Devotions for 15th Jan 2017

Matt 10:39 #daily devotions # bible studies # word of God
Whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

Jesus tells His disciples that in their Christian life it would not be the same as before, when they chose to follow Him they have turned away from the world and no longer live like the world. The values of the world are not the same as the values of the Kingdom of God. What the world values are what the Kingdom of God deters.

The vales of the world consist of selfishness, pride, greed, unforgiveness, jealousy, slander, gossip and all the evil traits of human behaviour. A little while ago I was watching a documentary on the TV about the rise of the 45^th President of the US. Just five years before this the sitting President was insulting the President elect at a gala function publicly.

There was so much pride, hatred, jealousy in the sitting President who is the most powerful man in the world. He did not even behave decently or politely but was slanderous in his word, attacking and accusing the President elect at that time who is a prominent tycoon in the US.

What I am pointing out is that the world is cruel and evil and even the most powerful man on earth politically is evil and do evil things that is because he does not have Jesus Christ. He is controlled by his master who is the enemy of God. In fact all men in the world who do not have Jesus Christ are controlled by the enemy and do what the enemy dictates them to do.

This is where the difference lies, we the believers of Jesus Christ would do what he taught us to do and that is all contrary to what the evil one taught his children to do. Look at the world today and the countries in the world, most of them are controlled by evil politicians who in turn are controlled by the enemy of Christ. Like their master, they go against the children of God and persecute them or try and destroy them

Today in Paris, 72 countries are gathered to decide and pass a resolution under the auspices of the UN to divide Israel and Jerusalem. Israel is a sovereign nation on its own. How unfair it is for third party nations to determine its fate and to pass a resolution to divide it. But this is how the evil world works, the UN is controlled by Antichrist nations and they have an agenda to destroy the apple of the eye of God which is Israel.

Secondly these Antichrist nations want to destroy all Jews first and then all Christians. In fact all these are already prophesied and recorded in scriptures and we are seeing biblical prophecies being fulfilled right before us. Very soon the political scenario in the world would lead to a global war and many children of God will see and experience tribulation which again is prophesied in the bible.

As such the Christians must be strengthened and be prepared to face tribulation just as some of the Christians in Antichrist nations are going through right now. But we know the end from the beginning, we will not lose, we will be on the winning side. The promise is that though for a short time we may even have to pay the ultimate price of laying down our lives for Christ, there is a great reward waiting for us in heaven. Jesus Christ had promised that He has gone to prepare a place for us, if it were not so, He would have told us.

Similarly Paul said in Phip 1:25 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. This is the truth that all the apostles knew and they were focused on attaining their due reward in heaven. We too must be like them and to prepare to receive the reward and inheritance that Jesus had gone ahead to prepare for us.

Devotions for 5th Jan 2017

Gen 3:9 #bible studies, #daily devotions #devotions #gospel # love #word of God

The Lord God called …’Where are you?’

From the scriptures we read that God is a personal Father to each and every one of His children. When God call out to Adam and Eve, it was not because He did not know. God is Omniscience and He knows everything even before it happens. All knowledge comes from God who created the heavens and the Universe and all that is in it.

He knows the very design and composite of everything which is living or not. He put everything together in His creation but when He called to His first son and daughter, He was calling out in love and not in authority.  It was not a reprimand but it was a loving call like a loving father would call out to His son. It was only after Adam & Eve confessed of their disobedience and sin did God had to pass judgement upon them.

From the very beginning it was God’s desire to have a loving and personal relationship with man. God did not distance from man but it was man who distance from God through sin. God’s nature is holiness and He cannot accept sin as it is against His very nature of holiness. It is just as light and darkness cannot co-exist.

We are reminded over and over that God is calling for all sinners to return to Him for He never intended for man to be away from Him and held captives forever in Hell. In fact He had prepared a place in heaven for all who would return to Him.

Jesus revealed this when he said; John 14: 2 In my Father’s house are many mansion: if it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you.  

