of God.
There are many instances in the Bible when Jesus only needs to send His word and a person is healed. One prominent instance was in the case of the Centurion whose servant was sick, all the master did was speak and the servant who was far away was made well.
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The believer is not immune from the temptation to sin but the grace of God which is at work in him allows him to say no to sin (Titus 2:11). The saint has come into a new life in which the natural appetites and desire to sin have been subdued and now he is alive unto righteousness.
If you have not come to this point in your life where you no longer have a raging desire for sin, then it is likely you are still in your old life.
The Bible says that if any man is in Christ, he becomes a new creature, he gets a new life, a new desire, a new way to live, and old things are passed away and behold he is a new man living a new life in His living Saviour (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Even when in reality you have come into the life in Christ, you are not exempted from temptations to go back to your old life of sin. The tempter i.e. the devil does not want to lose any soul and will do anything to bring a saved soul back into his net. He tempts the believer with all manner of sin, to sever the saint from being connected to God.
One of the greatest works of the Holy Spirit in the believers is endurance – the ability to stick it out through some of the most challenging situations of life. Enduring such difficulties is neither by might nor by power but by the supernatural working of the Holy Spirit in the saints (Zechariah 4:6).
Life will come with its many challenges but God’s grace is sufficient to help the believers in their times of need (Hebrews 4:16).
Temptations are not designed to break us, God allows them to make us perfect. The Bible says that when the saint is tried, he shall receive a crown of life.
Consider your trials as a promotional examination to reaching a higher realm of glory in God. God’s promise hangs upon His children and he plans to draw us closer to Himself using those trials in our lives.
Consider Abraham, God allowed him to go through a series of testing but in the end, God blessed him so greatly. Abraham endured such temptation that the Bible says he “against hope believed in hope” (Read Romans 4:17-21).
Even though there are numerous promises scattered throughout the scriptures for the believer, having such promises is not automatic – receiving them depends on the faith of the believer.
God’s promises stand sure, they are yes and in Him Amen (2 Corinthians 1:20). The Bible says that heaven and earth will pass away but His word will remain. The promise for your deliverance, healing, provision and spiritual gifts is there but you can only access them through Faith.
Jesus said, the believer can ask and he would receive, he can both seek and knock and get results, but He also showed us that the key to answers to prayer is faith. The Lord said, whatsoever you desire in prayer, believe and you will have it (Mark 11:24). He also spoke of having faith as small as a mustard seed and we would be able to say to a mountain role into the sea.
To rejoice in trials seems to be a contradiction, but it is the greatest pathway to victory and experiencing divine intervention.
As believers, the Lord foretold us that in the world we would have tribulations but that we should be of good cheers because He has overcome the world (John 16:33).
This assurance from the Lord in principle proves that the joy of the believer is not subject to good circumstances of life alone but it springs from the Lord Himself. It is this joy of the Lord that produces strength in the believer to face the issues and trials of life.
Paul, a man of God who knows more trials encourages the saints to rejoice in the Lord always, and again he said, we should rejoice (Philippians 4:4). He was no alien to trials and suffering, but in Paul’s suffering, he was always rejoicing. Out of those moments of his suffering in prison came some of the finest Epistles written in joy to the churches.
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God has no permanent friend and He does not have a permanent enemy. You will be the one to decide who you want to be to God. A sinner who is an enemy today may repent and become saved and become God’s friend. A Saint today if he falls into sin and refuses to repent will turn into God’s enemy (Read Ezekiel 18). That’s why there is no security for any saint until we lay down our sword at the master’s feet. Don’t follow those who preach eternal security, such men will lead you to eternal perdition.
Often times we allow our problems and difficulty to prevent us from seeing how good God has been. Oh that we would be like the Psalmist who said, I will bless the Lord at all times and His praise shall continually be in my mouth (Psalms 34:1). Physical, emotional or even spiritual battles may be tense and high, but through it all, the Lord is good. My prayer this morning is that the Lord will open your eyes to see this reality. Amen.
