Have You Tasted His Grace? Devotion for Sunday August 16, 2020

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Sunday August 16, 2020

Topic: Have You Tasted His Grace?                     

Text: 1 Peter 2:1 – 3                                           

The worst thing a man can do to himself is to taste the grace, mercies and goodness of God, and still go back into sin or keep on living a compromising life. This is the basis of Peter’s admonition in our bible reading for the day. He urges us to lay aside (put away, get rid) of any attitude or hindrance that could threaten our love for one another in Christ. He listed several types of sin to be removed from our lives. The sins Peter listed here fight against love and cause dissension among believers.

1. Malicious behaviour means doing evil despite the good that has been received; the desire to harm other people. We should note that malice may be hidden behind good actions.

2. Deceit means deliberately tricking or misleading by lying (1 Peter 3:10).

3. Hypocrisy means that people say one thing but do another; playacting; presenting good motives that mask selfish desire.

4. Jealousy means desiring something possessed by someone else especially in spiritual gifts. This causes discontent and resentment as believers make unhealthy comparisons to one another. It also makes them unable to be thankful for the good that comes to others.

5. Backstabbing means destroying another’s good reputation by lies, gossip, rumor-spreading, etc. Malice often manifests itself through back- stabbing (slander).

These should not be part of our Christian lives. Get rid of them if indeed you are a Christian who is Heavenly conscious.

Food for Thought: Are you still living a compromising Christian life?

Memory verse: 1 Peter 2 v 3

Prayer: Almighty God, help me to get rid of any attitude or hindrance that could threaten my love for fellow Christians and non-Christians.  

Hypocrisy Destroys The Church

Devotion for Saturday August 19, 2017

Topic: Hypocrisy Destroys The Church

Text: Galatians 2:11 – 18

Hypocrisy is a very dangerous character that can lead to betrayal, gossip, pretences, falsehood and many other evils. Anyone who is hypocritical can even kill. Hypocrites are deceivers and tempters (Mark 12:15). They are always deceptive in their words and actions. Beware of such people who are hypocrites in nature.

Paul, speaking in defence of Christians and circumcision gave instance of how Peter and some Jews played hypocrisy by refraining themselves from eating with the Gentiles when James sent some Jews from Jerusalem to Antioch. They separated from the converted Gentiles and acted to convince the Jews that they still believed the law to be of moral obligation. They followed Peter and disguised their sentiments. They knew that the Jewish ceremonial laws was done away by the gospel, and had practically acknowledged it by eating with the Gentiles, however, they were afraid to avow their true convictions. This was hypocrisy at the highest level and more worrisome is the fact that it came from Peter who was adjudged a leader of the church. This made Paul to challenge him (Galatians 2:14).

There are many ways people play hypocrisy in our present day Christianity. Some claim they are born again Christians but don’t trust God to protect and care for them. Thus they depend on other sources for their protection and providence. Some people are still living in obvious sins and deeply involved in church programmes and activities. They are hypocrites and in such cases, the spirit of God can hardly dwell in such a church where they claim to be worshipping. If you are not done with sin, why take a seat at the centre of church services and programmes? Why will a church leader see a member of his/her church living in obvious sin and keep mum? Such inaction destroys the church too. To enjoy the presence of God in our churches, we must do away with hypocrites.

Food for Thought: “Of all the things in the world that stink in the nostril of men, hypocrisy is the worst” – Charles Spurgeon.

Memory verse: Galatians 2:13

Prayer: God heal me of any spirit of hypocrisy in me through the mercies of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

HAVE YOU TASTED HIS GRACE? Devotion for Tuesday July 19, 2016

HAVE YOU TASTED HIS GRACE? Devotion for Tuesday July 19, 2016

Text: 1 Peter 2:1 – 3             

Memory verse: 1 Peter 2:3 - If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

The worst thing a man can do to himself is to taste the grace, mercies and goodness of God, and still go back into sin or keep on living a compromising life. This is the basis of Peter’s admonition here. He urges us to lay aside (put away, get rid) of any attitude or hindrance that could threaten our love for one another in Christ. He listed several types of sin to be removed from our lives. The sins Peter listed here fight against love and cause dissension among believers.

1. Malicious behavior means doing evil despite the good that has been received; the desire to harm other people. We should note that malice may be hidden behind good actions. The case of Judas Iscariot betraying his master, Jesus Christ easily comes to mind. We should avoid such behaviours as Christians.

2. Deceit means deliberately tricking or misleading by lying (1 Pet. 3:10).

3. Hypocrisy means that people say one thing but do another; playacting; presenting good motives that mask selfish desire. This is one problem facing the church today. If only all who confesses Christ live well, the effect of our Christianity will be seen in our political, social and economic lives.

4. Jealousy means desiring something possessed by someone else especially in spiritual gifts. This causes discontent and resentment as believers make unhealthy comparisons to one another. It also makes them unable to be thankful for the good that comes to others.

5. Backstabbing means destroying another’s good reputation by lies, gossip, rumor-spreading, etc. Malice often manifests itself through back- stabbing (slander). Unfortunately, this is very endemic in our present day Christianity. Otherwise how can there be infighting in churches as we have witnessed in recent time?

These should not be part of our Christian lives as people who have come to know God and are now enjoying His grace. We should get rid of them if indeed we are a Christian and they are found in us. We shouldn’t be seen as Christian while our lives do not correspond with ethics of Christianity. Let that God we have tasted manifest in our lives.

Food for Thought: Are you still living a compromising Christian life?

Prayer: Almighty God, help me to get rid of any attitude or hindrance that could threaten my love for fellow Christians and non Christians.

EFFECT OF PRIDE: Devotion for Tuesday June 21, 2016

Text: Isaiah 10: 5 – 19       Memory verse: v 12

The king of Assyria, in his pride, thought to act by his own will. Most tyrants of the world are tools of Providence. The plan of God was to correct His people for their hypocrisy, and bring them nearer to Himself; but that wasn’t Sennacherib's plan. He designs to gratify his own covetousness and ambition. The Assyrian, boasts what great things he has done to other nations (10:8–11), by his own policy and power. He did not know that it was God who made him what he is, and puts the staff into his hand (10:5). How I wished he consulted Nebuchadnezzar. He wouldn’t have been so pompous.

This provoked God’s anger (10:12–15). Matthew Henry opined that “For a tool to boast or to strive against Him that formed it, would not be more out of the way, than for Sennacherib to vaunt himself against Jehovah.” God’s verdict on King of Assyria was that He shall strip him and all his princes, of their wealth, and might, and glory; and destroy his numerous armies as fire destroys things which are thrown into it (10:16). That was the effect of pride on Sennacherib. Do you boast of the talent, wisdom, power or position God has given to you? Do you look down on others because you feel you are better than them? Think twice! God is God of justice. He exalts and brings down (Ps 75:7; Matt 23:12; Lk 18:14).

Food for Thought: Proverbs 29:23 - A man's pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honour, 

Prayer: 1. My Father in heaven, may I not exalt myself because of where you have placed me or the talent you have deposited in me. 2. Grant me the spirit of humility and appreciation for what you have made me.