Monthly Archives: March 2012

Be Your Brother’s Keeper

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Be Your Brother’s Keeper

 

Obadiah 1:11

“In the day that you stood on the other side-In the day that strangers carried captive his forces, When foreigners entered his gates And cast lots for Jerusalem–Even you were as one of them.”
NKJV

Apathy, detachment, disinterest, disregard… no matter what you call it, it’s not an option as a follower of Jesus. In the book of Obadiah, God proclaims judgment on Edom because they stood by and watched Israel be destroyed and taken into captivity. They saw their brother in need and did nothing. Contrast this to Jesus who was active in our redemption.

Philippians 2:7-8 “but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” NKJV

Jesus intentionally left His throne and the glory of heaven to walk among the pain and suffering of the world. He then purposefully gave up His life so that we could know forgiveness. He could have stayed in heaven, but because of His great love for us and in obedience to the Father, Jesus acted. As followers of Christ, may we be active in loving, caring for and sharing with others. Who knows what a small act of kindness or encouraging word could do to change a life. The world is waiting. Let’s go!

Life Lesson: Apathy is not an option as a follower of Christ.

Dear God,
Thank You for Jesus and His love and obedience. Because of His active role in my redemption, I can know forgiveness and grace. In the same way that You were intentional in the salvation of man, may I be intentional in ministering to those around me. Fill me with Your Spirit and equip me to be a light in this dark world. In Jesus Christ Name! Amen!

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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God Is Just

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God Is Just

Is Justice Delayed Justice Denied?

“The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to get angry, full of unfailing love.” (Psalm 145:8)

Justice delayed is often justice denied. For example, if a defense lawyer can keep postponing a murder case, evidence that is available in a speedy trial becomes useless. Witnesses may die or move away. The defense can challenge the validity of a witness’s memory. Police departments misplace evidence.

However, as believers, it is important that we also recognize that we are saved precisely because God delays His justice. Whatever age you or I received God’s promise of eternal life was more than enough time for God to have caused His just wrath to fall on us.

Dr. Cyril E. M. Joad, who for years was the head of the Philosophy Department at the University of London, probably did more to undermine the faith of the collegiate world of recent generations than almost any other. He believed that God was an impersonal part of the cosmos and that there was no such thing as sin.

However, before he died, Dr. Joad became convinced that the only explanation for sin was found in the Bible—and the only solution for sin was the cross of Jesus Christ. Like the apostle Paul, he became a zealous follower of Jesus. No doubt many of his followers turned to faith in God through his testimony and writings. God’s long-suffering and incredible patience brought this skeptic to his knees at the cross.

None of us deserve even one day of life because of our sinful, depraved nature, so we should be grateful for a just God who delays His justice. When it comes to our sin, justice delayed works to our advantage.

Your View of God Really Matters …

The next time you see justice denied because it is delayed, let it be a poignant reminder of how greatly you have benefited because God was slow to enact His justice toward you.

What More Does God Say?

Psalm 145:8-9; Numbers 14:18-24

Because God is Just, He will always treat me fairly! Amen!

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Walk into Your Miracle Today

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Walk into Your Miracle Today!

“….just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too
might walk in newness of life.” -Romans 6:4

Jesus asks you today, “Do you want to be healed? Do you want a miracle?”

Why would anyone not say “Yes!” to their miracle?

Well, you might be held back from saying yes to your miracle because it would mean
that you would have to let go. For example, a woman recently came to see me. She
was living under an irrational fear that she was going to be stricken with cancer.
First, she thought she had breast cancer. But the doctor had told her there was
nothing wrong with her. Then, she thought a suspicious mole was skin cancer. Again,
the doctor examined her and told her that she did not have cancer. This went on
as she feared cancer in various parts of her body. And every time she called me
to share the good news that her fears were unfounded, I thought I detected a note
of disappoint in her voice. I thought, “Does she want to be diagnosed with cancer?”