The world is not waiting for a new definition of Christianity but for men who will truly live like Christ. We must all agree that we have lived below the new testament standard of love, faith, purity, and power. Christianity has lost its worth and value today because men who profess Christ’s life live like devils. Some years back while serving God as a missionary in South India, it became increasingly difficult for Christians to get accommodations in the area. Then the young native fellow with me spoke of the days when the Christians are highly respected because they live differently, but now they are not.
We live in a time when many people profess to be believers in Christ but their lives do not match up with their profession. It is very sad to see many who claim to be followers of Christ live below the life of Christ. In our text of the day, the Bible admonishes us to live out the life of Christ in word, conduct, love, spirit, faith, and purity.
It is no doubt that we are living in perilous times. Evil and danger lurk upon our society and many lives in the time of greatest confusion ever. Governments are confused as inflation surges over the global economy. Food banks seem to be the bailout for many. But those who dwell in the secret place of the most high are preserved. The promise of God stands sure upon those who make the Lord their refuge and fortress. Because they trust in Him, God will satisfy them in the time of famine and they shall not be ashamed in the evil times (Psalms 37:19).
An untamed appetite or desire will eventually tame a man and put such in deep sorrow. It is natural to desire certain things in life, but if you notice that there is something that has taken hold of you and you cannot control, quickly ask the Lord to break it for you. Some chapters before our reading of the day, Esau sold his birthright, for him, it was an uncontrolled appetite for food that made him ruin his life. Other men like Ruben have gone to waste their destinies because of a brief moment of sexual pleasure (Genesis 49:3-4).
After every season of darkness, there is the morning. The morning represents newness and freshness. It is a symbol of hope and confidence that a new day is here. Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him from them all. The Bible says that the righteous man cries, and the Lord hears him and delivers him from all his troubles (Psalms 34:17,19). The truth is that the period of the night in man’s life is usually difficult and hard but God’s word is assuring and comforting that Joy comes in the morning.
God can take a nobody and cause him to become somebody. The Bible says that He raise the poor from the dust and lifted the needy from the dunghill, and he cause him to sit with the princes of his people (Psalms 113:7-8). No matter how small a man may begin in God, his end will become greatly increased. The blessing and growth in God of such a man is progressive. In Hannah’s testimony, she said, Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, And the hungry have ceased to hunger. Even the barren has borne seven, And she who has many children has become feeble. I Samuel 2:5 NKJV
Rehoboth means an end has come to fruitless labour. For a man who has been labouring and not getting results, at Rehoboth end comes to such labour and he begins to experience fruitfulness in the land. Before Isaac got to his Rehoboth, he had dug two wells but could not settle down because the people fought over them. It must have been a discouraging series for him. He was working and other men were claiming it until God brought him to the place of rest.
The story in our text of the day is another proof of the power in the name of Jesus. Jesus is the master over all principalities and power. Only in His name can anyone possessed of any evil spirit can be delivered. The enemy is wicked and is set about destroying lives. The Bible says he is come to steal, kill and destroy. The devil has no respect for age or gender, he would go after any life to destroy. The young girl in our text of the day became a victim of devil’s great evil. She became stuck in a life of slavery, men made money off her life and she has no life of her own.
There are many names given to men on earth but there is no greater name than the name of Jesus. It is the sweetest and most wonderful name ever. It is the name that brings deliverance and liberation to the oppressed and causes light to shine in the darkness. The Bible says that the name of the Lord Jesus is a Strong tower of protection and when God’s people run into it they are saved (Proverbs 18:10). No matter how dangerous a community may be, those who find refuge in Jesus’ Name are saved. They are the people the Bible referred to as abiding under the shadow of the almighty.
Everywhere Isaac went he became blessed the more. It must be noted that God blessed the man Isaac in the land not his own. It was an unusual blessing because the Bible told us that he sowed in the midst of the famine and he had a supernatural harvest. People who are familiar with agriculture know that drought is one of the major cause of famine.
