Sunday, December 30, 2018

BREAD ALONE?


MEMORISE:
And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live. Deuteronomy 8:3
READ: John 6:24-27
24 When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.
25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
MESSAGE:
Your body is a very important asset that God has given you. Without your body, you have no license to remain on earth. One of your major responsibilities therefore is to take care of your body constantly by feeding it and keeping it clean. It is the food we eat that gives our body the energy it needs to function well. However, not all the food we eat supplies our body with the kind of energy that it actually needs. There are healthy foods and there is junk food. When eaten, both types of food will supply energy to the body. However, while healthy food supplies the kind of energy that positively enhances the function of our body and helps it build its resilience against diseases, the energy that junk food supplies will do just the opposite, and over time, this will contribute to the body breaking down.
Although it is important to care for the body, much more importance should be placed on feeding the soul with healthy food. When we neglect our souls, so much more is at stake than sickness and physical death. Jesus does not just say things for the fun of it, and He was the one who said “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of God’s mouth” (Matthew 4:4). He was saying that if feeding the body alone (eating bread). Is all you do, then you will not live. Although your body will be nourished, your soul will starve and eventually die.
How then can our souls be fed? We feed our souls on the word of God written in the Bible. The habit of reading the Bible is fast becoming archaic, especially with how busy everyone has become with making ends meet. Nevertheless, 1 Timothy 4:13 says:
“Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.”
No one ever said you have to read a large portion of the Bible daily. If reading a chapter of the Bible per day is what you can properly reflect on, then start with a chapter per day. Furthermore, you should not stop at reading the Bible; it is also very important to reflect on what you have read. While reading is for the head, reflecting is for the heart. You have to meditate on what you read by thinking it over and allowing it sink deep into your heart. A good way to do this is to have a book where you write down points from what you have read, and then consciously think about these points during the day. Irrespective of what you do and how busy your schedule is, always endeavour to feed your soul daily. Remember, man shall not live by bread alone.
ACTION POINT:
Feed your soul as regularly as you feed your body.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Haggai 1-2; John 18: 33-19:16
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

X-RAYING THE HEART.

MEMORISE:
A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. Matthew 12:35

READ: John 12:3-8
3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him,
5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?
6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.
8 For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.
MESSAGE:
“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” Hebrews 11:3
From the above scripture, we understand that everything begins and ends with the word of God. Since the word of God is the architect, designer and builder of all that has ever existed. It means that nothing is hidden from its reach and power. This is good news to all lovers of God’s word. There is no hiding place for Satan to buffet you if the word of Good is your teacher and guide. In today’s world, a lot of people hate the word of God, particularly those aspects that seem to encroach on their pleasures and “fundamental human rights” such as homosexuality, incest, bestiality, alcoholism, smoking and drug addiction. Many hate what God’s word say about these acts not only because they indulge in them but also because these acts serve as the means of livelihood for some of them. I encourage such people to receive the good news of change that come through God’s word today, because the same word will stand to condemn them on the Day of Judgment if they continue to ignore it now. On the Day of Judgment, not only will God judge our acts, He will also judge the intent of our hearts, and He is already doing this today with His word (Hebrews 4:12).
In today’s Bible reading, we see how the word of God x-rayed the intent of Judas Iscariot’s heart. A woman came with costly ointment to anoint Jesus’ feet, and Judas Iscariot, being Jesus’ treasurer, saw this as a waste of resources. Besides the fact that Judas was wrong to condemn a sacrifice offered to Jesus, the word of God exposes the real reason he was “concerned” about keeping the money “for the poor”. John 12:6 says:
“This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.”
Today, some church treasurers may not support the acquisition of anything befitting for God’s house because the greater the credit balance in the church account, the more funds available for them to steal. Dealing with the rottenness of man’s hearts is very important to god because it controls their words and action. A person who goes to church indecently dressed has more than meets the eye in his or her heart. When a man begins to plait his hair in the name of “fashion”, he needs to re-examine the motivations of his heart. A pastor who indiscriminately hugs congregation members should watch it with the opposite sex. Erotic jokes are an overflow of what is in the heart; don’t trivialize or condone them. May the Lord clear all forms of rottenness from our hearts I Jesus’ Name.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please clear away all rottenness in my heart, and help me to keep myself pure as light.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Zechariah 11-14;
John 20: 24-21:14

Monday, December 17, 2018

A Microwave Christian?