Eventually I asked her a tough question: “What false benefit would you derive from
getting cancer?”
She looked appalled and then her eyes filled with tears. “My husband has been having an affair. I guess I was thinking that if I got cancer, it might make him feel guilty
and it would be a way for me to get back at him.”

“But it wouldn’t, would it?”

“No.”
She was hurting herself trying to hurt the one who had hurt her. And once she realized
that, she began to get well – she was healed! Not from cancer – because she didn’t
have cancer – but from the bitterness that was hurting her emotionally and probably
would have hurt her physically eventually.

You might have to let go of a way of life. You might have to let go of bitterness.
You might have to let go negative attention-seeking, even manipulative behaviour!

Let go and say “Yes!” to healing and to your miracle!

PRAYER:

Lord, thank You for revealing to me today that there is something in my life that
has held me back from the abundant life that You desire for me. Today, I submit
it to You! I ask You to deliver me from it. Thank You! Amen.

Culled from: www.hourofpower.org

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you

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Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you

James 4:7 says: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Fear comes from the devil. On the flip side blessing, increase, promotion, success, and breakthroughs come from God. I encourage you to resist fear. Resist its dominion over your thoughts, words, and actions because God says that when you resist fear (a manifestation of the devil), it will flee.

Make fear flee!

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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God’s Grace is sufficient for us, for His strength is made perfect in our weakness

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God’s Grace is sufficient for us, for His strength is made perfect in our weakness

2 Corinthians 12:9 “And he said to me “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

In our weakness, He is made strong. In our weakness, as painful as it can be, that is where we truly depend on God and through it, He shows Himself strong in our lives. Don’t be afraid of your weaknesses, for God is there and through that, He not only reveals Himself to you, but also to the world.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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A Sword, Stars, Candlesticks And The Seven Churches

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A Sword, Stars, Candlesticks And The Seven Churches

And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword:
and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength…. The
mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the
seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the
seven churches.
Revelation 1:15-16, 20

Imagine that you are John and you are doing your best to describe what
you’re looking at! He sees a number of things: seven golden
candlesticks, referring to the churches; and seven stars, referring to
angels. The purpose of the candlestick is to give light, and that is
the purpose of the church. If the church doesn’t bring light to people-light to its community and light to ignorance and darkness-if it
doesn’t reveal God and His Word and His plan, it is of no value.

Notice also that out of Jesus’ mouth-the image John is describing-is a
sharp, two-edged sword. A double-edged sword cuts both ways.

Some people think that when they read about the angel of the church
that it is referring to the pastor, but it is not. The angels provide
assistance to the pastor and to the church. The angels provide help to
all individuals who are born again. If you are an heir of salvation,
God has assigned you an angel that has been involved in your life to
the degree that you have allowed him to work for you. Scripture tells
you that you will eventually judge your angel. But I wouldn’t be too
fast to get on his case, lest he bring out the cameras, roll back the
tape, and document what you’ve been saying and doing!

Prayer for Today

Father,
Your ways are beyond my understanding. Your ways are higher than mine.
Thank You for Your Word and Your Spirit bringing light and life. In
Jesus Christ Name! Amen!

Think on These Things

Daniel 8:10

Daniel 12:3

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you

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We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you

Colossians 1:3

READ: Colossians 1:3-14

It’s easy to develop a critical spirit toward people who are not growing spiritually according to our expectations. We can easily spot areas of concern that need correction, but we also need to take note of what’s right. In his letters, Paul often needed to correct churches, but he also celebrated what was good.

In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, for example, he mentioned that the gospel had taken root and was producing fruit in the lives of the believers there (1:6). He celebrated them by directing his thanksgiving toward God for their spiritual growth. They had come to know Jesus and now were struggling against the false teachers (2:6-8). He thanked the Lord for their deep and abiding love for all the saints and for expressing tangible and sacrificial concern for them (1:4). Paul also thanked God because the Colossians’ faith and love grew out of their hope—the reality and assurance that this world is not the end (1:5).