We live in the era of so much junky prosperity preaching that has so bastardized the principle of sowing in the church. Those folks who the Bible calls greedy and ungodly have swindled so many people’s wealth all in the name of reaping a larger harvest. Don’t fall victim to such a scheme. Don’t wait for miracle money, work with your hands and God will bless you.
We also live in the time of the famine of the word of God. It is the time when everywhere is littered with dirt and filth but no word of God to satisfy.
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Every time a man turns his eyes away from God and begins to devise his plans, such will be calling for failure and disappointment. Our walk with God is a faith walk and God demands absolute trust and faithfulness from His children. Although, there is this human tendency to want to begin with God’s instruction and in between try to apply the natural sense. It is at this point that many find themselves in trouble. Paul told the Galatians that it is utter bewitching for them to start in the spirit and desire to finish in the flesh (Galatians 3:1-3)
The reward for obedience and walking with God is not seasonal but generational. When a man obeys God, he is sowing a seed for His future descendants.
Of course, we all know that the reward of disobedience is also the same. For example, one man Adam disobeyed God and all men in Adam became alienated from God. It took the obedience of another man Christ Jesus to recover and restore the human race back to God (Romans 5:19).
If the consequence of obedience is that serious, parents for the sake of their children must ensure that they obey God in all things. Remember how Achan brought the reward of disobedience not only upon himself but his entire family (Joshua 7:24). We must do well to follow God in all our ways.
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Every child of God has an inheritance reserved for them. God has kept that which eyes have not seen nor hears heard for those that fully trust in Him. This inheritance the Bible says is incorruptible and undefiled, it is kept for those who will endure to the end (1 Peter 1:4).
While in the world however, situations and conditions of life will come to tempt the believer to give that inheritance up for the present mundane things of this world. The devil attempts to ensure that what God has prepared for His saints is taken away.
In our text and reading of the day, Esau for the present needs sold what was legally his. He sold his birthright to satisfy his throat. The word of God said, he despised his birthright. Something he will later come to search for with tears.
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Today we want to consider the other form of barrenness which is spiritual barrenness. A state of unfruitfulness in one’s spiritual life and endeavours. A spiritually barren person lacks productivity in bringing other souls into the kingdom.
One thing that is worth noting is that satan in his operation never accepts spiritual barrenness in his human agents. That is why the people in the occultic groups always find a means of bringing new members into their evil circle. Fruitfulness seems to be mandatory for them, but the same enemy works tirelessly to ensure that the believer is content with the life of spiritual barrenness.
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Barrenness is a state of unfruitfulness. When one seems to labour so hard and gets nothing to show for it. Consider a student who studies so hard but could not make headways in his study or an artisan who works very hard but makes little profit. These categories of individuals are experiencing barrenness.
Barrenness can be physical or spiritual. Lack of children in marriage, unproductiveness in business, and hardship in the land are all forms of physical barrenness. For example, the people of Jericho were experiencing unfruitfulness in their land because it was barren. Though the location of the city was good, it was not yielding her increase (2 Kings 2:19).
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Every labor we undertake on behalf of God to men has a definite reward. This reward is based on our faithfulness. Listen to this call to more faithfulness and commitment coming from the heart of God to us. We must do better, we can certainly do better.
Parents play a key role in the life of Children. Though children are God’s inheritance, parents are the caretakers. God has charged the responsibility of raising children in the right way to the parents.
Parents have so much authority over their children. Spiritually they are like the cover to their children. They must be honored and respected. That is why God gave the commandment that children should honor their parents so that they would have a length of days. This is the first commandment with promise (Ephesians 6:1-3).
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Almost every culture has a concept of bride price. The Bible established that the servant of Abraham paid the price for the damsel. The price paid is not to buy the bride, but as a token of honor and respect to the parent who has raised the woman from infancy to the point whereby she is eligible for marriage.
Do not steal a bride and don’t run away with a man. Anyone who does not pay the price has stolen the bride. While I was living in India one of the common news we hear then is of young people running away with each other all in the name of love. This is not allowed in Christian marriage.
