He Revitalizes Our Mortal Body

Devotion for Wednesday April 4, 2018

Topic: He Revitalizes Our Mortal Body

Text: Romans 8:10 – 17

If the Holy Spirit be in us, invariably Christ is in us. He dwells in the heart of believers by faith. Christ’s Spirit lives within our human spirits. The presence of Christ in us will automatically make our bodies to resist and reject sin (Romans 8:10). Any Christian who receives the grace and Spirit of Christ, and continues to live under its influence a life of obedience to the Divine will, shall have a resurrection to eternal life (Romans 8:11).

The point Paul made here is that we are promised the physical resurrection of our bodies into eternal life. The Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to us. So there is wonderful hope even for our prone-to-decay bodies. In another dimension, the presence of Holy Spirit resuscitates our physical bodies too and makes it alive. When the Spirit of God dwells in you, Satan and sickness will not have upper hand in your body.

Are you sick in the body and desire healing from God? Then you need to invite the Spirit of God into your life. You can start with praises for God dwells in the praises of His people. His presence will bring life to that withered hand and crippled legs in Jesus name.

Though you may be sick but as you are reading this devotion, God is saying to you, give me chance to come in now and you will see the difference. Give Him the opportunity to come into your life and revitalize everything that is dead.

Sing SS&S 89; Abu 253

Food for Thought: Life comes from the Spirit of God (Ezekiel 37:10)

Memory verse: Romans 8:11

Prayer: Release upon me O Lord, your Spirit to revive my dying body again in Jesus name.

A Compassionate God

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Thursday July 20, 2017

Topic: A Compassionate God

Text: Luke 7:11 – 17

The city of Nain was about twenty five miles from Capernaum and Jesus travelled that long distance to bring comfort to sorrowing widow. Distance is not a barrier to Jesus in terms of solving problems. Jesus and the crowd following Him met the widow and her crowd as she was going to bury her only child. The Author of life (Acts 3:15) will meet with your dead situation in Jesus name.

Jesus’ compassion for the widow shows His soft spot and care for widows, the needy, the down trodden and people who are hurt. God is the father of the fatherless and the defender of widows who trust in Him. They are under His special care and protection (Exodus 22:22 – 23; Deuteronomy 10:18 and Psalm 149:9). When Jesus saw the widow following her dead son to the grave site, He had compassion on her and restored the dead son back to life.

Christ has concern for the mourners and the miserable that put their trust in Him and often provides them with the blessings of His goodness. Love made Him to undertake the work of our redemption (Isa 63:9). What a pleasing idea it gives us of the compassion of the Lord Jesus and His tender mercies. That is His nature. Adam and Eve sinned and went for leaves of fig tree but in His nature, He made clothes with Goat skin for them. They didn’t request for it. He knew what they needed and the ones that were best for them. So He knows what the best things for you. By virtue of His compassion He will remember and provide for you. Just be patient with God.

Food for Thought: God’s bosom is filled with pity and He pours it into a wounded spirit to console it, causing it to sing for joy.

Memory verse: Luke 7:13

Prayer: Lord, meet me at the point of my need with your comfort and mercies.   

A Living Hope

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Saturday April 22, 2017

Topic: A Living Hope 

Text: 1 Peter 1:3 – 5

The Christian's hope is a living principle, and sustains his spiritual life. Our hope is lived out. It is something that is live out for others to see. This hope gives life and looks for life as its object. We are now born again for a wonderful expectation of life to come but not of this world because we are pilgrims and foreigners here. This expectation we have is based on the assurance that God will keep His promise to raise us because Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Christ has made necessary power available for our resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:22). His resurrection makes us certain that we too will be raised from the dead.

This assurance is what makes our hope lively. It keeps us going, striving against all odds so as to gain that which God has promised us. What the resurrection of Christ has done for us is that it has inspired hope and grace in us. It has brought the conviction that we are going to be resurrected. The onus on us now is to live our lives with that inspired hope from the resurrection of Christ. It should make us to be heavenly conscious as we read yesterday. It should inspire a more strong faith in us that God is ever faithful to His promises. Our hope for eternal life promised us shouldn’t die.