Today may present us with opportunities to observe fellow believers. We can be critical or celebrate their spiritual progress. Let’s take the time to thank the Lord for the way the gospel of Jesus Christ has taken root and is producing fruit in their lives. —Marvin Williams

Help me, Lord, to reassure and strengthen
Others by the words I speak today;
I would always try to be affirming,
As our pathways cross along life’s way. —Hess

Correction does much, but encouragement does more.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Worship is a heartfelt response that comes from an understanding of who God is, and what He’s done for us

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Worship is a heartfelt response that comes from an understanding of who God is, and what He’s done for us. 

Daddy I wish he could have heard me.

That’s what my daughter said to me after church Saturday night.

She was told that a famous singer and recording artist had been there.

She said, “If only I could have met him, he might have hooked me up with a recording deal.”

I laughed a little (on the inside) when I thought about the ramifications of this statement.

To think that at eight years old, my daughter thought she had already missed her big opportunity.

Our Big Opportunity

I think we’ve all felt this way at one time or another… especially when it comes to our worship.

Many times, we’re focused on the people around us.

We want them to hear us sing. We want them to see us dance and raise our hands.

But worship shouldn’t be a show for the people around us.

In reality, our audience is an audience of One.

Worship is our response.

Worship is a heartfelt response that comes from an understanding of who God is, and what He’s done for us.

Abraham had a full revelation of who God was, and he trusted Him completely.

Genesis 15:6 says that his trust in God was credited to him as righteousness.

In Genesis 22, Abraham’s trust is put to the test when God asks him to sacrifice his son Isaac on the altar.

While this might sound extreme today, Abraham’s response was one of complete and total trust in God.

He knew that it was all going to be okay.

In Genesis 22:5, Abraham said, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

You see, he never doubted God’s goodness. He spoke in faith (or in trust), “We will come back.”

When Isaac (who was probably 11 years old at the time) asked, “Where is the lamb for the burnt offering,” Abraham answered in faith by saying, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering.” (Genesis 22:7-8)

Then, after Abraham had gone as far as to bind his son to the altar and raise his knife to complete the sacrifice, God intervened.

God said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”

This story reveals Abraham’s complete and total trust in God, the result of which is his worship.

What do you worship?

The fact is that everyone worships something or someone.

Cardinals fans worship the team with their time, energy, and money.

At the game, you’ll jump up and down and cheer. You’ll spend hundreds of dollars on a soda and a hot dog. It’s worth it, right?

Worship means to show something’s worth.

The word “worship” is derived from two Old English words, “worth” and “ship.”

When we put these together, we see that “worth-ship” is the quality of having worth or of being worthy.

So when we worship, we are saying that God is worth it.

Of course, God can see our heart, so don’t mistake worship as just the songs we sing on Sunday mornings.

The Apostle Paul says that we should give all of our faculties (or talents) to God, for this is our act of worship. –Romans 12:1

Our life should be as a living sacrifice to glorify, extol, lift up, and praise His name.

Like Abraham, there will be times when our faith in God is tested by circumstances that just don’t make sense.

But if you know who God is, and if you know that His plans for you are good, then there’s only one way to respond to life’s trials… with a heart of worship.

As you go through your day today, focus on God’s goodness. Give Him the praise and know that whatever you’re facing, He will bring you through it.

Like Abraham, place all of your trust in your Saviour. Believe me, He is worth it!

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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God Takes Pleasure In Meeting Our Needs

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God Takes Pleasure In Meeting Our Needs

Matthew 7:11, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”

MATTHEW 7: 9-11

What kind of parent would ever deny their children, the necessities of life? If you have children would you fail to feed them? Or provide for them? Or if they ask you for food would you give them poison instead? Of, course not. This is the point Jesus is making.

