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Showing posts from March, 2023

Vain prayer

Matthew  6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.  6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. In these verses, Jesus warns us about the dangers of praying in a way that is hypocritical or insincere. He says, "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." From these words, we can see that there is a right way and a wrong way to ...

Reward of fornication

1 Corinthians  6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Fornication is defined as sexual activity between two people who are not married to each other. It is a sin that is clearly condemned in the scripture, and the consequences of it can be severe. The apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 6: 18-20 , "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." The Bible is clear that sexual activity is reserved for marriage between one man and one woman. When we engage in sexual activity outside of marriage, we are dishonoring God and disr...

Being Confident

Philippians  1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: The verse above is a powerful reminder that God has a plan for each and every one of us. He has started a good work in us, and he will see it through to completion. We can have confidence in this truth, even when we don't understand what God is doing in our lives. Sometimes, it's easy to become discouraged and lose sight of God's plan. We may feel like we're not making progress in our faith or that our circumstances are too difficult to overcome. But Paul reminds us that we can be confident in God's faithfulness. When we place our trust in God, we can have confidence that he will see us through every challenge we face. He will guide us along the path he has set for us, and he will give us the strength to overcome any obstacle that comes our way But what does it mean to be confident? Confidence is not about being perfect...

The appointed time

Isaiah 60:22 A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time. This verse reminds us that there is an appointed time for everything in our lives. Sometimes, we might feel like things are not happening fast enough or that our prayers are not being answered. However, we need to trust in God's timing, because His timing is perfect. It's important to note that the verse doesn't say "at your time" or "at our time," but it says "in its time." This means that God has a plan and a purpose for everything, and He knows the best time for it to happen. We may not always understand why things are happening the way they are, but we can trust that God is in control. As we go through life, we will encounter many challenges and difficulties. We might feel like giving up or that things are never going to get better. But we must remember that God's timing is not our timing. We must continue to trust...

You reap what you sow

Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. Men may deceive themselves, but no one can deceive God who is all knowing. If one sows to spiritual things, he will reap from such. If he sows to the flesh, he will reap what the flesh produces. Our actions towards fellow humans and God has a definite result coming back to us. If we maintain the righteousness and holiness of God in our life with respect to our conduct before him, we will reap the reward of our actions from him, and if otherwise, the same comes back to us.  every action we take has a consequence. If we plant seeds of kindness, we will reap a harvest of kindness in return. If we plant seeds of hatred and cruelty, we will reap a harvest of pain and suffering. It's important for us to recognize that we have control ove...

The iniquities of the forefathers

Jeremiah 11:9 And the LORD said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 11:10 They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers God maintains the overseer of His people whom He has redeemed by His unconditional love. During the reign of Josiah, God takes the people back to the covenant that He established with them on Mount Sinai. Josiah began the reforms and renewed the promises to keep ceremonially the laws of the covenant. However, God reminded them that their obedience to His law had not always been the case because they were a rebellious people. God told Jeremiah that there was a conspiracy among the men of Judah; they were becoming rebellious and stubborn like their forefathers, and thus conspiring to turn again to idols. God promised to p...

God's Instructions

Proverbs  12:1 Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish. Instructions are detailed information about how something should be done or operated. In contemporary life, every student who wants to progress to another level is given an examination, no matter how cheap or easy it may be. The student still has to follow the detailed instructions given. Refusal to follow the instructions will definitely result in failure. Every work of God in the life of any man always comes with detailed instructions to follow. This always confirms the obedience of man to God's words. God often gives us rules and commands in His word. They’re not suggestions; they’re commands, but He doesn’t always explain why. He wants you to do them out of faith. Sometimes they sound unfair. They sound like they’re meant to cramp your style, that God is some kind of killjoy, that He’s limiting you. For instance, the Bible is very clear: no sex outside of marriage. A lot of these co...

