Awake From Sleep: Devotion for Friday October 9, 2020

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Friday October 9, 2020

Topic: Awake From Sleep                               

Text: Ephesians 5:12 – 20                         

As Christians, we should stand for the truth; we shouldn’t get caught up in gossip about the shameful actions of sinful people (Ephesians 5:12). We should not promote or dignify sin by even so much as discussing it. What the ungodly people do in secret becomes clear for how evil it is as light shines on them. Nothing can hide from the light piercing through darkness. Believers are the “rays” of that light. By our actions (Ephesians 5:8 – 12), we become instruments of light, exposing the dark acts of sin.

Apostle Paul instructs us to expose these deeds, because our silence may be interpreted as approval. God needs people who will take a stand for what is right. Christians must lovingly speak out for what is true and right. This is not optional.

It is for this reason the Apostle calls on compromising Christians to wake up from sleep (Ephesians 5:14) and begin to live for Christ. What Paul was stressing here is that the Ephesians should wake up and realize the dangerous condition into which some of them had been slipping into. Are such things not seen in our present day Christendom where we pretend and are nonchalant to our call to rebuke evil and sin? Are we not unperturbed and senseless in the darkness, and pollution of sin, and sometimes rename sin so as to cover our unrighteousness?

We should wake from death in sin to a sense of our guilty, lost condition, and look to Him who died for us, and He will make us light. We should redeem the time we have lost while asleep by being active for God. God is waiting for you to act. Start now (Isaiah 60:1)!   

Food for Thought: Romans 13:11 & 12

Memory verse: Ephesians 5 v 14

Prayer: Almighty God, give us grace to cast way the works of darkness and to put on the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility so that on the last day, when He shall come again in His glorious majesty: to judge the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through Him who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever (Collect for Advent Sunday). 

Be A True Servant

Devotion for Friday March 9, 2018                 

Topic: Be A True Servant

Text: 1 Peter 2:18 – 25                          

Servants in the period Peter wrote this epistle were generally slaves, and had heathen masters, who often used them cruelly; yet he directs them to be subject to the masters placed over them by Providence, with a fear to dishonour or offend God; not only to those pleased with reasonable service, but to those that were severe, and those angry without cause. This may seem a hard teaching but that is what God requires of us. It is said that two wrongs cannot make a right. The sinful misconduct of someone in a relationship, does not justify sinful behaviour of the other person. For this reason, a servant is bound to his duty, though the master may be sinfully froward and perverse. Virtually all Christians are servants to God and in some other places, servants to men. We owe it a duty to serve God diligently whether it is convenient for us or not. Again, we have masters where we work. They may be froward (difficult to deal with) and at times make life miserable for us. However, no matter how difficult they may be to us we owe it a duty to serve well because our service is not only to our earthly masters but also to our God in heaven. Paul also gave similar advice in Ephesians 6:5; Colossians 3:22; 1 Timothy 6:1; Titus 2:9. How faithfully and effectively are you serving as a civil servant, public servants, apprentice, a maid, nanny or house help and shopkeeper or in your profession? God demands absolute obedience and nothing less.

Sing A&M 308; Abu 226

Food for Thought: Loyalty and perseverance even in the face of unjust treatment singles us out as true Christians.

Memory verse: 1 Peter 2:18 

Prayer: Lord God, make me a faithful and obedient servant in the place I work in Jesus name.

Be A True Citizen

Devotion for Thursday March 8, 2018

Topic: Be A True Citizen

Text: 1 Peter 2:13 – 17                          

For the sake of peaceful coexistence and unity, there is always the need to have a government. Can you imagine what our society will look like if we don’t have government at all whether traditional or civil? 

To show what Christianity is all about, Peter urges us to live well among others especially unbelievers by submitting ourselves to ordinances of men for God sake 1 Peter 2:13. He asserts that Christian conducts must be honest through a just and careful discharge of all relative duties. He maintains that having regard to those duties is the will of God and consequently the Christians’ duty which will silence the base slanders of ignorant and foolish men. He charged us to endeavour, in all relations, to behave rightly, that we do not make our liberty a cloak or covering for any wickedness or for the neglect of duty; but we must remember that we are servants of God. 

Therefore, it is our duty to show respect to all people (1 Peter 2:17). According to Family Bible Notes, “True religion teaches us to conduct with propriety in all conditions and relations of life, and to exercise those feelings towards others which we ought to wish others to exercise towards us.” The exhortation of Peter in verse 17 is fundamental to our living in harmony and having a clear conscience towards people. It embodies the summary of the law (compare Mark 12:30, 31; Romans 13:9). 

Our duties consist in reverencing kings, in obeying their lawful commands, in a cheerful payment of our taxes, in praying affectionately for them, and in praising God for the blessing of their government. Are you truly doing these?

Sing A&M 295; Abu 205

Food for Thought: Civil power is of God and thus we have duties to constituted authorities.