We may be experiencing some negative things that are currently challenging our faiths. That notwithstanding, if we know our God, our hope will be renewed every day. We can achieve this by daily searching out God’s promises and laying hold of them as we pray. Don’t allow uncertainties of life deem your hope rather rekindle it daily basis. 

Food for Thought: Our hope for eternal life promised us shouldn’t die. Rekindle it on daily basis as we await the return of our Saviour.

Memory verse: 1 Peter 1 verse 3 - Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

Prayer: Help me, O Lord, to keep the hope of eternal life lively in me in Jesus name.

Reckon Yourselves To Be Dead

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Thursday April 20, 2017

Topic: Reckon Yourselves To Be Dead

Text: Romans 6:8 – 11

Yesterday, we saw that one of the implications of our baptism is that we are to die to sin and be alive unto righteousness. Apostle Paul therefore, advised the Romans and we the present readers by extension that we should reckon ourselves to be dead to sin. A dead man is in a state of numbness and inactivity. The body does not do anything and thus is not prone to sin. Such state of numbness makes it impossible to commit sin because in that state it is emotionless without feelings.

What this means is that we should regard our old sinful nature as dead and unresponsive to sin. If you strike a match and place it on a dead body, he will not feel the heat because the body is in numbness state. By considering ourselves dead to sin, Paul wants us to be like Christ in  dying to sin and living to God; living a new life of holiness devoted to God's glory, in imitating Christ's resurrection-life.

As people who are now identified with Christ, we should distant ourselves from the kind of life we were used to before we repented. We should no longer want to pursue our old plans, desires, and goals. Those desires must be put to death (Col. 3:5, 6). We should begin to live for the glory of God. This will be a battle between the flesh and the spirit. However, if you are willing and obedient, God will grant you the enabling grace through the power of the Holy Spirit who will help you become all that Christ wants you to be. Your salvation should produce “A change not of state and condition only, but of character and conduct. It leads a person to live not unto himself, but unto Him who died for him and rose again” as posited Family Bible Notes. Is it so in your life?  

Food for Thought: What positive change can be seen in your conduct and character as a Christian?

Memory verse: Romans 6:2 – Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

Prayer: Lord God, help me to mortify my body so I can die to sin in Jesus name.

The Implications Of Our Baptism

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Wednesday April 19, 2017

Topic: The Implications Of Our Baptism

Text: Romans 6:1 – 7

Misconception and misunderstanding of our basics of faith can affect our relationship with God badly and make the foundation of our faith shaky. Paul realized that his teaching in the previous chapter about God’s kindness to sinners could be interpreted to suggest that people ought to keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more kindness and forgiveness. Hence the question Paul asked in Romans 6:1. He also answered by emphatically saying, “Certainly not!” Paul’s idea here is that the gospel of grace was not aimed at finding an excuse for sin, but to give freedom from sin. He clarified this with the following illustration that the believer has died to sin.

Using the burial of Christ as a reference point, Paul stated that our baptism implies we have died with Christ. Our baptism connotes death to sin and exchange of our sinful life for Christ’s resurrection life. Paul speaks of this death to sin as a fact and concludes, therefore, that believers cannot continue to live in it. This is what is expected of us in our baptism.

From this teaching of Paul, the usefulness of our baptism does not lie on the place or means by which we were baptised as some lay credence to immersion. What matters is the repentance from sin and resurrection to a new life in Christ Jesus. This was the point Peter raised in 1 Pet. 3:21. It is not just enough to be baptised, we should strive to live out the life required of us who have been baptised. It should be lives that are dead to sin and alive unto righteousness. Do you manifest a life that is dead to sin and alive unto righteousness?

Food for Thought: Are you living the life required of someone who has been baptised?