The Patience and the contentious

Romans 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 2:8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 2:9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 2:10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God. God will judge each of us according to our works. For those who are saved, God does judge our works for the purpose of determining heavenly rewards (2 Corinthians 5:10).  Further, if someone was able to seek glory and honour and immortality by persistently doing good works, God would absolutely give to that person eternal life.  A perfectly truthful, sincere person would follow God's will perfectly for their entire life...

As a new born babes

1 Peter  2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: Peter urges his readers to yearn for the word of God, which is the source of godly direction. Newborn babies yearn for and crave the milk that brings sustenance to their lives. In the same way, all Christians should crave the word of God so that they can be spiritually nourished. Milk is essential for the rapid growth of babies. They crave no other food than milk and have no desire for solid food, supplements, or other types of food because the milk they crave is a complete, balanced diet for their growth and well-being. Likewise, the word of God is the balanced diet that every believer should crave. We should have no other desires for life growth, spiritual maturity, and eternal glorification other than the word of God. Many who fail to feed on the milk of God's word have stunted growth and are easily preyed upon by the devil because they have no stamina to withstand the attacks of evil. ...

Being fruitful in a very good work

Colossians  1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; God’s desire is that we bear fruit, that we produce results, in the good works that bring honour and glory to Him. We do this by walking worthy of the Lord. And that starts with knowing and believing God’s Word.  Our confidence in God, built by faithfully studying and applying the Scriptures, enables us to be fruitful in every good work. In other words, the works that come from our believing God’s Word produce good results. When one's focus is on Jesus for the source of wisdom and knowledge, then he will produce fruit from his labours to the glory of God.  He will not only produce spiritual fruit within himself, but his spiritual fruit of Holiness will influence those with whom he has contact. Others will be drawn to his leadership be sue of his knowledge of the word of God.  As we consistently study, apply the Word and ...

When faithful in a little way

Luke 19:17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. Being faithful is to be loyal and steadfast in what one finds to do. It is a true character of being just, trustworthy, dependable and reliable.  God desires everyone to be trustworthy, by this He test His servants with little things before entrusting them with greater things. Faithfulness requires integrity, and God tests your integrity in the little things. Our faithfulness in small things should matter to us because it is an indicator of how we live in this life. Jesus says if we are faithful in the small things, we are also going to be faithful in the big things. Likewise, if we are dishonest in the little things, we’re also going to be prone to being dishonest in the big things. Luke 19:17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. While th...

The strong tower

Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. Every animal knows how to run to a refuge when being preyed upon, pursued or threatened. Some dive into a hole in the ground, some climb a tree, some run into a thick, some hide in tall grass, some rely on colouration to make them blend in and become invisible. Humans runs into towers in ancient times for refuge  Towers were built to protect crops, roads, and cities. They were used both domestically to watch over a landowner’s fields and militarily in the defense of a city. Watchmen stood in towers, armed and ready to sound the alarm if enemies threatened their territory.  There are many times in life when we feel like we are being preyed upon by Satan, the world and even our own weaknesses. We feel the need to flee. As one bumper sticker put it, “When the going gets tough the tough head for the hills.” That means to run for refuge, to flee the trouble and to seek safety. The Na...

He that keepeth his mouth

Proverbs 13:3 He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction. The tongue is a very powerful organ of the body that has the ability to destroy life and also recreate life  As a believer, not everything we thought of saying should ever come out of our mouth especially words of anger, hate, curses etc,... Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Devil is always waiting for that foul, profane, worthless, vulgar words to come out so as to use it against your life.  Spiritual maturity is evidenced by the use of the tongue, those who have been completely transformed in the newness of life in Christ are mastery of it.  Those who threaten or revile other people open themselves to revenge and backlash. The person who speaks without thinking, or without control, may make rash promises that he does not keep....

