He Will Continue His Care: Devotion for Saturday January 4, 2020

Devotion for Saturday January 4, 2020

Topic: He Will Continue His Care                

Text: John 14:18 – 21

The parting of friends are always emotional and it is even more disheartening when it is at the point where you have just started knowing each other, and have started enjoying the relationship. I remember my last service at the church I served 6 months before going for Ordination training. It was more than emotional as my members were all weeping at the end of the service.

Jesus had just been with the disciples for three years and now he was leaving. In your mind, what do you think will be the feelings of these men who left everything to follow Him? Jesus knew what will be in their minds and thus He promises that He would continue His care of His disciples. I will not leave you orphans, for though I leave you, yet I leave you this comfort that I will come to you.

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God’s care for us didn’t end with last year. His care for us will continue from where He stopped with us last year. People usually try to improve on what they were the previous year so God will improve on what He did for you last year. However, it all depends on our love for God and His word. Where sincere love to Christ is in the heart, there will be obedience. Love will be a commanding, constraining principle; and where love is, duty follows from a principle of gratitude. Keep trusting Him!

Food for Thought: God is able to keep and care for all those who entrust their lives to His care and protection.

Memory verse: John 14:18

Prayer: God, I rededicate myself and family to your care and protection this year. Grant me the grace to love you and keep your commandments.

A Perfect And Undefiled Religion

Devotion for Sunday July 29, 2018

Sing A&M 328 – A Charge To Keep I Have

Topic: A Perfect And Undefiled Religion

Text: James 1:27

Caring for the needy, the poor, the less privilege the destitute and the dejected is one of the duties expected of us who are Christians. In the present day church, we have a lot of these set of people and some of them even summon courage to share their challenges with us. Apostle James enjoined us to pay more attention to their need as believers. Unfortunately, the reverse is the case; instead of attending to the needy in the present day church, most Christians help only the rich because they are the ones that can pay them back or also help them when they are in need too, leaving the needy to their faith.

How do we respond to the needy among us? How do we treat the widows, orphans and the destitute among us today? Is serving God through humanity our religion today? Is it the religion of the best dress and cliques of personalities in same class? By not helping the needy in the church, we are directly or indirectly telling them “go the Lord will help you.” James’ opinion is that if we claim to be religious but fail in caring for the needy among us; we are just hypocrites who wash outside of a cup but inside is very dirty.

The religion some of us practice today is that of rich sharing with the wealthy while the poor Christians continue in their pains. Whenever we practice the principle of welfare, we are showing and practicing the “pure religion” James posited (James 1:27). Our Lord Jesus Christ noted that “inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40). Jesus Christ made it a priority (a must do) for all believers to care for the needy and that He will base His judgment on how well you care for the less privileged people among you (Matthew 25:31-46).

Food for Thought: we were created to do good works that includes taking care of the needy and the poor among us.

Memory verse: Mathew 25:40

Prayer point: Grant me the grace, O Lord my God to help the needy who come to me and direct me to as many who desire my comfort.

I Will Not Leave You As Orphans

Devotion for Thursday January 25, 2018

Topic: I Will Not Leave You As Orphans 

Text: John 14:18 – 21                                        

When someone dear to you is leaving or parting from you, even temporarily, it is always emotional and it is even more disheartening when it is at the point where you have just started knowing each other, and have started enjoying the relationship. I still remember my last service as a Catechist at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Adonte. It was an emotional service. Tears flowed like a river. Even the Lay Reader who handled the church before I came did not hide his emotions as he wept openly during the service. I was the first Catechist and I served only 6 months. I left when they were beginning to enjoy my ministry.

Jesus had just been with the disciples for three years and now He was leaving. What do you think will be the feelings of His disciples who left everything to follow Him? Jesus knew what will be in their minds and thus He promises that He would continue to take care of them saying, “I will not leave you orphans.”

God’s care for us is continuous. Just as Jesus did not end His care for them but continued even after His death and resurrection, so His care for us will continue. We know that every year, people try to improve on what they were the previous year and so God will also improve on what He did for you last year. However, it depends on our love for Him and His word. The evidence of our love for Christ is obedience to His laws. Where sincere love to Christ is in the heart, there will be obedience. Love will be a commanding, constraining principle; and where love is, duty follows from a principle of gratitude. Sing A&M 399 with emphasis on Stanza 2

Food for Thought: God is able to keep and care for all those who entrust their lives to His care and protection.

Memory verse: John 14:18

Prayer: God, I rededicate myself and family to your care and protection this year. Grant us the grace to love and keep your commandments.

Our Social Responsibilities

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Sunday March 5, 2017

Topic: Our Social Responsibilities

Text: Exodus 23:4 – 7a

Before writing this devotion, I read a post on Facebook where a young man berated Nigerian Pastors. My comment was that he shouldn’t have generalized what he said about Nigerian Pastors in terms of social responsibilities, whose emphasis is always on giving, seed sowing and prosperity messages, even neglecting the main message of Christianity which is on salvation.

I had to make an opinion poll thus: Is Religion the problem of this country, Yes or No. People who believe that religion is our problem were greater in number. The application of sentiments, bitterness, resentment, deceit in our religion is the major problem facing us not religion itself. If religion is a problem, why are people in Ghana and other countries living peaceful despite their practice of Islam and Christianity? In our present day, people no longer see a spade and call it a spade. Truth is far away from us.

We (Christians) have social responsibilities towards one another. We depend on one another to live well. The responsibilities include taking care of the animal that belongs to your enemies, never to abuse and oppress the poor and strangers, and never to take bribe. Unfortunately, these things are common among Christians. Who care to rebuke a neighbour’s child these days? Some civil servants deliberately hide people’s files and only bring them out when the person had parted with money. What God requires from us and our greatest obligation is love for one another. It entails being our brothers’ keeper. How much do you love people you meet on daily basis? Do you faithfully perform your responsibilities towards them? Think about this.

Food for Thought: Are you your brother’s keeper?

Memory verse: Exodus 23 verse 5

Prayer: God, help me to love my neighbours as myself in words and deed.

HE WILL CONTINUE HIS CARE: Devotion for Monday January 4, 2016

HE WILL CONTINUE HIS CARE                 Monday January 4, 2016

Text: John 14:18 – 21              Memory verse: v 18

When friends are parting it is always emotional and it is even more disheartening when it is at the point where you have just started knowing each other, and have started enjoying the relationship. Jesus had just been with the disciples for three years and now he was leaving. What do you think will be the feelings of these men who left everything to follow Him? Jesus knew what will be in their minds and thus He promises that He would continue to take care of them. I will not leave you orphans, for though I leave you, yet I leave you this comfort that I will come back to you.

God’s care for us didn’t end with last year. Just as Jesus did not end His care for His disciples but continued even after His death and resurrection, so His care for us will continue from where He stopped with us last year. We all know that every year, people try to improve on what they were the previous year so God will improve on what He did for you last year. However, it all depends on our love for God and His word. The surest evidence of our love to Christ is obedience to His laws. Where sincere love to Christ is in the heart, there will be obedience. Love will be a commanding, constraining principle; and where love is, duty follows from a principle of gratitude. The promises of God are confined to those whose faith works by love, and whose love to Jesus leads them to keep His commandments.

Food for Thought: God is able to keep and care for all those who entrust their lives to His care and protection.

Prayer: (1) God, I rededicate myself and family to your care and protection this year. 
(2) Grant me the grace to love you and keep your commandments.