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When you have prayed, relax because God is faithful and will choose for you. Many young people are worried about the kind of spouse God will choose for them. God will give you the best. The Bible says that every good and perfect gift comes from God with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning. God also gives liberally and upbraids not (James 1:17, 5). None can fit your life more perfectly than the one that God chose for you. Ask those who have married in the will of God, they will tell you that there is none better to suit their lives than their spouse.
The marital choice must be approached prayerfully because it has great consequences on your future. Two are better than one the Bible says, but they are better if they married in the will of God (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).
Today, many people feel you can just pick any random person and marry. This is not the kind of marriage that God expects of a child of God. We must remember that God expects a dividend from every Christian marriage, and it is that they may produce godly seeds. Seeds that the Bible called the heritage of the Lord and reward to the marital institution (Malachi 2:15, Psalms 127:3-5).
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Another principle we want to establish today is purity before and in marriage. We live in a world where it is permissible for young people to indulge in sexual immorality all in the name of dating.
Because he said he will marry you does not give him access to your body. Remember that your body belongs to God and is a member of Christ, therefore anyone who pollutes the temple of God shall be judged (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:18-19).
A premarital sexual relationship is not acceptable in Christian marriage. The world system may allow it but it is a sin before God. You must not allow the culture of your land and the decay of the present world to pitch you against the will of God.
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Contrary to popular opinion, God’s word remains the anchor for the Christian marriage. Heaven and Earth may pass away but God’s word abides forever.
Before you enter into marriage, you must understand that marriage is for life. There is no divorce in Christian marriage. That is why we have been warned against unequal yoking with unbelievers.
When two people come together in marriage, the Bible says that they become one flesh (Genesis 2:24). If or when you separate one from the other, they certainly will be malfunctioning wherever they find themselves. Have you noticed that people who are divorced never seem to have an end to remarriage? They keep looking for completeness when their half had been left incomplete.
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One of the reasons why marriages fail today is because men no longer follow the pattern laid down by the owner of the institution I.e God.
Marriage was designed by God and must be approached by godly principles. Remember, it was God who said it is not good for the man to be alone, and He was the one who brought the woman to Adam (Genesis 2:18, 22). God still does this today for His children who want His perfect will for their lives.
We are going to consider the first principle as seen in our text and reading of the day. No unequal yoking – don’t marry an unbeliever or a nominal Christian. Some people excuse themselves by saying, I will change him or her. That is not true. People who have said that before you have burnt their fingers in regret.
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God is indeed the rewarder of those who trust Him wholeheartedly.
Radical faith in God has always produced great blessings. In the case of Abraham, it was a Covenant Blessing.
When God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son, He had a provision in place. He only wanted Abraham to trust in Him completely. God has also prepared a generational covenant blessing for Abraham on the condition that he exhibits the kind of faith that none other have.
When you are being tested, it is not because God wants to punish you as His child. God is preparing something great for you. The Bible says that when we endure temptation, He will give us a crown of life (James 1:12). Also, you must trust Him that He will bring you out safely.
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Today we want to look at what makes men do for God what seems unreasonable. How do men become radical in their trust in God? What sort of persuasion do they have to stake their all on God. And why you must also become a man or woman of radical faith. Let us first begin with this simple statement: “But without faith, it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6).
The faith that would be trusted must be tested. God is looking for men to trust, but before He commits Himself to man, He must first prove that nothing is more valuable to such above Him. Although many people followed the Lord Jesus during His earthly ministry Jesus could not commit Himself to them because He knew their hearts (John 2:24-25). They were not following the Lord because they loved God but because of what they wanted to get. Some followed Christ because of bread, others because of miracles, others just to watch a show. Such men can not be trusted with the kingdom values, hence they could not earn God’s committed trust.
If a man gains the whole world and loses his soul, he is a miserable fool. The world itself is transient, it fades away. At these incredibly hard times, you must rest all your hopes in Christ.