Faith

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  Faith is a strong belief in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual conviction rather than proof. It takes faith to believe in Christ; it takes faith to believe that what God says is always right and true; and it takes faith to trust and walk in that each and every day. However, if your faith doesn’t continue to grow in your relationship with Christ, you won’t have the faith to see God’s Kingdom come not only in your life, but in the lives of those around you. Whatever faith you have inside of you will determine the outcome of the faith level you’ll have for God at work around you. If you don’t have faith for God to move, there’s a good chance you won’t be looking for anything to take place. When we read all through the Gospels we see how Jesus loved and always responded to anyone that had faith. He loved it when people place their full trust in God. (Matthew 8:5-13). Hebrews 4...

A false Balance

Proverbs  11:1 A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight. God is a God of justice. Truth, pure and unspotted, it  is the very essence of His  Divine character. Wherever there is deceit, injury, oppression in the world, there is God's anger accompanying it.  The false balance, which is an abomination to the Lord is a way by which people chose deceit instead of truth,  deceit in business, government agencies, in finance, in the home and even in the church of God.  It is what we see around us? From the powerful guides of public opinion, each assuming to be written in the interest of justice and truth, but each, almost without exception, warping justice and truth by false statements, false inferences, predetermined conclusions, down to the petty fraud, in measure and WEIGHT, and even Christian men and women are not left out.  As believes we must not compromise our integrity, faith and truthfulness because of a false gain ...

Man of Integrity and Uprightness

Psalms 25 v 21 ( Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on the). Integrity means the practice of being honest and showing a consistent and uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values, while Uprightness is the state of being moral, honest and honourable.   David refers to integrity and uprightness as the attributes that will preserve him. Certainly, David exhibited both integrity and uprightness.  David certainly could trust the Lord to do what was right and keep him safe. He uprightly depended on God for whatever he want or need rather than trusting his one knowledge or cut conners in other to achieve success.  Daniel was also a man of high integrity and virtue, he possess the quality of being honest and having strong moral principle and uprightness. It is generally his choice to hold himself to consistent moral and ethical standards. Daniel set his goals early in life to enable him become a man of highest reference and integr...

But ye shall receive power

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Jesus' work was to establish the means by which God's people could be saved through His death on the cross and His resurrection. The Holy Spirit's work is to spread the message that salvation is found in Jesus.  Jesus' work is finished (John 19:30); He must leave for the Holy Spirit to empower God's followers (Luke 24:49) and continue God's plan for the world (John 16:7–15). The Holy Spirit will come on Pentecost, about nine days later (Acts 2:1–4). "Witness" is from the Greek root word martys. It means a legal or historical spectator who can swear to what he has seen, and Jesus does bestow that role to the apostles. Peter, James and John witnessed Jesus' transfiguration (2 Peter 1:16–18).  Hundreds saw Jesus after the resurrection (1 Corin...

The path of life

Psalms 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. The sin of man in the garden of Eden put an end to God's monopoly leadership over man. It became evidence that man was presented with two distinct way to follow . As sin is to death so also is righteousness and holiness to life.  Man is then to chose which to follow and the consequences of his actions is not hiden away from him.  The Path of Life is a path (a WAY) prepared by God through Jesus Christ, It’s a way of life! Man was first condemned to death through sin, but God in His infinite mercy prepared a way to life through Christ's sacrificial death on the cross.  The Path of Life was founded and laid by through Calvary. You can go to heaven through Jesus and live an abundant overcoming, peaceful life now If you purpose in your heart to walk and stay on the Path of Life. Proverbs 12:28 – In the WAY of righteous is life and in the path...

The temple of the Lord

1 Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. In the letter of Apostle Paul to the Corinthians, his metaphoric use of the word "Temple" is taken from the old testament. The temple of Jerusalem represented the presence of God with Israel. Though God does not literally dwell in temples that are made with hands of men. The temple simply illustrated that God was working in Israel to carry out His eternal purpose of the cross. In the verse above, Paul affirmed that the Corinthian disciples were the temple of God in Corinth. The existence of Christians in Corinth was God's evidence to the Corinthian community that God was working in the city. The Corinthian Christians, therefore, were the manifestation of the work of the spirit in Corinth as men and women humbly submitted to the message of the Gospel a...

