Monthly Archives: July 2015

Jul 31

Wait On The Lord

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The ungodly bid to make money is dominant in many societies nowadays. For many, it does not matter how the money is made, since the end justifies the means. It is usual to hear nowadays that a man killed his wife or child just to receive insurance. Parents sell their children for money; children arrange for the kidnap of their parents and relations for ransom. Easy money has become the in-thing.

A lot of unholy activities are daily going on in the society for the sake of money. This has also crept into the church as many so-called members are more carnally-minded than being heavenly-minded. They have joined the rat race, always comparing themselves with unbelievers.

 

In our PSALMS 73:1-28, the Psalmist says he saw such exhibition of ill-gotten wealth in his time and was envious. What he saw nearly affected his relationship with God as he confessed that his “feet were almost gone” and his “steps had well nigh slipped”.

“But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (Psalm 73:2,3).

Many believers who were vibrant for the Lord have denied the faith, owing to the allure of easy money. There are those who had served God faithfully until they began to compare themselves with others. They began to reason that there’s no need holding on to the promises of God. They let go of their faith in pursuit of material wealth.

 

Genuine believers must wait on God who has promised to provide all “our needs” according to his riches through Christ Jesus.

Even so, all believers must note that the so-called prosperity gospel is nothing but the devil’s creed to sway unwary pilgrims from their pursuit of heaven. Once the kingdom of God has been truly sought and earnestly gotten, with true righteousness appropriated and Christ’s glory eminently revealed, the lust and crave for money must wane.

 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: It pays to travel the success way through integrity road.

 

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Jul 30

Two Of A Kind

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A few years ago, a sad event played out in a family in one of the states in Nigeria. The family had seven sons and the eldest went into armed robbery. He was caught and killed. The second followed in the steps of his elder and ended the same way.

The others followed in the same business of armed robbery and all seven died either by execution or mob action. None was able to see the need to turn away from the evil despite the destructions that befell the front-runners.

The story of the two sisters, Aholah and Aholibah in Ezekiel 23:1–21, is similar.

Aholah played the harlot, forsook her God and went after the gods of the Assyrians and Egypt and she was destroyed (verse 10). This result did not stop Aholibah the younger from following in the same way. She became worse than her elder, Aholah.

 

Samaria and Jerusalem which are represented by Aholah and Aholibah went into sin, turned away from God and went after the Babylonians. They became terribly polluted. The consequence was that God became also alienated from them (verse 18).

“Then I saw that she was defiled, that they took both one way” (Ezekiel 23:13).

The scriptures admonish us to be separated from the world and not to love the world. Friendship with the world is enmity with God. When Aholah and Aholibah, God’s chosen ones joined themselves to the Egyptians and Assyrians, they lost fellowship with God.

The love of the world comes gradually and before we know it, if we are not watchful, we would have been swallowed by it. Everyone has the tendency to get drawn into the world. Worldliness is spiritual adultery.

Aholibah followed the steps of Aholah. Anyone can mislead the other. The truth, however, is that Aholibah had the same inordinate desire for the world like her sister. They were two of a kind.

 

When you turn from God, you become alienated from Him and judgment follows. The two sisters were destroyed. Those who walk the same way end up in the same place. Examine yourself, repent and return to your first love and escape God’s judgment.

 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Sin will shorten your lifespan.

 

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Jul 29

Getting It Right From The Root

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The dynamics of erecting an enduring structure in ancient times required a start with what builders called an alignment stone for the foundation. The stone lay at an extreme corner to set the parameters for a strong base. This angle of the cornerstone was very precise, determining all of the subsequent lines and other angles of the building.

It became a standard for the bearing of the beams and walls in the construction of the whole work. In other words, the strength and durability of the building derived from the alignment stone known in modern times as the cornerstone.

That exactly is what God is teaching believers in today’s study: Jesus Christ is the First and Foremost component of the under-girding structure upon which everything else in the Church is aligned.

 

Whatever we teach in the church must line up with the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ. We must have concern for the eternal welfare of a spiritually lost world, as well as for the development of God’s people to full and perfect growth.

“And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20).

Jesus is the Cornerstone of the foundation of the Church, and those who would build upon that foundation must be diligent to keep their eyes on Him. That is the way to get it right in the Christian race, since “without me (Jesus Christ) ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).

 

This is the reason why the leaders of the early Church jealously guarded against distraction from the teaching of the sound word of God when there was discontent over food administration to the Gentile widows (Acts 6:1-7).

Studying and abiding faithfully with the doctrine of Jesus Christ should form the center-piece of all activities in the church. All else should be secondary; the same way every element of a building is secondary and dependent on the cornerstone of the structure. Only that way can the believer abide.

 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Stand on the Rock of Ages, and you won’t be rocked by the crisis of ages.

 

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Jul 28

Don’t Forget The Mirror

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Imagine yourself standing before your mirror in the morning dressed to go out. As you looked at the mirror, you observed your hair is not combed, your clothes not well adjusted and everything just looked rough and disheveled.