God is love (1 Jn. 4:8)! And His love for us is infinitely greater than any loving relationship here on earth. We can apply this truth about God’s love for us to any command or example we find in God’s Word where His standards for relationship are revealed. Be assured that He will much more than meet those standards Himself.

This gives us confidence that, in the same way we respond in love to our children and to those who are in need, our God, who is love, will also respond to us. God is a faithful God, and He will always give us the things that we need.

Today, let the Lord be magnified in your life as Psalm 35:27 says, “Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.” It pleases God to minister to you. Let God have pleasure today by meeting your needs. You have not, because you ask not (James 4:2). God wants you to ask so that you can receive (John 16:24). Believe God. He gets pleasure when you ask Him.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Christ brings us together through his death on the cross

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Christ brings us together through his death on the cross

Christ brings us together through His death on the cross. He creates a new people, not based on a common skin colour or family, but based on a common Saviour!

Eph 2:14-16

Fans rooting for the competition? Cheerleaders switching loyalties? What is this?

Kris Hogan skippers a successful Christian high school football program. He has 70 players, 11 coaches, and parents who wouldn’t miss a game! Their upcoming opponent, Gainesville State School was just the opposite. Parents don’t watch them play, but 12 uniformed officers do! Gainesville is a maximum security correctional facility. With no hope of winning, they’d only scored two touchdowns all year.

The whole situation didn’t seem fair. So Coach Hogan asked the fans to step across the field for one night, to cheer for the other side. More than 200 volunteered, including parents and cheerleaders! They formed a spirit line; painted a banner for the team to burst through; and learned the players’ names. A Gainesville team member said, “People are usually a little afraid of us. Most of the time they’re looking at us like we’re criminals. But these people, they were yelling’ for us—- by our names!” After the game, another Gainesville player led a prayer & thanked the Lord for showing them there were people in the world who cared about them.

Christ brings us together through his death on the cross. He creates a new people, not based on a common skin colour or family, but based on a common Saviour!

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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God is taking care of your finances

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God is taking care of your finances!

A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy
God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the
end of the year
Deuteronomy 11:12

When Moses was talking to Israel about the promised land, He said, “The
eyes of the Lord are on your land.”

God has blessings for you on His mind! Today, God is saying to you, “My eyes
are on your finances. I’m looking at your checkbook just as much as you
are. I’m looking at your financial portfolio, and I see everything you
have. In fact, I’m more involved than you are. I’m working things out
to cause you to increase!”

As long as God’s eyes are on your financial situation, He’s got
blessings for you on His mind.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God

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Table set for Shabbat with challah and wine.

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.
Exodus 20:8-10

In Mark 2:27 Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” We live in a generation that works almost constantly, but God in His compassion knew that we needed to rest. He also knew that it would be increasingly difficult for us to slow down and spend time with Him with the many distractions of the world pressing in on us.

The Sabbath commandment is a wonderful example of the timeless truths that God handed down to establish walls of protection around our lives and to help us understand how best to interact with others and with Him.

God took centuries to boil the commandments down to “LOVE” because we first had to be taught what love meant. The first commandments are about loving God-the commandments that follow are about loving one another and ourselves.

I challenge you to put your work down. Observe a Sabbath day. Rest. Don’t push your body and mind to the point where it’s impossible to listen to the Spirit any longer. God Himself has asked you to take a break!

Further Reading

God Bless

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Rapture

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Rapture

Behold He comes with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they
also which pierced him: and all kindred of the earth shall wail
because of him. Even so! Amen!
Revelation 1:7.