The cry of the poor

Psalms  34:6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The God we serve is a universal God, he is all for all, for those who can seek him irrespective of colour, tribe, background or social status. He is not limited to the rich or the highly influential, He relates with everyone equally by the measure of His grace. Our God is a living God that does not reject anyone that comes to Him.  His hand of deliverance reaches to the end of the earth and beyond. King David, in Psalm 34:6 acknowledge the saving grace of God upon His life when he was before Abimelech. In his lowly status, He prayed that God could spare His life, and His prayer was answered. He considers himself a poor man who has no power or might of his own to save himself. In same view Hannah, after being comforted with a child after many years of childlessness affirms that God truly answer the prayers of the poor. 1 Samuel  2:7 The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he...

Be United to the Lord

1 Corinthians 6:17. But the one who is united and joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. AMP We are all created in God’s image, to live in fellowship and communion (covenant) with God, trusting his promises and obeying his commands, loving and being loved.  Sin, however, has destroyed this fellowship bond by rendering humanity both guilty and corrupt, alienated from God and deserving death.  In response, God, as Savior, has undertaken to restore and perfect the life and communion lost. This saving purpose ultimately unfolds through the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross  Every born-again believer who is saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ is incorporated into the body of Christ. Our life and body are the extension of Christ in this world. Our life thus belong to God as a part of the spiritual body of Christ.  Anyone being joined and united with the Lord is then in one spirit with Him. This implies that the personality, appearing, manifestation, an...

Christ liveth in me

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. There are many fishes in the ocean, but they all go by a different name, there are many birds that fly in the sky, but they are of different kinds. There are many who claims to be with Christ, but one thing identifies one from another.  As Christians we have a very important identity which really marks a person as being Christian. The verse above indicates Paul’s testimony about what it means to be a Christian. He says, “I have been crucified with Christ” “I no longer live” and “Christ lives in me.”  A Christian is one who has died and in whom Christ lives. To be identified as a Christian is not to be baptized, although baptism is a good way to make a statement about who we are.  To be identified as a Christian is not to live in obedience to some doctr...

Taking away your filthy garments

Zechariah 3:4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. The vision of prophet zechariah concerning Joshua the high priest wearing a filthy garment is a representation of the state of the people of Judah before God.  Even as much as they are plucked out of the other nations and separated for a divine purpose, they consistently derail from the will of God and followed the custom of the earthen.  But God in His infinite mercy and grace would take away their filthiness and cloth them with the garment of righteousness and holiness.  This can only be possible through eternal redemption and the humbleness of heart of the people.  This is the same for us also as believers today, God wants us to take away our filthy garments which retard the presence of God from us. As children of God, ...

The reward of inheritance in Christ

Colossians 3:22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. As we have been redeemed into the family of God through the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross, we now live according to the purpose of Him that saved us and not unto the will of the flesh.  By this, we are expected to obey all the commandments of God made available in the scripture.  Nevertheless, our relationship with Christ, forgetting the things of the world and cleaving to the things above will not go unrewarded. The reward is having an inheritance in Christ.  Apostle Paul admonished the Colossian believers of the prerequisite of receiving the inheritance deserving unto those who are of Christ.  For us to receive t...

Love

Colossians 3:14. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. Love is the foundation upon which all interpersonal relationships are established. This is the adhesive that keeps the community or God together at all times. God himself is love, and by this, he gave his only begotten Son to die for mankind... John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. This was the extreme of God's love for us. And as much as we accept the love given to us, we also much extend its hand towards one another.  Love is expressly defined in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8   Love suffers long and is kind;  Love patiently endures the weaknesses of others, it is not quick to discard a relationship simply because of a disagreement. It does not portray a harsh attitude against another either brother or spouse. Through kindness, love actively works towards the benefit of all...