Scripture says that it is the blessing of God that makes rich and God adds no sorrow to it (Proverbs 10:22). The blessing and riches obtained from any other source do not only bring sorrow but everlasting sorrow if the one who acquired such wealth does not repent. Today we see so many people try so many dubious ways to be wealthy. One common trend among our younger people is internet fraud and many of them venture into money rituals so that they can become wealthy. Because these young people want to be rich they go so low as to kill other people to get what they want. This kind of wealth usually ends up destroying them. May you not seek wealth that will ruin you in Jesus’ name.
Children are God’s precious gift to parents. The Bible calls them God’s heritage and a reward to the marital institution. They must be well taught and taken care of. Throughout the ages, satan has been after children. He went after the babies in the time of Moses, and also after little children at the time of the birth of our Lord. Today, it is worse because the enemy does not only wait for these children to be born, he attacks them right from the womb. According to the World Health Organisation, there are about 73.3 million babies murdered through abortion every year.
So many people cry about their needs ignorantly while God has placed the solution to their problems near them. In every wilderness of life, God has provided a well to satisfy your thirst but your eyes must be opened to see it. God’s people should learn to believe in God. He has promised to make a way in the wilderness and water in the desert (Isaiah 43:19). Rather than crying, all you need to do is ask the Lord to open your eyes.
Truly, hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life (Proverbs 13:12). When suddenly a man’s desire is granted there is joy and laughter. The Bible says that when the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion we were like them that dream and our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with singing (Psalms 126:1-2). My prayer for you this morning is that the Lord will make you laugh. You might have been weeping for a while, but I declare that your joy comes this morning (Psalms 30:5). Wherever you have been failing and weeping, the Almighty God will cause you to succeed and give you joy and laughter in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Has God promised you something and it seems that it is delayed and may never happen again? Beloved, relax because God will visit you soon. Our God is not a man that would lie nor a son of the man who will repent, as long as He has promised, He is bound by His word to fulfil His promise (Numbers 23:19).
Many times life may present some unpleasant situations to us. Times when it seems all dark and gloomy. You wonder if God was ever near at all or whether he had abandoned you to face it all alone. Anxiety, fear, and gloomy thoughts may overwhelm you and you may even despair for life. But here is God’s word to you this today, “You are precious to Me”.
The Word of the Lord gave us believers several lessons on the lives of many men who started well but ended up miserably. These instructions are a warning to many of us. We cannot relax or rejoice about our Spiritual state but we must strive to finish well and strong. The Bible calls the devil our adversary whose job is roaming through the earth roaring like a lion to devour the Saint (1 Peter 5:8). God is calling us to carefulness and watchfulness, so that will not fall prey to satan’s evil schemes. May the devil not devour you in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God does not only want to save from sin, He also wants to keep His saints from sinning. Our text of the day will prove to you that our God has the prerogative and power to keep a righteous man from sinning. In our text, we saw Abimelech king of Gerah take Abraham’s wife because he said she is my sister. But what really caught my attention was how God came to this man to warn him. Abimelech’s argument was simple, “Lord, I didn’t know she is his wife “.
One of the most fearful things about the Christian journey is that a man may be genuinely saved from sin but if such a person looks back he may lose his eternity with Christ.
The Christian race is not a sprint but a marathon. It required endurance, patience, and complete faith to complete the course. The Lord warns that if a man should lay his hands on the plough and looks back that such is not fit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62). Also, only those who endure till the end shall be saved (Matthew 24:13).
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The judgment of God has been pronounced already on the world. No matter how attractive the world and its amusement may be, it is still subject to destruction. Scriptures say that the world itself one day will be set on fire and everything will be no more (2 Peter 3:10-13).
I must again sound the trumpet this morning to every sinner to escape the judgment of God that is bound to prevail upon all who refuse His mercy.
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Truly the preaching of the gospel is foolishness to them that perish but to those who are saved, it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). We see many mock the gospel today the very way the sons-in-law of Lot mocked the idea of Sodom’s destruction. Many have gone so far as to question whether rapture would ever happen. But we know that God meant every word He Had said and none will fall to the ground.
The Christians are debtors to those who are unsaved. We are called to preach the word in season and out of season. When it is convenient and when it is not. We must remember that men are appointed to die once and then judgment follows.