Jesus too always talked about having and building a personal relationship with the Father and with Him. That is the essence of God’s love to us. Another time Jesus also said; John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. The Father and The Son are the same; they are seeking for men to turn back to them so that we can inherit the Kingdom of Heaven and be with them.

Jesus again revealed the Father’s heart of love when He taught on the parable of the ‘prodigal son’ who took all the riches that was due to him and went away from his father to waste away his life. In spite of what the prodigal son did, the father received the son back with love and compassion and throwing a big banquet for him. In this parable Jesus was teaching of the limitless love of God the Father who is waiting for every son and daughter who has gone away from Him.

The Father is still calling today to us, ‘Where are you?’ How do we respond to Him?

Devotions for 4th Jan 2017

1 John 4: 21 #bible studies # daily devotions #devotions # love # word of God

Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

Love is the very nature of God, and when He created the first two people on earth he input into them His nature of love so that they can live in the Garden of Eden and continues to love each other. This is the first family unit that God had created and put together. The family unit is to exist in love so as to encourage and build each other.

Love builds, cherishes and nourishes but hatred tears down and destroys. We can see these two elements very clearly in families. Some families are built on the foundation of love and the word of God whereas others which do not have love and the word of God exist on another environment of hatred, jealousy, and enmity even between husbands and wives, brothers and sisters.

The foundation of a peaceful world is built on love. Without love the world is in chaos and there is no peace. To achieve world peace, it must start from the first piece of the social fabric which is the individuals in a family. This is precisely what Jesus is saying to us today that we must love our own brother and sister within the family as well as within the extended Church family.

When we walk in obedience to what Jesus taught then we would be in the perfect will of God and our lives will become testimonies to the world. Jesus taught in John 13: 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if you have love one to another. The world needs love and it is looking out to seek genuine love. The children of God must be the light that will lead the world into this love.

Again Jesus said in John 15: 10 If you keep my commandments you shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. The important issue here is that to generate love we need to go back to the source of love which is from God and His word. When we turn to God and connect with Him in prayer and worship we will then be able to receive His love.

Secondly when we begin to study His word and to apply it to our lives, then we will experience a transformation in our lives, the word of God will quicken our spirit man and will check our behaviour and actions. It will also enable us to comply with what the scripture teaches. Again we need the scriptures to guide our walk in the Lord, when we obey the scriptures we will then be putting on the spiritual armour upon ourselves and we will become more and more like Jesus and we will be protected in our lives.

In the last few days, I have become aware that there has been an increase of spiritual attack upon families and individuals as the devil is moving very fast in this New Year in his work of tearing down and destroying the fabric of the family.

I was listening to some prophecies for this New Year and one clear word if that this year will be a year of surprises. These would be good as well as not so good surprises depending on which end of the surprises that we find ourselves in.

The clarion call is that we must prepare and equip ourselves as spiritual warriors for the Lord, there are going to be great things that God is bringing to the world and the devil is also aware of this, he has started his plans to tear and destroy even from the starting block for this year. Let us not be caught off footed but let us be fully protected by putting on the full spiritual armour. After having done that we must stand and resist the devil.

Eph 6: 13-18

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

And your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace;

And above all taking the shield of faith, wherein ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

Devotion for 3.1.2017

2 Kings 6: 16 #bible studies # daily devotions #devotions #gospel #word of God

Don’t be afraid… those who are with us are more than those who are with the enemy.

The enemy is working continuously in trying to wreck destruction to the world and he is doing this by using evil men as his instruments. Sometimes these tools of the devil may be people from outside and sometimes even from the people inside the sheep pen. (church)

Israel had been a prime target of the devil because he knew that the Messiah would come out from Israel and so from long before that the devil had tried his best to destroy the Israeli baby boys. Right from the time of Moses till the time of Jesus this had been the weapon of the devil. Along the way, the devil had wanted to also destroy the nation of Israel even to this present day.

