| THE NEW MAN I – Sunday April 10th 2016 Posted: 03 Apr 2016 03:01 AM PDT THE NEW MAN I Memorise: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2nd Corinthians 5:17Read: Romans 12:1-2, 12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Bible in one year; 1st Samuel 24-25, Proverbs 8:1-21 One of the basic signs of redemption in the life of a man is the newness of the life that he lives. This change of his spiritual living standard is never covert; rather, it is always obvious. When Zacchaeus, the publican, encountered Jesus in Jericho, his life never remained the same. A notoriously corrupt tax collector said: "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold." Luke 19:8 The memory verse for today corroborates the story in the above quoted scripture. Indeed, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things must pass away. Today, it is a different ball-game; people seem to maintain the status quo of their past lives even after their claims of a born-again experience. The thief still steals yet he claims to be born-again. The adulterous woman who succeeded in snatching another woman's legally and scripturally wedded husband, lives comfortably with the man, speaking in "tongues"
John the Baptist, when addressing those who decided to follow godliness by coming for his baptism, encouraged them to bear fruits that met with genuine repentance, and take a total turn-around from past sinful living. The Bible says "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance." Matthew 3:7-8 The above scripture is a food for thought: the religious leaders of John the Baptist's time humbled themselves to come for baptism in order to usher in a new more of spiritual revival. This is a lesson for those who are claiming to have risen through the ranks and files of established Churches to seek spiritual reawakening.
This may also account for many older generations embracing the Pentecostal experience. This is very good provided they also "bring forth fruits meet for repentance", not maintaining the status-quo of their highly esteemed positions in their (former) Churches without transformation. The cry of the regenerative Spirit is change! You may need to change your friends, eating and dressing habits to be able to conform to the image of the Son of the Living God. Action Point Look at your past life in comparison with your newly found faith in Christ and effect necessary changes.
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| THE WISE & THE FOOLISH – Saturday April 9th 2016 Posted: 03 Apr 2016 02:57 AM PDT THE WISE & THE FOOLISH Memorise: But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. James 4:6Read: Isaiah 14:12-15, 12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven; I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. Bible in one year: 1st Samuel 21:23, Proverbs 7:10-27 According to Proverbs 16:18, destruction is the major 'dividend' of pride. It is interesting to note that pride was the root cause of the first rebellion both in heaven and on earth. It started with Lucifer, the son of the morning who later became the devil (Isaiah 14:12-15). He was a beautiful Archangel until pride brought him down.
When the devil discovered the easy way of falling into destruction (pride), he started using it to bring people down to his fallen state. This he successfully did with the first man and the first woman. The devil deceived them, telling them that when they ate the forbidden fruit, they would be as wise as God and they believed him. "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with herm and he did eat." Genesis 3:6
Unfortunately, because of their quest for wisdom that will equate them with their Maker, they fell, and the glory of the Lord which covered them departed leaving them naked and empty. Pride disgraces its owner beyond measure. The story of Pharaoh is a case study. It was pride that drowned his hosts in the Red Sea. One would expect that after the ten terrible plaques that God used to warn him, he would humble himself before the Most High. Rather, he maintained what he initially said: "Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go?" (Exodus 5:2). Before he knew it, it was too late for him to repent. To escape the spirit of pride, you need to be genuinely born again so that the Spirit of Jesus many dwell in you. If you are deadly a child of God, you need to be sanctified and allow the mind of Jesus Christ dwell in you richly:
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ: Who bring in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant…"Philippians 2:5-7 My prayer for someone using this devotional is that pride will not destroy you, your destiny and your loved ones in Jesus' name. Action Point Don't pray for God to humble you; this is dangerous. Rather, pray that the gentle Holy Spirit should help you to voluntarily humble yourself before the Lord, so that He can exalt you. |