Memory verse: Colossians 2:12

Prayer: Lord God, cause me to die to sin and live unto righteousness as required of me in Jesus name. Amen.

Who Will Roll Away The Stone?

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Easter Sunday April 16, 2017

Topic: Who Will Roll Away The Stone?

Text: Mark 16:1 – 8

Yesterday we saw how the Chief priest and Pharisees obtained permission and secured the tomb of Jesus in a bid to stopping Him from resurrecting. Our bible reading confirms that the tomb was indeed secured. These women came to the tomb of Jesus to anoint His dead body as was the custom. On their way they remembered that the tomb had been secured with a big stone which they cannot pull away. God, whose plan overrules that of man had pulled away the stone and the anointing they were planning couldn’t hold because Jesus was not in the tomb again. Sometimes when we meet with opposition as we plan to honour God, we shouldn’t be discouraged because He will certainly remove all obstacles on the way. God removed the stone to teach us that when He purposes, nothing whatsoever can stop His purpose from fulfilling.

Today, we are celebrating the effects of that stone which God rolled away. One of them is the resurrection of Christ. His resurrection brought hope for us that all our problem of sin, sickness, lack, etc have been rolled away and new things are beginning to manifest for us in Jesus name. You may have been wondering who will roll away that your problem. Never mind, the God you serve, in His infinite mercies will roll them away. As the women went back with joy that Jesus had resurrected, so you will from this day sing songs of joy and victory of what God will resurrect in your life, family, business, marriage, etc. Happy Easter!           

Food for Thought: What would been our Christian faith, if Christ did not resurrect from the dead?

Memory verse: Mark 16 verse 3

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for resurrecting Jesus Christ from the dead which has brought us hopes of victory over death and certainty of eternal life. Amen.

No Excuse (V)

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Thursday March 16, 2017

Topic: No Excuse (V)

Text: Revelation 3:1 – 6  

The problem in the church at Sardis was spiritual death. In spite of its reputation for being active, the church was filled with sin. Its deeds were evil, which soiled their clothes. There was no word of commendation for it that looked so good on the outside but was so corrupt on the inside. God urged them to obey the truth they had heard when they first believed in Christ and to get back to the basics of the faith.

The reason for this admonition is because He did not find their works perfect before Him. He charged them to be watchful and to strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die (3:2, 3). Where iniquity abounds grace also abounds. God noted that there were few names that did not defiled their garments. This was personal commendation for some members of this church and not general commendation. Is there any lesson for us in this personal commendation? Though it is important to grow in our knowledge of Christ, to deepen our understanding through careful study, we must never abandon the basic truths of our faith.

On facial observation, this church looked good but not so with God. They were only doing ‘maintenance service.’ There were no innovations or improvement on what they had. This gave room for redundancy, complacency and spiritual death. Is such condition obtainable in your church that you have now become spiritually dead? That is no excuse before God. Few people in Sardis still maintained their salvation. Why can’t you remain focused in the faith? Why will you allow the spiritual death of others to affect you? God can’t accept that excuse (Romans 2:1). Repent now and return to God.    

Food for Thought: Do you have the reputation of being alive but you are dead?

Memory verse: Revelation 3 verse 2

Prayer: Lord God, help me to strengthen what is alive in me and to repent of my sins in Jesus name. 

Make Room For Jesus

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Thursday March 9, 2017

Topic: Make Room For Jesus

Text: Matthew 9:23 – 26      

When Jesus arrived at Jairus’ house, a noisy crowd was there and probably funeral music was playing. But Jesus told them to make room because the girl was only sleeping. He spoke words of encouragement. The girl was indeed dead, and everyone from the family to the mourners knew it. Jesus knew it too, but His words were to test their faith. Unfortunately, they didn’t believe Jesus hence the ridicule (Matthew 9:24).