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If the Lord should mark iniquity, who can stand (Psalms 130:3)? Sinners may think that because God delays His judgment that they can live on without consequence. This is not true.
Ecclesiastes 8:11-13
Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.
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Sin is cancerous and the wickedness of the human heart is terrible. No wonder the Bible speaks of the heart of man as dangerously wicked and deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9). Except for the heart that is washed in the blood of Jesus, a man’s heart by default runs to do evil.
We live in such times when we face more moral evil than what we see in the days of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Only the mercy of God can keep the believers unstained from the corruption of these end times.
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The wages of sin is death, the end game of sin is death. Those who live in sin will face the judgment that sin brings. Beware and repent today. Happy Listening.
A message warning us about the danger of sin. Sin robs a man of the joy of salvation, but there is restoration for you if you turn to Jesus today.
Have you left the place of your altar and fellowship with God? Heaven is calling out to you: son, daughter, where are you? Only sin will make a man hide from his maker. Deal with sin and the relationship will be restored. Happy Listening
Sin is dangerous, it brings shame instead of glory to man. Believers must flee from sin and live unto God in Holiness and purity of life. Listen and be blessed.
The provision for our deliverance is found in the truth of the word of God. The Bible says that the truth sets free. When we read the Bible we God delivers us from Ignorance and all from of affliction. Learn to read the word and apply it to your life.
In this episode from our daily presence devotional. We see how obedience brings peace, joy, and bliss. Anyone who wants to continue in the favour of God must remain in His will and follow His precepts.
The devil is like a roaring lion looking to devour the believers. He does this by using all forms of clever tricks to try and pull the saint out of the race to heaven. This is a serious call to watchfulness and prayer. He that thinks he is standing should take heed lest he falls.
God makes all things good. Everything is good. Listen to how God makes everything in your life good by His mighty power.
Jabez's life was shaped by the word spoken into his life until he prayed. Parents should say positive words into the lives of their children. It goes a long way to determine what becomes of them. God changed the life of Jabez when he prayed. You can also pray.
Words are powerful, they can either make or mar. Listen to how the wrong words spoken into the life of Reuben shaped and affected his life negatively. Parents should be very careful the kind of words they speak into the lives of their children.
God's will for us as believers is to be Holy and blameless unto Him. God is not interested in making sinning Christians. Listen to how God use His word to sanctify His Saints.
In this episode, you will learn from how devotional how the creative power of the word of God can bring a sinner into the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Listen and be blessed.
In this episode, we highlight the power of the word of God to bring restoration to a person's life. However sad the condition may be, God's word can bring restoration and turn it around. God bless you as you listen.
Listen to the story of Jacob and how God's creative word him transformation in his life. God can and will transform your life as you prayerfully listen. God bless you.
In this episode of our audio daily devotional, you will see how God's word can bring healing to every situation of your life. May His word work wonders in your life in Jesus Name. Amen.
God’s promise to His children is to be fruitful, it was a blessing made by the decree of His word. Fruitfulness in this sense is beyond human reproduction but all-around fruitfulness in life. God's desire for you is to be fruitful. Listen and be blessed.
The creative capacity of the word of God comes from the fact that “The Word Was God” (John 1:1). By implication, God’s word is as powerful as God Himself. Learn to apply God's word to every situations in your life.
In this devotional broadcast, you will learn how God's word is His comprehensive power to bring any man into a desired new beginning. You can trust Him for your new beginning by applying His Word to your life.
Listen to this audio podcast and understand how God can give you a new beginning if you ask Him in prayers. God bless you.
There is joy in the morning. After the valley, there is joy. May God give you joy today in Jesus Name.
What should you expect after the valley, it is glory. It is victory. In case you are going through your Valley, Victory awaits you soon.
There is nothing compared to having the peace of God in the most difficult hour of need. Listen to this message to see how God supplies peace to one of His children in the valley.
The best place to contend for the faith is in the valley. Where things are difficult and you are not sure of a way out, God honours such faith and gives victory even in the valley of the show of death.