The enemy has his armies that are possessed by him and led by him to create trouble in Israel as well as world-wide. It was the same during the time of Elijah and Elisha, the devil had wanted to destroy Israel and he used enemy armies to come against Israel as it is still so today. God had revealed to Elisha all the plans of the enemy and Elisha had warned the Israeli King which in turn had frustrated the plans of the enemy.  

In this instance, the servant of Elisha was so afraid when he saw the armies coming against them but Elisha prayed to God to open his eyes so that he can see the army of angels that are protecting them. Even in this present day the armies of Israel are seeing and experiencing miracles from God’s hand protecting them.

In the last Israel/Arab war that was fought in southern Israel, the Arab terrorists said that the God of Israel had turned their missiles in mid-flight to cause them to fall in the Mediterranean Sea. God has throughout all the recent wars been aiding Israel’s army in so many miraculous ways. We have heard of supernatural events on the battle field that no one can explain. All these are the efforts of the devil in trying to destroy the apple of the eye of God which is the nation of Israel.

God had prevented many attacks on Israel through supernatural intervention. The devil is finding it very difficult to counter Israel but now his attention is on trying to remove the PM of Israel. The devil is using accusation which is his main weapon as he is the accuser of the brethren. He is accusing the PM of wrong doings in trying to formulate a case to bring down the leader of Israel.

The war between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness had been an ongoing war for thousands of years and it will continue until Jesus comes again to destroy Satan and his army in one final battle. As in all wars, there will be casualties but we must continue to trust in God even if we become one of these casualties.

Today I saw a news report of a Christian in the land of the jihadists being tied with barb wires and hung across a pole and beaten to force him to renounce Jesus or die. Praise God that this brother stood firm in his faith and he bold said, ‘proud to be a Christian and proud to die as a Christian.’

He knew Jesus as his Savior and chose to become another martyr for Jesus Christ. This reminds us that in these last days, many will be called into martyrdom and we musts be ready and prepared for it.

Paul said; “to be out of this body is to be in the presence of the Lord.” This means the very second that we leave our bodies; our soul will be standing before God and Jesus in heaven. Therefore let us not worry about being on this sinful earth for too long. Let us press forward to secure our treasure and reward in heaven. 

Roms 12: 1-2

#transforming your mind, #daily devotion #word of God #scriptures#gospel

Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think (transform your mind). Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.

Today is the second day of the New Year and many are still on holiday as a roll over from Sunday the 1^st   of January 2017. The week before had been the holy week of Christmas which we remember as the day that God had given us the free gift of His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins and grant us the gift of salvation.

This is the act of love from God and He does not want us to recompense Him in any way that would cost us in material things but God wants us to draw close to Him in love and the best way of doing this is to offer our lives as living sacrifices. This is not a onetime offering but the apostle Paul tells us that we are to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God as long as we live.

This holy living is a living sacrifice which is our true and proper worship to God. Our worship cannot be just lip service by telling God we love and worship Him but the next moment we live like the rest of the world in sin. We need to live Jesus, talk Jesus, walk Jesus and do everything as Jesus would do.

How then can we do this, Paul gives us the instruction in verse 2, we are to “be transformed by the renewing of our mind”. This means stop thinking of the world, stop thinking like the world but from today onward let’s keep thinking about Jesus.

This is the best gift that we can give to God for 2017 everyday starting from today. We must make a New Year resolution to live for Jesus and live like Jesus every day of this year and for the rest of our lives. Jesus lived in humility; that means we too must live with gratitude for what he had done for us, we must also live in humility like Him and we must give ourselves completely to Him. Completely means all our heart, mind and will must be surrendered to Jesus and allow Him to mould, shape and fill us according to His will.

Jesus has a plan for each and every one of us.  As I have mentioned yesterday, the work in the Kingdom is varied. There are different calling and different gifting and ministries. God had not made us all to be the same. That would mean an army of robots but God gave us the five-fold ministries because there are different needs in the body of Christ. He gave us different skills and empowering.