Memory verse: 1 Peter 2:17

Prayer: God, make me a faithful and true citizen in Jesus name. Amen\

THE POOR IN SPIRIT

DEVOTION FOR THURSDAY DECEMBER 15, 2016

Topic: THE POOR IN SPIRIT                      

Text: Matthew 5 verse 3                    

Each of the beatitude tells us how God blesses us. Christians should spend time to study the beatitude because some of us have been following the wrong path and when they come to the crossroad (when the blessings they had hoped for didn’t come), they will begin to see the promises of God as not true and subsequently fall out of the faith.

Blessed, means more than happiness. It implies the fortunate and enviable state of believers. It is more of inward and not outward. We shall look at the beatitude for the next 10 days. The poor as used here means the humble, who depend on God in all things, temporal and spiritual, and look to Him for the supply of every want; more especially those who feel their need, as sinners, of spiritual blessings, and look to Jesus Christ to grant them (Isaiah 66:2).

It is proper to understand that being poor as Jesus Christ used it is not those that are poor in estate, or those whom the world has made poor in possession, but those whom the gospel has made poor in spirit, that is, the truly humble and lowly spirits. They have a right and title to the kingdom of heaven. Beloved, what is the effect of the gospel in your life? The gospel should make us do the accepted things in the likeness of Christ. Christ was not keen on material things while on earth but whenever the need arises there is always a provision for that. Though, a King, He live a life of poor spirit. We should emulate Him.      

Food for Thought: True happiness does not consist in external condition, but in the state of the mind.

Memory verse: Matthew 5 verse 3

Prayer: God, grant me the understanding of what being poor in spirit means so I will live to receive the blessings therein in Jesus name.      

WHEN WE SHOW TRUE REPENTANCE: Devotion for Saturday November 26, 2016

WHEN WE SHOW TRUE REPENTANCE: Devotion for Saturday November 26, 2016

Text: 2 Kings 22:14 – 20               Memory verse: v19

When we read the word of God and it pricks our heart, we should repent and ask God what we should do. This was the case when Peter preached on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:37). If there is any place to weep, it should be in the presence of God for He alone is the one that can help us and not Man. Man may sympathize but can never give you the needed help because he doesn’t have right over his affairs. Have you wept before man and failed to receive what you asked for? Never mind, with Jesus, it is a different case. He knows the necessities of our hearts, when we cry to Him; He saves us (Ps. 34:18). Josiah heard the word of God and it grieved his heart (compare Judges 10:15, 16). Godly sorrow leads to repentance (2 Cor. 7:10). How do you react when you hear the word of God? Does it prick your heart (Acts 2:37 & 7:54)?

Unfortunately, we are in a time where the word of God doesn’t touch the heart of many. The preachers are no longer preaching the raw and undiluted word of God. They preach what the congregation wants to hear. This is the reason we see people clapping hands when the word of God is coming forth instead of mourning for their sins. Most of us in this generation have hearts and consciences that have are dead.    

As a leader in the home, office, church, company, etc, how do you react to advice or correction? Does the action of Josiah challenge you? No matter how hardened our hearts may be, it must prick us when we hear the undiluted word of God (Heb 4:12). As you go to God with broken and contrite heart, He will hear and avert that evil He intended (Ps. 51:7). Josiah’s repentance saved him from dying in the war. Though he was wounded in war according to the warnings of the book but he didn’t die there. It would have been worse if not that he repented. 

Food for Thought: Mourning and weeping makes us modest by reminding us how far we have come short of what we can be.

Prayer: Lord, grant me true repentance as I hear your voice so I will not die in this battle for eternal life in Jesus name.

THE TRUE RELIGION: Devotion for Wednesday October 5, 2016

THE TRUE RELIGION: Devotion for Wednesday October 5, 2016

Text: James 1:26 – 27    Memory verse: James 1 v 27

In our text, James speaks of a relationship with God where He is allowed to direct the terms of our behaviour. To him, this is pure and lasting religion. James explains religion in terms of practical service and personal purity that is by its fruits. According to his explanation, true religion has two sides: first, that of love and mercy; secondly, that of purity from worldly defilement. Rituals done with reverence are not wrong; but if the person still refuses to obey God in daily life by living out his faith, his religion will not be accepted by God.

However, it is pertinent to note that pure and lasting religion is not perfect observance of rules and observances; instead, it is a spirit that pervades our hearts and lives (Leviticus 19:18 and Isaiah 1:16-17). Like Jesus, James explains religion in terms of a vital inner faith that acts itself out in daily life. Our conduct must be in keeping with our faith (1 Corinthians 5:8).

Worthy of note here is the fact that those with pure and lasting religion will refuse to let the world corrupt them. Are you one of those people who will not allow the world to corrupt you? To keep ourselves from being corrupted by the world, we need to commit ourselves to Christ’s ethical and moral standard, and system, not the world’s standard (Romans 12:2). We are not to adapt to the world’s value system like money, power, and pleasure. True faith means nothing if we are contaminated with such values. What is your position? Don’t allow your faith to be contaminated with values of money, power, pleasures, politics, etc.

Food for Thought: Have you allowed the world to corrupt you or you are still following Christ’s standard? 

Prayer: Lord God, grant that my religion will not be that of confession alone but of purity, love and mercy in Jesus name.