In our message of today, Elijah the man of God found himself in the valley and God brought hope and refreshment to him. God can and will also give you hope in your valley. Amen.
What should the response of the saint be in the valley? Grumble, Murmur, Complain? No, it is to praise God!
Even when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, the Lord is with you to comfort and carry you to your destination in life. Cheer up saints, God is with you.
Mercy brings a man hope. It is hope that makes no man ashamed because the love of God is shed in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. Listen and be blessed.
Recently I found out that even revival will be obtained by mercy not by merit. Everyone who truly wants revival must pray down the mercy of God.
Men who sow must reap. However to reap mercy you must sow the seed of righteousness. The righteous reaps in mercy. If you desire a harvest of mercy, chose to sow righteousness unto your life. Happy listening.
To be merciful means to be blessed. Men who are unmerciful place themselves under the Imperial arm of judgement. They do so much ill to their immortal souls. Anyone who does not learn to forgive will never obtain God’s favour.
This episode is from today's devotional message titled blessed are the merciful. Listen and be blessed.
Listen to the audio message from our daily devotional. Only God's mercy can place one at the top. God took David from the Bush to the top. You need mercy to stay on top.
Listen to the audio devotional of the day. It promises to be a blessing to you. God bless you.
Listen to how God makes us who are deemed for destruction His vessels of Mercy. God bless you as you listen.
In this devotional you will learn that God has all the right to show mercy to anyone He chose. May you become the object of His mercy in Jesus Name. Amen.
David had no money, he didn't lobby for the throne but the mercy of God took him from the bush to the palace. All you need is mercy. God bless you.
Do you know money does and can fail people? In our text today, the famine in the land of Egypt was so great that money became useless, of what use is money when there Is nothing to buy with it? In recent times, as the pandemic hits the world, you will notice how money failed so many rich people. Their money could not save them, yet the poor were saved by mercy. Africa is a true testimony of mercy with regards to the pandemic, with very little medical and social amenities, her people were predicted to die, but not on the watch of the merciful eyes of God. Are you still trusting your money? It is useless to do that, fix your eyes upon the mercy of Jesus and all will be well with you.
In this episode, we shared the role of mercy in securing a miracle - the greatest of which is the miracle of salvation. God bless you as you listen. Amen
God gives miracles, He is the only one who decides to give miracles and this is on the ground of mercy and not merit. Do you need a miracle in your life and you have tried different means of securing it without results? Try Mercy.
No one controls time, yet only mercy can order a man's steps to the place of his help at the appointed time. It is only God's mercy that will move a man from where he was to the place where he would be bles
You need Mercy!
The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time. Mercy brings a man to the right place at the right time.
Mercy is the key to going through life without sustaining injuries as believers. Only mercy can keep us from falling and help us fulfil our purpose in life. All you need is mercy and not money; mercy and not merit; mercy and nothing else but the mercy of God. God bless and Happy Listening.
When God proclaimed Himself merciful, we must accept His mercies and walk in it daily. Without His mercies, we all would be lost and gone into oblivion.
Have you done all you know how to do best? Have you applied all the formulas you know and nothing seems to be working? Have you prayed and fasted yet it seems as you are always out of luck? Does what seems to be yours slip out of your hands often and you wonder what you have done wrong to deserve such?
A message to young people to take advantage of the time of their youth. God is looking for a youth to set aflame, will it be you?
God will shake the heavens and the earth - He will bring down His glory in the restoration of all things. He will send us a spiritual awakening and give us massive blessings.
A call to believers to go all out to seek men, and call them away from the path of destruction unto the path of life. A call to community missions and outreach.
God will not compromise His standard in choosing His man. No matter how the decay is? God will not rush His work, He will wait until He finds His men, men who will do His will and not compromise. God was not in a hurry to do something, though the 18th Century England was a "horror in pictures"; God waited until He made ready His men: John Wesley, Charles Wesley, and George Whitefield. He won't lower His standard for any man.