A Microwave Christian?
Memorise: But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1:4
Bible Reading: John 11:18-26
18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:
19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
Bible Reading in one year – Jeremiah 18-20 and Luke 10:17-37.
Message:
Impatience is the younger sister of doubt because when someone is impatient, the fellow may not be able to operate under the divine timetable. Impatience can cause a person to doubt the integrity of the ever faithful God.
The devil uses impatience as a tool to sow doubt in the minds of believers, so much so that some even begin to doubt the infallible word of God. For this reason, James 1:4 says:
“But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
The blessings attached to being patient are many. For example, in our memory verse, the Holy spirit reveals that a patient fellow will lack nothing good.
This may sound foolish to the carnal mind, but it is the truth of God’s word. The carnal mind is tuned to believe that by being impatient, more can be achieved and more can be amassed, but this is a lie of the devil.
In today’s Bible reading, impatience almost destroyed the faith of Mary and Martha. As a matter of fact, they indirectly indicted Jesus of their brother’s death because He came to them at a time they considered to be too late, after He had received their message notifying Him of Lazarus’ sickness. John 11:21 says:
“Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”
What is indictment! By this comment, they doubted the extent to which Jesus actually loved their family. This probably accounts for why Jesus wept in John 11:35, after Mary repeated the same accusation (John 11:32). It is dangerous to be a “microwave Christian” who always expects things to happen when you feel they must happen.
A microwave Christian is like an infant who reacts to and cries for everything that causes discomfort. The Holy Spirit describes the state of such Christians in 1 Corinthians 3:1-2; Some brethren feel offended and therefore decide to leave a church when the promotion they believe they are due is not forthcoming from the church authorities.
Some others feel victimized when they are transferred from their station of comfort, even resorting to blackmail in some cases.
Some even give God an ultimatum on when a miracle must “drop”, or else they won’t serve Him anymore. All these examples may sound unbelievable, but they are true life experiences.
Beloved, it is time to grow up from the stage of infancy. God expects you to become not just a meat eater but a bone cracker. May the Lord cause you to grow in Jesus’ Name.
Prayer Points: Father Please help me to grow in patience and keep me standing for You till the very end in Jesus’ Name.

THINGS MONEY CANNOT DO.


MEMORISE:
But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Acts 8:20
READ: Luke 12:15-23
15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
MESSAGE
One of the fallacies of life is the notion that when you have money, you have everything. How untrue this is! My experiences in ministry have taught me that there is so much that money cannot do. For example, money cannot make a barren woman conceive. If you doubt this, ask the wealthy Shunammite woman (2 kings 4:8-17). It is amazing that when Elisha asked this woman what she desired, she momentarily forgot or pretended to forget that there was something she lacked which her money could not buy, which was a child (2 Kings 4:13). Irrespective of this, in 2 Kings 4:16, Elisha declared to her:
“And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.”
Why did she doubt Elisha’s declaration? It was because she considered it too good to be true! She also probably felt that whatever money could not do, nothing else could do it. I have good news for a user of this devotional: that need that money has failed to meet in your life, which you have used good money to travel across several hospitals in the world to resolve to no avail, you will receive it this season in Jesus’ Name.
I was once invited to preach in an area where the “who is who” in Nigeria reside. When I got to the particular house I was invited to and saw money in action, I decided to change my sermon to something like “It is good to bless the Lord”, because I could not imagine that family having a single need; but I was wrong. Before long, I realized that there was a problem that money could not solve in that family, so I introduced them to the God with whom there is no impossibility. At the end of the day, God solved the problem that money could ot solve for them. God will solve the problem that has defied the power of money in your life today in Jesus’ Name. Today’s Bible reading narrates the interesting story of a man who was very successful in his farming business. Although most rich men are never satisfied with the amount of wealth they possess, this particular one was so rich that he planned to retire from creating more wealth, unfortunately, he did the same night he conceived his plan. His money could not prevent death from snatching him away from enjoying his hard-earned wealth. Shame to money that cannot save its owner from death! If money cannot save from physical death, how would it save a person from eternal death? Jesus said the foolish of this rich man is applicable to those who lay up earthly treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God (Luke 12:21). Are you one of such people?
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please bestow on me blessings that surpass what money can buy in Jesus’ Name.

YOU NEED A COUNSELOR


Memorize: Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselor there is safety. Proverbs 11:14
Bible Reading: Isaiah 9:2-7
2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
4 For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.
5 For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Bible in one year: Jeremiah 35:36, Luke 14:25-15:10.
Message: Some Christians feel that they have outgrown the need for counselors in their lives, but nothing could be further from the truth. The unfortunate thing is that such Christians who erroneously think this way gradually graduate to the level of believing that they can also live their Christian lives in isolation.
Resultant effect of this is that they stop fellowshipping with other believers, contrary to our Lord’s injunction in Hebrews 10:25, which says:
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
Every one of us will always need a counselor at one point in time or the other till we see Jesus in glory (l Corinthians 13:9-12).
I recall the story of the first dump truck we bought at the Redemption Camp in Nigeria. It was a result of wise counsel I got from our Camp Manager. We had received some money that looked substantial to me, and I felt we should go ahead to execute some of our building projects.
As I was contemplating on the next project to embark on, the Lord spoke to me, instructing me to seek counsel from our Camp Manager. When my commander in-Chief speaks, l don’t waste time in carrying out His bidding.
I got to the Camp Manager, and contrary to what I had in mind, he recommended that we should buy dump truck for transporting sand from the quarry, where we could buy sand for construction at a cheaper price, instead of purchasing from resellers at an exorbitant rate as we had been doing.
He was of the opinion that we would need a lot of sand for the projects at hand, and having our own truck for getting sand at a cheap price would reduce the cost of these building projects substantially.
That was how we got the dump truck, and this opened our eyes to other opportunities as it further reduced the cost of our construction projects drastically.
Isaiah 9:2 says that the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light, and those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of Death have received the light of life. How did this happen? The Holy Spirit answers is in Isaiah 9:6 saying:
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince 0f Peace.”
Jesus is the Counselor of counselors. How yielded are you to the counsel He gives you through His word, through the voice of His Spirit inside you, and through the people He has placed around you? If you do not receive His counsel, His gentle Spirit will not force you, but you will bear the consequences that follow.
Prayer point: Gentle holy spirit, I acknowledge your knowledge is beyond mine: I therefore yield to your counsel in all my ways. Please lead me to the place of heaven’s rest in Jesus Christ.