The word rapture is not in scripture, but the meaning of the term is
clearly there-it means “taken up.” There are seven raptures in the
Scripture:
Enos was taken up. (Genesis 5:21-23 and Hebrews 11:5-6)
Elijah was taken up. (2 Kings 2:1, 11)
The Lord Jesus was taken up. This passage tells you that He is
coming back the same way He was taken up. (Acts 1:9-11)

The true church will be taken up at the end of what we call the
church age before the seven-year period of tribulation. (1
Thessalonians 4:13-18)
There will be a mid-tribulation rapture of those who did not go up
in the first rapture of the church but were converted by the
preaching of 144,000 converted male Jewish evangelists. (Revelation
7:9-17)
The 144,000 Jewish evangelists will be raptured. (Revelation
14:1-5)
Two witnesses will be taken up right before the return of the Lord
Jesus Christ to the earth. (Revelation 11:1-12)
Believer, Jesus will return the same way He was taken up! You want to
be ready to meet Him in the air!

Prayer for Today

Dear Heavenly Father, I am looking for Your return! Through the power of the Holy Spirit and
the blood of Your Son, I am watching and waiting and ready to go! In
Jesus Christ Name! Amen!

Think on These Things

Matthew 24:30
Mark 14:62
May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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God Answers Every Prayer

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God Answers Every Prayer

Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:”

MATTHEW 7:6-8

Prayer which meets the requirements outlined in God’s Word is always answered. Many times we don’t perceive the answer because it always comes in the spiritual realm first before it is manifested in the physical realm. If we waver from our confident faith, then we abort the manifestation of that answer (Jas. 1:6-7; Heb. 10:35). But God did answer. Everyone who asks receives.

In the book of Daniel chapter 9, Daniel prayed a prayer and waited a relatively short period of time to see his answer to prayer. In less than three minutes the angel Gabriel appeared and answered all of his questions.

This same man prayed another prayer in Daniel chapter 10, but this time it took three weeks before he had an angelic messenger come and answer his questions. What was the difference? Most people believe that God answered one prayer in three minutes and the next prayer in three weeks. But Daniel 10:12, says “from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand,…thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.” Satan had hindered the second prayer from reaching Daniel. God was not the variable. God answers every prayer.

This is confirmed in Matthew 7:8, which says that everyone who asks receives, he that seeks will find, to him that knocks it is opened. God answers, but Satan can hinder our prayers in the spiritual realm before they ever physically manifest. If we understand that God gives the answer and that Satan is the one hindering, the truths of these scriptures will encourage us. God does answer prayer.

God is always answering your prayer. If you haven’t seen it manifest, don’t doubt God, but recognize that you’re fighting an enemy, and persevere. Stand on your faith. Pray without ceasing until you see the answer.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind

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You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment

—Matthew 22:37-38

READ: Matthew 22:34-40

What is the greatest thing in sports? Is it championships? Records? Honours? In the Palestra, the University of Pennsylvania basketball arena, a plaque offers a different perspective on the greatest thing in sports. It reads: “To win the game is great. To play the game is greater. But to love the game is the greatest of all.” This is a refreshing reminder that sports are, after all, just the games we played with joy as kids.

A religious leader once asked Jesus about greatness: “Which is the great commandment?” (Matt. 22:36). Jesus responded by challenging that leader to love—love God and love others. Jesus said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself’” (Matt. 22:37-39).

Whatever else our faith in Christ compels us to do, there is nothing greater we can do than to show our love—for love reveals the heart of our holy heavenly Father. After all, “God is love” (1 John 4:8). It’s easy to be sidetracked by lesser things, but our focus must remain on the greatest thing—loving our God. That in turn enables us to love one another. There’s nothing greater. —Bill Crowder

When amazed by His love for me,
To love Him back became my prayer.
I sought an answer sincerely—
It was: Love the neighbour who’s there. —Verway

The proof of our love for God is our obedience to the commands of God.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Christ The Solid Foundation

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Christ The Solid Foundation

Are you a wise builder for the Kingdom?