Paul also told us in Roms 9: 21 God had ….of the same lump make one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour. This means that in the household of God, some will be in the priesthood, some in other positions of leadership and yet others will be serving in lower capacities. No matter in which capacity we are called and chosen we must dedicate our lives to serve Him faithfully this year and beyond. Only then would we be living sacrifices that are holy and acceptable to God.

Irrespective of what position and calling that God has given to us, there is no difference in the expectation from God. Every priest, leader and follower must live humbly and with thanks giving in their hearts. Someone said ‘thanksgiving’ means to be ‘thanks-living,’

Let us start living each day of 2017 in ‘thanks-living’.

Devotions for 1st Jan 2017

1 Peter 1: 13

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind…..

Today is the first day of 2017 and it is appropriate that we meditate on the word from the Apostle Peter.

There are three key words that we would like to study in this verse. These are ‘wherefore, loins, and mind.’

‘Wherefore’ can be translated to mean consequently and in this context we can say that ‘consequent’ to the start of the New Year it would also mean that we are also positioned in a new era or season in or lives. The past have gone which we cannot turn back whether we have accomplished much for the Lord or we have accomplished little for the Lord there is no rewinding of circumstances and time.

We must start off this day and New Year of 2017 as our new journey with the Lord. Once we have resolved to do so we must plan our path for the whole year. Peter here gave us some instructions toward this journey for everyone.

Secondly ‘girding up the loins’ means that as in the days of old or in some culture today men will wear a long robe that flow up to the ankle. When they need to get into action, like preparing for a fight they would pull up the robe and tuck it under their belt so that they would be able to move fast and freely.

This can also be interpreted to mean that in this new year, we need to gird up to move fast and quick in our ministry for Jesus. There is no more time to be complacent or to drag our feet. The harvest is ripe and the labourers are few, let us pray that we will all rise up to be the labourers for the harvest. There are different duties in the harvest, some will reap, others gather and yet others thresh the harvest and others will store the harvest.

This could be interpreted as some are evangelist; some do the follow up after the evangelism. Yet others will befriend the new converts and be encouragers to the new converts. Finally there are those who store the harvest in the barn which would be the pastoral and caring ministry. Therefore we may not be good preachers but we can do the follow-up, befriending, nurturing etc.

What is our calling and gifting that God has given to us, we need to identify it and sharpen upon it. This is what it means by ‘girding’. The other word is ‘loins’ which refers to the reproductive organ of the person. So the process of girding or preparation is for the purpose of reproduction in the kingdom. Everyone must become a reproducer or being part of the reproductive process in the kingdom.

Where there is no reproduction then there is no growth and soon death will occur. So it is with the Church, when there is no reproduction, soon the Church will wither and die a spiritual death. Many Churches have gone that way because they have lost the reproductive function.

What about the mind that Peter is referring to?

The scriptures have given us some guidelines to this.

Jesus taught that our mind must be fully focused and lead by God at all times.

Matt 12: 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength; this is the first commandment. Our relationship with God involves our heart, our soul or emotions and all of our mind. All here means that our mind must not be divided where we have too many distractions.

In sales and marketing we call it a funnel meaning all efforts are channeled in one channel and focused as one force towards achieving the desired results. Our ministry in the Lord must also be involving the fullness of our mind, there must be absolutely zero distraction towards what we do.  This is what girding our mind means.

Secondly Paul wrote in Roms 12: 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…. This would meant that there must be a setting apart, we must not continue to conform to the mind of the world but our spiritual mind and purpose must be renewed in Christ. We must not continue to think and operate in the way of the world but we are living in another realm which is the realm of the spirit. We need to be more and more Christ like and be the light to the world of darkness that we live in. We are also to be the salt around us as the world has lost the influencing effect of holiness and godliness. We need to bring back the sweetness of God’s love and mercy in the world.

Thirdly, Paul directs us on how to be effective in Roms 12: 16 Be of the same mind one towards another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

Paul reminds all that we must not be proud and only look up to the rich and powerful but Jesus had come for all men, including the poor and destitute. The kingdom of God is opened to all men irrespective of nationalities, social status, power or education. The Kingdom of heaven is unlike the world. The poor and destitute may occupy higher places of honour and influence that the rich and powerful of the earth. The Kingdom of heaven is bot about what we have but it is about what we are.