Make room here as Jesus used it was telling the mourners and flute players that their services are no longer needed and that they should retire. It may also be interpreted to mean remove everything that would be a hindrance or stumbling block to the restoration of the girl back to life. Jesus had to put them away because their faith is not enough for the work at hand.

Beloved, if we want God’s intervention in our predicaments and problems of life, we should make room for Jesus to operate. Making room as required of us here may be in the area of our faith, righteous living, obedience, support for His work, etc. Jesus needs the room to operate. He needs our full obedience and compliance.

It was after the crowd had been put aside that Jesus restored the girl back to life. Until we put aside our faithlessness, disobedience, ignorance, etc, God will not work in our favour. What are the things you need to put aside to make room for Jesus to heal, bless, save or deliver you? Think about it. Have a great day.

Food for Thought: Jesus works in our favour when we make room for Him.

Memory verse: Matthew 9 verse 24 - He said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him

Prayer: Help me to put aside, O Lord all that whatever will be a hindrance to your working in my favour now and always in Jesus name.

JUST REWARD FOR SIN: Devotion for Tuesday March 29, 2016

JUST REWARD FOR SIN: Devotion for Tuesday March 29, 2016

Text: Romans 6:12 – 23              Memory verse: v 23

After the admonition to walk in newness of life by Paul as we read yesterday, he went further to speak about the just reward for sin. He started by saying, “Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts” (6:12). That was a conclusion of his exhortation in 6:1–11. He gave this charge because of the consequences and reward for sin. Most people play with sin as if it has no consequence. If we are dead to sin, how can sin still control us? Christians died to sin at repentance, but as long as they live in their mortal bodies, they will have the compulsion to sin. But only because we have died to sin do we have the power to no longer let it control us. Worthy of note is the question in 6:15. “To refuse obedience to the law, under pretence of Christian liberty; to sin because we are not under the law, but under grace; is a turning the grace of God into wantonness, and to use our Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh” according to William Burkett’s Note.

This result of sin is not just physical death; everyone dies physically, believers and nonbelievers alike. This refers to eternal separation from God. This is the wage that a person receives for his or her rebellion against God. But instead of wages, those who believe receive a free gift from God; the eternal life. Just as the labourer is worthy of his hire and feels it to be his due, so death is the due for sin, the wages the sinner has formed for himself. The good news is that God has offered us eternal life as a gift. Have you received yours?

Food for Thought: Are you working for wage or gift?

Prayer: God, your gift for me is eternal life. Grant that I will not miss out in Jesus name.

WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE: Devotion for Monday March 28, 2016

WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE: Devotion for Monday March 28, 2016

Text: Romans 6:1 – 11      Memory verse: v 4

Yesterday was Easter, the resurrection of Jesus from death which gave us hope for eternal life. This is the reason Paul said, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (2 Cor. 5:17).” That new creation is the life that he talks about here in our bible reading for today. The newness of life starts at repentance. It is expected that believers must die to sin, and live to God (6:1, 2). Dying to sin is likened to death of Christ and living to God is likened to the resurrection of Christ. Our baptism teaches the necessity of dying to sin, and being as it were buried with all ungodly and unholy pursuits, and of rising to walk with God in newness of life. Those who believe in Christ are baptized into Him and baptized into His death; in other words, they are baptized to become one with Christ Jesus. As he died, we die to our old, sinful lifestyle, and a new life begins.

If we believe that our old, sinful lives are dead and buried, we have a powerful motive to resist sin. We can consciously choose to treat the desires and temptations of the old nature as if they were dead. Then we can continue to enjoy our wonderful new life with Jesus (Gal. 3:27; Col. 3:1-4). Are you still under the influence of old life? Is sin still having upper hand in your life? Then you are not walking in newness of life and resurrection power hasn’t affected you.

Food for Thought: Our death with Christ to sin implies our resurrection with Christ to God, which is to us a new life of holiness. Is that true about you?

Prayer: Lord, help me to walk in newness of life as one who has resurrected with Christ through my baptism.