We need Revival and desperately too, but have counted the cost? are you willing to pay the ultimate price for Revival? Revival cost tears, brokenness, and desperation to have God or nothing. The price is indeed higher, but the eternal value much higher. A life of abandonment, a life totally sold out to God.
What is God's means of opening doors to foreign and local missions? What sort of mindset should believers have in this crucial hour in human history? However tightly shut the door of nations be, God's plan in this time to reach the people of the world can not be truncated. God has ways and means without numbers, it the responsibility of the believers to see themselves in any area or field of endeavor as God's ambassador and Christ's representatives in dignity and excellence.
A question posed by our Brother Plangshak as he taught from the 73rd Psalm. Yes! God has a glorious end for those who live a pure and righteous life, but the wicked are walking on a slippery path - their foot shall soon slide.
God is faithful, He will guide and see you through all your trials. God's intention in your trials is not to break you but to show forth His praise through you. Also, God will not permit you to be tempted or tried above your limit but will always make a way for you to escape even in the most unlikely circumstance.
A golden piece of advice from the Holy Spirit to parents that they should train up their children in the way of the Lord. Parents should not fail to discipline their children when they are doing something wrong. They are to train and build them up for their future. Failure to train a child will lead to disaster, God helps our parents to heed this advice.
A message by Bro. Yawus Plangshak Yakubu showing the rewarding benefits that God gives to men and women who are sexually pure. He encouraged young people and people of the Christian faith to embrace sexual purity in a crooked and perverse generation. The mere fact that everyone is doing it does not make it right, and God graciously rewards those who keep themselves away from sexual immoralities.
Are you living a Holy life? Do you consecrate and give yourself a living sacrifice always? The proof of your Holiness, consecration, and devotion to God is your absolute obedience to His Instructions. No partial Obedience but a complete life of obedience. We must trust God to grant us the grace to always obey Him in all situations.
God's Warning to everyone. A dangerous path many must leave else they ruin their lives. The end of a fornicator is regrets and ruins. He will ruin his life and family. God wanted all men to flee fornication so that they may live.
What is inside will produce what we see outside, the believer cannot claim to be holy in his/her while the appearance says otherwise. We must understand that the life of Holiness in the heart is manifested by the fruit of Modesty and Chastity. We cannot fool God, neither can we fool the men of the world, they know who a true Christian - by his/her fruits he/she is easily picked out among the crowd.
Joseph on the ancient path. This episode tells the story of Joseph's dreams and the conspiracy that led him to becoming a slave in Egypt.
The ancient path is a lonely path, it is the way of the cross, it is the way of denial, but it is also the way that leads to the crown. Believers are encouraged to go tearfully not minding the obstacles on the way, their Master feeling their distress but a promise of reward ahead.
The Axe is laid upon the root of the tree, this is a call to the Christian to repent and turn back to God.
The little drifts from the original place where the man of God starts to this progressive slide into the world. The man of God who starts in the Spirit cannot attempt to finish in the flesh. God is consistent, so must all His children as they journey to the heavenly home. Ministers must stay on God and the original call, lest they missed the mark.
We come with a question today on why it is a big deal, and major news when a Christian falls from grace. In response to this question, we stated the obvious fact that the claims of the Bible and Christianity are high, as such, people with world-view hold the believer to a lofty standard, any compromise or faltering usually make news and allow men to speak ill-advisedly against the Christian Faith. The Christian must trust God to keep him till the very end. May we not falter or loiter on our heavenly journey. Amen.
Some have accused God of not answering prayer over the situation of our nation, but are we really praying? A question we all must honestly answer. Who are the ones praying, what do they pray about, and how often do they pray? A pointed finger to such people accusing God of inability to stay true to His claim "that He answers prayers", are you praying?
The sad reality of the world. With more than 7.76 billion people on earth, more than 42% summing up 3.23 billion people are yet to hear the gospel. A call to send men to the field of the earth and share the good news of Christ with all men.
With many people going to church and yet few converted, there is a need for more evangelism in the church. The question is, by who and how?
Listen to this podcast and be inspired.