What would you do?

  • Would you ignore what you saw in the mirror and feel it is not important?
  • Would you think it would be okay to go out all the same and manage that shameful look?
  • Do you think you would be able to carry on with an air of confidence all through the day if you went out the way you looked without making every necessary adjustment?

Certainly not. When you take a look at the mirror each day, it is not just for the fun of it. It is to ensure you are looking good enough and well suited for the day.

 

That is the same thing we do each time we look at the word of God. The word of God is the divine mirror that tells us exactly how we look. It reveals our true spiritual state to us and tells what we need to add on or put away in order to have a perfect day.

“For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was” (James 1:23,24).

In our text today JAMES 1:16-27, we are admonished to receive the word of God with meekness. As we read the Word, we are to adjust our lives by it. This is what it means to be doers of the word.

We cannot really tell our true spiritual state until we take a deep and sincere look at the Bible. While it is possible for some mirrors to give us a distorted impression of ourselves, the word of God shows us exactly how we look. There is no defect in God’s word.

 

More than showing us how we look, the word of God has the power to set our lives right if we allow it. This is why we must make it a daily practice to take a look at the mirror of the word of God before we set out each day. This gives us the confidence we need and guarantees our success in all that we do.

 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: You are not ready for the day without a look at God’s word.

 

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Jul 27

Discerning God’s Voice

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Paul Fritz, Professor of Missions at the Trinity College of Florida, while delivering a message entitled, ‘Knowing God’s will,’ quoted an unknown author and said: “When God bolts the door, don’t try to get in through the window.”

 

1 SAMUEL 3:1-10 indicates the first time that God spoke to Samuel. He always slept in the house of the Lord, which had the Ark of the Covenant. He ensured that the lamp which was usually put out every evening, would not go out until the morning. He was diligent in his service to God, helping Eli the priest.

 

The Lord had not spoken to Samuel before in a clear voice until this time.

In those days, it was gathered that the Lord hardly ever spoke directly to people and did not appear to them in dreams very often either. Some Bible scholars noted that in the days of Moses and Joshua, the Lord often spoke to the leaders of the Israelites. But when the people went into sin, worshipping foreign gods, God could not speak to them in clear voice anymore.

Yet, one night, He called Samuel, as Eli was asleep in his room. When he heard the Lord’s voice, he thought it was Eli’s and he ran to him. Eli told the boy that he was not the one calling him. This happened thrice before Eli realized it could be God calling Samuel. He therefore taught the boy the proper way to reply the Lord.

“Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place” (1 Samuel 3:9).

 

Our text, which is quite significant, indicates that God can speak to His children through a clear audible voice. But when there is sin, He can be completely silent.

God stopped speaking to the Israelites when sin came in. This in effect, means that sin can strain our relationship with God. He was able to speak to Samuel because the boy’s way pleased Him. So, if our ways please Him, God will surely draw us closer to Himself. The choice is entirely ours.

 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: God only honours those who honour and reverence Him.

 

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Jul 26

The Guide We Need

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In today’s world, many people parade themselves as role models. Among those who call themselves role models are divorcees, polygamists, men and women who cannot organize their homes.

The definition of ‘role model’ appears misconceived nowadays that many of those who make the list are bereft of morals. The idea of role models in our society is that a man/woman can sing, dance or act in movies etc. What do the world celebrate other than vain things?

But the word of God is a sure guide; it ever remains the same no matter the changes in values and in society. The word of God does not change to accommodate the excesses of a highly placed person in society. And those who desire to walk in the old path must see a dependable ally in the law of God.

 

From the passage before us today Psalm 119:105-112, we discover that to walk safely in the thick forest at night, we need a light to avoid stumbling over the roots or falling into holes.

In this life, we walk through a dark forest of evil. But the Bible can be our light to show us the way ahead so we won’t stumble as we walk. It reveals the entangling roots of false values and philosophies.

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

Three simple habits – reading the scriptures, spending time in prayers and sharing with others – are basic to the Christian life. Through the scriptures, Life speaks to life. And because God has inspired the writing of His word, when we read it, God speaks to us through the Word.

 

Yet, reading the word of God is not enough; it is more important to obey the word of God because it is in doing that that we grow. The prayer we must always offer is for God to give us the mind to understand His word, the heart to believe and the willingness to obey.

 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: It is impossible to stumble while following the law.

 

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Jul 24

Solemn Warning

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Shortly before the Roman General, Titus, sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the temple, the Jews who had turned from Judaism to Christianity were undergoing intense pressure and persecution. They were denied their normal rights as citizens, professionals or artisans.

In some cases, they were beaten and dispossessed of their property. This made them wonder if they had not made a grievous mistake in accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour.

When this suffering hit them in the early days of their conversion, they remained faithful. But now, doubts and loss of faith began to creep in as the public ridicule, torments and affliction intensified. These Hebrew Christians began to question if the old order was not better after all.