ARE YOU A WORTHY ASSOCIATE?


Memorize: And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach mark 3:14
Reading: John 15:10-16
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Bible in one year: Jeremiah 37-39 Luke 15:11-32. Hymnals: Sing Hymn 16
Message: Great number of people fail to realize that a tree does not make a forest, and so they despise the blessings that come with having associates in their lives. God did not design man to attain his full potential as a lone ranger. Genesis 2:1 8 says:
“And the lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him and help meet for him.”
We should however note that the associates we let into our lives must be worthy ones, and unfortunately, the problem of many leaders today is that they are short of worthy associates.
For this reason, their organizations don’t grow to their full potential. Abraham, the father of faith, had worthy associates who were ready to go to war with him when the need arose (Genesis 14: 24) Genesis 14:13 says:
“And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eschol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.”
I pray that the Lord will give you worthy associates in Jesus’ Name. Even our Lord needed worthy associates when He was here on earth.
The purpose of these associates was first and foremost, to be with Him, and secondly, to send them on assignments that would lead to the fulfillment of His mission here on earth.
Mark 3:14 says: “And he ordained twelve, that they should be with Him, and that he might send them forth to preach.”
Today, I prophesy into your life that worthy associates, whether in business, marriage or ministry, will come your way in Jesus’ Name.
Just as the Lord chose the twelve disciples, He has also chosen us to be His worthy associates and we must be worthy ones indeed. He said to us in John 15:16:
“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain:”
We must therefore bear the fruit of the Spirit, so that our Father in heaven may be glorified (Galatians 5:22-25). We must also bear the fruit of souls into God’s kingdom.
When we do this, we will have our bountiful rewards, which include express answers to our prayers, and this alone is worth more than silver or gold. May God make you a worthy associate of His Son in Jesus’ Name?
Prayer Point: father please makes me a worthy associate of Jesus Christ through the fruits I bear from today onward in Jesus name.

Antidote To Temptation

Memorise: Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. Luke 12:37
Bible Reading: Mathew 13:24-26
24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
Bible Reading in one year – Jeremiah 14-15 and Luke 9:28-50.
Message: Temptation is the pressure to yield to influences that can lead a person away from God and into sin. It is also the means by which the loyalty, commitment and obedience of a child of God is tested and proved.
Temptation is a part of life that no one can escape from, because nobody is protected or exempted from its influence. Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself experienced temptation (Hebrews 4:15). one who orchestrates temptations, also known as the tempter, is the devil (Mathew 4:3). He has perfected highly deceptive means of carrying out his evil enterprise, because he has been long at it.
However, glory be to God because the Lord has developed a way of escape for every type of temptation the devil can come up with (1 Corinthians 10:13). If we refuse to use the means of escape provided by God, we will end up falling for devil’s tricks and disobeying God. This can have devastating repercussions, as seen in the fall of mankind through temptation and the judgment of God which followed (Genesis 3:1-24). It is therefore important for us to learn how to overcome temptation and also reduce our exposure to it by applying the antidote provided by the Lord.
In the last few hours before our Lord Jesus Christ was arrested, knowing what was about to happen shortly, He gave the disciples the antidote to temptation, saying in Matthew 26:41: Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
In this verse of scripture, He named watchfulness and prayer as the antidotes to temptation. Watchfulness is the state of being alert and expectant while carefully observing a person or situation.
The word of God lays particular emphasis on the need to keep watch for two important events: the second coming of our Lord and the devil’s temptation, which is our focus today.
We are called to be alert to the dangers posed to our Christian life by false teachings, sinful pleasure, sexual immortality, and all other forms of temptation. Your watchfulness should begin with the admonition of Proverbs 4:23, which says: *Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
Romans 12:2 also speaks about renewing your mind, and this is best done by filling your heart with the undiluted word of God. Another aspect of watching is bridling our tongue in order not to sin with it (1 Peter 3:10, James 1:26).
For your faith not to suffer shipwreck due to temptation, you are called by God to soberly watch and be prayerful (1 Peter 4:7). Are you keeping watch?
Prayer Point: Father, please don’t allow any temptation derail my Christian journey in Jesus’ Name.

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Thursday, December 6, 2018

Jesus is Lord

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