Living an honorable life

James 3:13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. To live an honorable life is to act in an honorable way. Honor is not something we receive freely, but is given in response to the way we interact with others.  As believers we can live an honourable life when our life tally with the character of Christ who is our role model in this world of sin.  To be like Jesus means to forgive like Jesus and to lobe like Him . Although this is not an easy thing to do, it is the right thing to do. Forgiving the undeserving is probably one of the most honorable things a person can do.  Extending such grace to someone who has been unkind to you, or even to the people you love, is a beautiful picture and reflects the attitude and affections of our Lord.  1 Peter 2:12.“Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds ...

The great helper in time of needs

Isaiah 41:14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. This world has been filled with trouble in one way or the other the moment Satan was sent into it. Ever since, man has been faced with several difficulties and calamities coming in different phases No one else to trust for help in times of need except God himself when human effort and wisdom fails. God has never disappointed His own and whoever comes to Him for help. Surly, He is the great helper in time of needs  Sometimes whenever we are in trouble, we think God has abandoned us, or has forsaken us with our problem, and we tend to loose hope and faith of being redeemed and saved from such situations. Yet, God himself is in the middle of the storm with us, His spirit is with us, for He has promised He will not leave us nor forsake us.  Many who cried unto God for help in the past, were never disappointed, they received what they asked for...

Building strength for Adversity

Proverbs 24:10 If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. Adversity refers to trouble, misfortune or difficulties. Though every believer would prefer to always live in prosperity, peace and joy. Adversity or difficult times do feature in the life of the Christian. When we face adversity, generally, we first pray for God to remove it. But the Lord usually doesn’t remove the adversity. And so we have to go through it. Peter tells us, “the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world,” [1 Pet 5:9]. Thus, we need strength in adversity to get through these trials.   It is expected of every believers in Christ to expect adversity, because we are in the world but not of the world. The system of the world will always want to work against the standard of God in us, but Christ promised He has overcome the world.  We are to be rooted in Christ, build up our strength so we can face any challenge the devil or the world may trow at us....

The Lord great in power

Nahum  1:3 The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. God is the power that created the heavens and the earth. When He said, “Let there be light!” the light came to the earth, and He created day and night. (Genesis 1) God parted the Red Sea; He made the walls of Jericho fall without a single blow. (Exodus 14:21; Joshua 6:20). Even the sun and the moon have to stand still at His command. (Joshua 10:13) God is infinitely great. The prophet Isaiah made an attempt at describing Him: “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance?” Isaiah 40:12. God is eternal, this is the same God with whom we can have a personal relationship. He is always the same. He is everlasting. God is patient in order to bring ab...

The God of peace

Philippians  4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. Peace is freedom from anxiety or distress; it is the state of tranquility or a period in which there is no war or war has ended     It is the stability of heart and mind in the midst of confrontations or adversities, Peace is the state of calmness and restfulness in the midst of pressures or ‘urgencies’   God himself is the peace of the universe which is evidence in His  uncommon love he has shown towards man. In the garden of Eden, God ensure calmness and peace are instituted before man was created. Even so when sin came to this world which gave birth to evil, trouble, calamities, war, anxiety and adversity, God never stop to reveal His peace towards man from time to time among His people. The peace of God is needed to withstand and overcome the regular pressures and troubles of this world (John 16:33) You ...

God cannot be mocked

Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. The God we serve is a just God, nothing is hidden before Him and everything we do here on earth, either secret or open to men are all open before Him.  As man sinned against God, we become unstable in measuring up to His standard even after our salvation has been perfected on the cross, so in a bid to appear godly before men, we live a deceitful life, trying to act as a real believer before men but in the secret we are far away from God, by this we mock God.   Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. We mock God when we think we can please Him through our deceptive religiosity, their lips proclaim the goodness and righteousness of God, but their heart is full of evil and far away from the truth o...