But the inspired writer of the book of Hebrews insists that Christianity is superior to Judaism. He tells the Hebrew Christians that in every way, Jesus Christ is better and greater than angels, Moses and the Old Testament priests.

 

HEBREWS 10:19-28 comforts and reassures believers that whatsoever they have lost here on earth as a result of their steadfast stand for Christ, they would get in return for more precious assets in heaven when the Lord would take them home to enjoy indescribable joy forever.

“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised)” (Hebrews 10:23).

As the day of the Lord is fast approaching with increasing signs, we must constantly identify with God’s children and “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3).

 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Stick to Christ in unwavering faith to escape eternal crisis.

 

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Jul 23

As It Was Then…

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The display of depravity and outright rebellion against God in Jerusalem as depicted in Isaiah 3:1-12 is not different from what we are experiencing in our time today. We have injustice, oppression, violence, disrespect to parents, immorality, and total rejection of God’s ways and laws.

 

We are reliving the days of Sodom and Gomorrah all over again. The marriage bed is not only being defiled, divorce is also becoming the rule rather than the exception.

Worse still, “women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. And …men leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one towards another, men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet” (Romans 1:26,27).

 

In the days of Isaiah, society was disintegrating as the people suffered because they had rejected God and instituted their own rules of engagement which did not reckon with the prescription handed to them by the prophet of God.

 

Like lost sheep with an uncaring shepherd, all the people and their leaders headed for the same direction that led to perdition. God was not happy with them and He took “Away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and staff, the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water.” Judgment came in the form of famine and loss of good leadership.

But for those who remained faithful to God in the midst of all this backsliding and immoral behavior, the Lord says “it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings” (Isaiah 3:10).

To the wicked however, God says there will be judgment (Isaiah 3:11). This can only be averted if the sinner repents of his ways and accepts Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour.

 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Righteousness empowers you to enjoy divine blessings

 

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Jul 22

In Everything…..

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Some Christians ignorantly think that there is a limit to what the word of God demands over their lives. While it is okay for the word of God to regulate how they conduct their spiritual lives, they feel that it is none of God’s business to be concerned with the way they choose to conduct their day-to day physical lives.

What has God got to do with what they put on, what they eat, where they go, who they associate with, etc.?

They sometimes wonder aloud. In their misunderstanding of what they call Christian liberty and grace, they allow whatever they like in their lives. Of course, such people are never known to be able to live victorious lives.

 

True Christians are totally under the control of God’s word. God’s word regulates every aspect of their lives.

“And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth” (Leviticus 11:1,2).

Our reading today carefully illustrates this. The Lord did not only dictate how the children of Israel were to conduct their worship and spiritual lives, He also spelt out how they are to go about their eating habit.

He specifically commanded them on the kind of animals and seafood they can eat and those they must avoid. They were not expected to be like the idolatrous nations around them who did not discriminate between clean and unclean animals. Since the children of Israel belonged to Him and He had paid so much to redeem them, He wanted them to be different and unique. He wanted them to preserve their distinctiveness, maintain a healthy lifestyle and avoid questionable associations.

The Lord does not want us to take His grace as a license for careless living.

We are not at liberty to dress anyhow or conduct ourselves in whichever way we like. We must ensure that our lifestyle and actions do not bring offence to the gospel of Christ. Therefore, everything we do should be to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Obedience to God’s whole word makes our lives unique.

 

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Jul 21

Stand On The Rock Of Ages

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The dynamics of erecting an enduring structure in ancient times required a start with what builders called an alignment stone for the foundation. The stone lay at an extreme corner to set the parameters for a strong base. This angle of the cornerstone was very precise, determining all of the subsequent lines and other angles of the building.

It became a standard for the bearing of the beams and walls in the construction of the whole work. In other words, the strength and durability of the building derived from the alignment stone known in modern times as the cornerstone.

That exactly is what God is teaching believers in today’s study: Jesus Christ is the First and Foremost component of the undergirding structure upon which everything else in the Church is aligned.

 

Whatever we teach in the church must line up with the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ. We must have concern for the eternal welfare of a spiritually lost world, as well as for the development of God’s people to full and perfect growth.

 

“And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20).

Jesus is the Cornerstone of the foundation of the Church, and those who would build upon that foundation must be diligent to keep their eyes on Him. That is the way to get it right in the Christian race, since “without me (Jesus Christ) ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).

This is the reason why the leaders of the early Church jealously guarded against distraction from the teaching of the sound word of God when there was discontent over food administration to the Gentile widows (Acts 6:1-7).

Studying and abiding faithfully with the doctrine of Jesus Christ should form the center-piece of all activities in the church. All else should be secondary; the same way every element of a building is secondary and dependent on the cornerstone of the structure. Only that way can the believer abide.

 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Stand on the Rock of Ages, and you won’t be rocked by the crisis of ages.

 

***Share your thoughts and what you’ve just learnt in the comments section below. DON’T FORGET TO SHARE