| SPIRITUAL PACESETTERS – Friday April 8th 2016 Posted: 03 Apr 2016 02:48 AM PDT SPIRITUAL PACESETTERS Memorise: Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 1st Corinthians 11:1 Read: Hebrews 6:9-15, 9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. 10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: 12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, 14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. 15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. Bible in one year: 1st Samuel 18:17-20:42, Proverbs 6:28-7:9 There are certain spiritual pacesetters in the Church who when a conscientious Christian takes time to emulate, heaven would be his limit. It is unfortunate, however, that these spiritual pace setters are very few nowadays unlike in the days of old when an apostle wrote: "And ye become followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost. So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia." 1st Thessalonians 1:6-7 When were the outstanding Christian living standards that the early disciples lived by? Some could be deduced in the above quoted scripture: Firstly, they received the Word with joy despite the fact that it was hard. Today, Christianity has become a 'bread and butter' affair. Any New Testament injunction that brings about a slight affliction is thrown away as it comes from the pulpit. This has made many post-modern preachers not to bother about preaching the hard truth any more. They see it as an exercise in futility, so you hear them say, "don't preach such things; they won't accept that from you!" At the beginning of this apostasy, it was the modern day Christians who picked and chose what they would accept, while they threw the rest back at the preacher. These days, it is the preachers who 'carefully' select the message that will be 'offensive' to their congregation. These are no spiritual pace setters. I will like to warn a preacher using this devotional with the Words of the Lord in Ezekiel 33:7-8 "So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I required at thine hand. " Apart from warning the evil-doers and sinners against wickedness by word of mouth, a spiritual pace setter must practice what he preaches. A Christian, and particularly a preacher, must live as a light in this world. The Bible says:" … of all that Jesus began both to do and teach" (Acts 1:1). This exactly was the pattern of life of the early apostles; the reason they were able to admonish brethren to be followers of them as they were of Christ. In transparent faithfulness, Christians should set the pace for the unbelievers. In godliness, believers in Christ must be spiritual pacesetters and perfect examples of their generation. Jesus Christ said: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matthew 5:16 Prayer Point Father, please make me a spiritual pacesetter so that millions may come to Your Kingdom through me. |
| VICTORY IN HOLINESS – Thursday April 7th 2016 Posted: 03 Apr 2016 02:43 AM PDT VICTORY IN HOLINESS Memorise: Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. Proverbs 14:34Read: Daniel 6:19-23, 19 At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions' den. 20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?" 21 Daniel answered, "May the king live forever! 22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty." 23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. Bible in one year: 1st Samuel 17:1-18:16, Proverbs 6:16-27 There is victory in holiness. This is a fact that many do not know of and their ignorance makes them continue to live as fake Christians. When the eyes of a child of God are opened to this revelation, he will not wait for any Pastor to preach so much before he begins to live righteously and faithfully to honour his Lord and Saviour. Our memory verse for today presents a two-edged sword of the truth: while righteousness exalts a nation, sin or unrighteousness brings reproach that comes in form of defeat (Proverbs 14:34). The story of Daniel in the text for today is highly revealing. The first thing one should notice is that righteousness or holy living is not a hidden thing. It is something that the one who is living such a life can and must exhibit with every sense of humility. Daniel said: "My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lion's mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocence was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt." There is victory in holy living and Daniel confirmed this in Daniel 6:22 To some people, the testimony of Daniel may sound arrogant, but the question is, was Daniel saying the truth when he said that he did no evil against the earthly kingdom and the kingdom of heaven? The outcome of the persecution gives the accurate answer. The Bible says: "Follow peace with all men, and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord." Hebrew 12:14 At times, some Christians who do not believe in holiness feign humility by saying it is impossible for mere humans, to live holy. Like I always tell my children in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, the fact that you are not living by the Bible does not mean others are not. The Bible says: "Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil, for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." 1st John 3:7-8 As a matter of fact, you either holy or sinful and no sinner will make it to heaven. For this reason, Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil in our lives. You are righteous by grace. This grace is why we must never boast because it is not you but Christ that lives in you. I encourage someone using this devotional to pray earnestly for the grace to live holy. Daniel triumphed over all his administrative and political enemies. They perished in his stead because of holiness! I pray for a reader of this devotional, the grace to live holy will come upon you today and you will henceforth live a daily victorious life in Jesus' name. Prayer Point Father, please help me live a life of obedience to Your Word so that I may be holy unto You. |
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