1 Corinthians 3:11 “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

Jesus is the foundation of the building, and we are to build on His foundation. We need to take heed of how and with what we build, because on The Day, it will be judged by fire. If we build wisely, it will remain, but if not it will be consumed by fire and it will show as works of the flesh and not of God. Are you a wise builder for the Kingdom? Read 1 Cor 3:5-17

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Give Your Life Away

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Give Your Life Away

 

Acts 21:12-13

“Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
NKJV

Sometimes we say, “I would be willing to die for the Lord.” If you say that and really mean it, then that’s awesome. But are you willing to live for the Lord?

Paul wrote,

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 NKJV

If anyone lived for Christ, it was the Apostle Paul. He endured many trials and suffered greatly in order to further the Gospel. Paul did end up dying for the Lord, but by his living for the Lord, his life was “poured out as a drink offering” (2 Tim 4:6). If you are living for the Lord, then you will be giving your life away and living sacrificially for others and not for yourself.

Jesus said,

“If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up for me, you will find it.” Matthew 10:39 NLT

Are you giving your life away?

Life Lesson: We should give our lives away as we follow Jesus.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for giving me new life in Christ. Please help me to live for You and help me to serve others sacrificially. Please forgive me for times when I have lived selfishly. In Jesus Christ Name! Amen!

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Guide me in Your truth, and teach me, my God, my Saviour

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Guide me in Your truth, and teach me, my God, my Saviour.

Psalm 25:5

“It’s not fair,” we say. It’s not fair that I was born in poverty or that I sing so poorly or that I run so slowly. But the scales of life were forever tipped on the side of fairness when God planted a tree in the Garden of Eden. All complaints were silenced when Adam and his descendants were given free will, the freedom to make whatever eternal choice we desire. Any injustice in this life is offset by the honour of choosing our destiny in the next.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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The Pain of Betrayal

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The Pain of Betrayal

Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

Luke 22:48, NKJV

Judas was one of Jesus’ very closest friends. He had been handpicked to be a disciple. He had been given the special responsibility of being treasurer for the entire band of disciples – a responsibility he had enjoyed as it gave him access to personal petty cash as well as prestige in the eyes of others. Yet it was this disciple who betrayed his Lord and Friend with a kiss! And although Jesus clearly knew the betrayal was coming, it was still a knifelike stab to His heart.

Have you ever been betrayed . . .

By a spouse who has taken a secret lover?

By a sibling who has stolen your inheritance?

By a co-worker who has taken the credit for a job you did?

If you have experienced betrayal, then you understand something of the stabbing pain Judas inflicted at the very outset of Jesus’ uphill struggle to the Cross and would resolve never to betray another.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Judge not, that you be not judged

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Judge not, that ye be not judged

MATTHEW 7:1-5

 

RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT

There are many examples of people judging others in the scriptures. Paul prayed that our love would abound more and more in all judgment (Phil. 1:9). In light of the scriptures where Jesus and the disciples spoke of judging, it is evident that there must be a right and a wrong type of judging.

In Luke 12:56-57, Jesus uses the words “discern” and “judge” interchangeably. A dictionary definition of “judge” can mean many things from “condemn” to “appraise, to form an opinion about; to think or consider.” There is certainly nothing wrong with discerning or appraising a situation or person. Quite the contrary, we need to try the spirits (1 Jn. 4:1). Judging when done as discernment, is good.

It is the condemning type of judgment that is wrong. We can defer passing sentence on people to God, and know that He will make a perfect judgment (Rom. 2:2, Rev. 20:13). God is ultimately the only qualified judge.

Jesus is not forbidding judgment, but rather He is warning to be careful with our judgment because we will be judged accordingly. There are certain cases where we have to pass a condemning sentence as Paul did or as a judge would do today. Pastors and elders are charged with rebuking and even disciplining church members, but it is not something to be done lightly. Judging is not aimed at the person, but the actions of that person. This warning constrains us to be certain that we have heard from God. We must not simply vent our own frustrations.

Every Christian has a need for wisdom in making judgments about how to live from day to day. How wonderful to know that God through His Word has already equipped us to judge.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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