Fourthly Paul wrote in 1 Cor 2: 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. Just as the apostle Pete had instructed that we must gird up our mind, Paul we can only do this by purposefully developing our mind to be like the mind of Christ. Our thoughts and desires must be for heavenly values. Our plans and purposes must also be for heavenly achievements. Whatever that Jesus desires, that should also be our desires.

Fifthly Paul tells us what we must and need to do in order that we gird our mind. He wrote in Ephesian 4: 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind. Our mind has a spirit which is alive and powerful. The mind of Christ is for all men to live righteous and holy lives. Jesus has given us a spirit of sound mind. The devil wants to rob us of this sound mind and therefore our mind is the first battle ground of the devil.

He will attack our minds and sow seeds of accusation, lies, doubts, fear, unbelief, hatred, anger, unforgiveness, evil and filthy thoughts. The devil does not respect any man. Job was tested, Lot was tested, King David was tested, Peter was tested, Paul was tested and today we see that the devil also attack the minds of many pastors and leaders in the Churches. That is his most powerful weapon to destroy the Churches and the Christians.

The only weapon that we can have against the devil is the Word of God. Paul said in Eph 5: 26 …clean our mind ‘with the washing of water by the word.’

The blood of Jesus can only wash away our sins but cannot wash our minds of evil thoughts. Only the scriptures, the Word of God’ can wash our mind. As we read and meditate upon the word of God, it will be like water that washes away all the filthy and ungodly thoughts in our mind.

Therefore let us purpose that in the New Year of 2017, let us deliberate on the Word of God, gird up the productive organs of our mind and live our lives to fulfill God’s plan and purpose in us.

Devotions for 29.12 .2016

Leaders Section

Eph 5: 15-16

Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

As leaders we need to be wise in everything that we deal with including the use of resources and time. We often forget that time is a resource and must be used effectively and productively. There is an English proverb which says, ‘Time and tide waits for no man’.

This is very true; every minute of our lives is precious. Once the minute is passed we cannot go backwards to undo whatever we had done. Only God has this ability to reverse or stop time. When a mistake has been committed, there is no possibility to go back to prevent it. The only thing is to be more careful in the future and to make every effort to avoid repeating the mistake.

Paul in today’s text reminds us to do just this that we must make the most of every opportunity that comes our way. Whatever that we have and whatever we plan to do, let us do it well for the world is unkind and there is much evil around.

If we lack wisdom and understand to do what we need to do, let us pray and ask God to help us make the best of everyday as we make decisions and choices so that all that we do will be glorifying to God. Ask God to equip us to choose wisely so that we can serve Him well.

Public Section

Gal 4:4

When the set time had fully come, God sent His Son.

God is the author of all time, He pre-existed even before there was time. He is the infinite God who pre-existed before time was created which was when God created the sun and the moon. It was only after this that time came into existence.

Before this for eons, God had pre-existed and He is beyond the measure of time and space. God cannot be measured as how many thousand years old for He pre-existed even before anything else. He also cannot be measured in terms of dimension as he is beyond the whole Universe which He created.

Even before the Universe was created, God already had pre-planned for His Son to come and die for the redemption of the sin of all men. He was patient and gave men every chance and opportunity to repent and return back to Him. Finally He knew that man on his own strength and effort would never be able to come back to God totally.

Therefore when the time was right He send His Son Jesus to come to the earth to complete His plan of Salvation which required that His Son bore all our sins and shed His blood to wash away all our sins. God had revealed to Paul that it was a set time by God that it was time for Jesus Christ to come upon the earth. He was not to come earlier or later but at the precise time that God had set.

King Solomon also knew that there is a time for everything. Ecclesiastes 3: 2 A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted. All things are planned by God and are in His hands. Nothing that has happened or going to happen is without God’s knowledge, He had ordained all things even from before the foundation of the earth.